Taryn pushed past the males, his shoulders clipping theirs as he wedged himself between them and Airess, forming a physical barrier. Taryn bared his teeth and snarled at them, asserting his dominance as they snarled back in response. They bowed up at his intrusion.
“The fuck–”
“She’smine,” Taryn snarled, looking each of them in the eyes. “You would be wise not to lay ahandon her.”
One of the males laughed and stepped forward. “Last I checked this female isElven,not Fae. She is not yours to claim, male. We have every right to her.”
Having heard enough, Taryn drew out his broadswords from their sheaths and pointed one at them. “Say something like that again, and I’ll have your head.”
The sound of metal unsheathing caught the attention of the crowd, the music slowly fading as everyone slowed and gaped at the scene. The two Fae held out their own swords, accepting the challenge. Behind Taryn, he could hear Airess’ heart pounding in her chest.
Bystanders scattered to the perimeter of the outdoor bar. The music had stopped, the space around them falling quiet.
“You would really duel over this female?” one Fae asked.
“Yes,” Taryn replied, and advanced.
Metal clashed against metal as Taryn easily avoided each of their strikes, their fighting style no match for Taryn’s decade long tenure at the Guild. Taryn sliced one Fae’s arm, causing the male to fall, screaming in agony. He intended to make them suffer.
The mouthier one, the one who disrespected Airess, lunged forward. The male’s blade barely nicked Taryn’s cheek as he sidestepped out of the way. Taryn grinned, the violence bringing out a side of him he was familiar with. He toyed with the male, blocking each hit, but not ending the fight just yet. The male screamed out in frustration as Taryn struck forward. He nicked the male’s arms, abdomen and face.
Finally, Taryn grew bored and brought his blade down on the male’s wrist. He severed the male’s hand from his body, the common price to pay for a duel in the Runean culture.
The male’s scream pierced through the silence of the crowd.
Taryn knelt down to the handless Fae, blood sputtering out onto the stone at their feet. “Next time,” Taryn said in a condescending tone, “it would be wise to listen the first time a female says no.”
“Fuck you,” the Fae male sneered in defeat.
Taryn stood up emotionlessly, and wiped his blade clean before resheathinghis broadswords. Now that the duel was over, the music resumed, the people beginning their dances again. Taryn strode back toward Airess, who was looking at him with wide eyes and a parted mouth. His face had hardened into something lethal, fueled by a rage he couldn’t control. At least she was finally seeing him for the menace he was.
“Taryn, my Gods! What–”
“Let’s get out of here,” Taryn interrupted. He placed a hand on her lower back and guided her down the street. He didn’t want to draw any more attention to her than he already had, and he knew other Fae would find Airess curious. She stood out in every way, her litheness contrasting against the Fae’s broadness, her hair a light in the dark compared to the Runean people’s raven locks.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Airess confessed. “You didn’t have tocut off his hand.What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Yes, I did. It was the price for challenging me. He knew that.”
“The price of a duel is to cut off the loser’shand?” Airess asked in disbelief, eyes wide.
“Yes,” he chuckled. “You have a lot to learn about Rune. That is one of the many customs. If I hadn’t intervened…” Taryn trailed off, the words lodging in his throat. He wouldn’t–couldn’t–imagine what those males would have done to her had he not shown up at that exact moment.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
“Where are we going?” Airess asked.
Taryn looked at her and smiled. “Home.”
Chapter 32
‘I’ve seen what my daughter will become.
I only hope the world is ready.’
— Written entry from Aesira Deyanira’s personal journal
Airess
