“Well, well, look who we have here,” the fae said, taking in the both of them.
Lora thought she’d never have to see his face again, his twisted smile. He definitely hadn’t forgotten about them either. She’d imagined many ways of how their mission could go wrong, but none of them had included him.
“You know them, Kelvion?” the fae who had taken their silver asked.
“We’ve crossed paths.”
Eyden glanced at the prisoners, still very close to the fae, then back to Kelvion. “We’re here for business. We paid and now we’ll be on our way. You won’t have to deal with us anymore.”
Kelvion crossed his arms, leaning against the wall next to the door. He was dressed well in maroon attire. “What if I want to deal with you?”
“A deal is a deal, remember? You have our silver. Now we’re taking what’s ours.” Eyden caught Lora’s gaze, telling her to retreat as he moved away slowly.
Kelvion stepped forward. “A deal is a deal once I say so. Kayai, let me take a look at that silver.” He held out his gloved hand, the shiny maroon leather reflecting in the sun, and the other fae, Kayai, followed his order, placing Eyden’s silver in the palm of his hand. “Let’s see if your intention is true. I’ll test your silver. That won’t be an issue, will it?”
“Of course not. Go ahead.” If Eyden was surprised, he didn’t show it. His face remained blank and Lora tried hard to imitate his calmness even as her body froze over with anxiety.
Kelvion slipped his hand into his pocket, retrieving a scanner of sorts. He held the magic device over the top silver note. Lora held her breath as everyone observed quietly. A few seconds later, it flashed green. Lora’s breathing steadied.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” Eyden said, inclining his head to the human prisoners. They limped forward. Lora took a careful step backwards.
“One more.” Kelvion’s voice was laced with threat. He was clearly itching for a fight. As he grabbed a silver note from the middle of the pile, Lora thought she saw Eyden tense slightly.
Her eyes drifted to the alley. Could they escape? With three prisoners who could barely walk? It seemed impossible. They had to come to an agreement with the fae.
But the scanner flashed red, erasing that possibility. The vile grin stretching across Kelvion’s face was pure evil. His eyes stayed locked on Eyden as he addressed his fellow fae. “Kill them both.”
Chapter49
Lora
“Are we really doing this again?” Eyden asked, stepping forward into the crossfire that was surely looming before them. “It won’t end well for you.”
Kelvion drew a large dagger from his side. “We’ll see about that. Take him.” His voice was vicious. “The girl’s my kill.”
Eyden tensed, much to Kelvion’s enjoyment. “Run,” Eyden said to her before taking on his opponents.
Kayai unsheathed her sword, twisting it as it caught the light. The top edge was darker, the red tint promising pain. But it was the other fae who moved first, pulling out a knife as he advanced on Eyden. He barely made it one step before one of Eyden’s knives was embedded in his chest. His dumbfounded expression almost made Lora smile, but Kelvion drew Lora’s attention. He was moving towards her in slow, predatory steps.
Lora glanced at Eyden, but he was focused on the other two fae. She was on her own.Run,a voice in her mind screamed. But if she ran, what would happen to Eyden, to the humans they were supposed to rescue? Eyden couldn’t take them all on at once. Maybe she could distract Kelvion long enough for Eyden to take care of the other two fae.
Kayai let out a curse as she lifted her sword, ready to strike. Eyden remained calm, prepared, another blade about to leave his palm. To her surprise, Kayai plunged her sword into the dry ground. The earth shook and Eyden’s knife clattered to the floor harmlessly. One of the humans fell as he had trouble steadying himself with his bound hands. The other two lifted him up as they scrambled back on unsteady feet, away from the unavoidable fight.
Lora tried to balance herself as she took in their situation. Kayai must possess earth magic. It was an unfair fight. Lora was reminded again that she wasn’t any help in this fight and neither were the humans. But she couldn’t run. With trembling fingers, she reached for Eyden’s knife under her shirt, unsheathing it and gripping it tightly as she guarded herself.
Kelvion laughed at the sight. “You think you can take me? Let’s play then, little girl. I’ve been waiting for this.” His steps were sure, his dagger unwavering in his hand. This was not the same drunk man she’d met before, it was the clear-minded version. He was just as evil, but more calculated in his attacks.
Kayai advanced on Eyden, swinging her sword as the ground ceased shaking. Eyden dodged her move, slipping to the side faster than Lora’s eyes could track. He had another knife, but it was no match for her sword. Yet Eyden danced around her attack in graceful strides. The other fae had removed Eyden’s knife, revenge turning his features sinister as he slowly rose.
Kelvion stopped in front of Lora, just out of arm’s reach. She wasn’t sure if she was still breathing. Was he waiting for her to attack first? She’d rather draw out the fight. She knew she couldn’t win this unless she got lucky. Her eyes kept darting back to Eyden.
A slash of pain made Lora take a hurried step back. The dagger had grazed her stomach, drawing blood before she had fully registered his movement. The sight of her blood seeping her white shirt seemed to please Kelvion immensely. He slashed again, but this time Lora jumped out of reach. If she could avoid him long enough…
Pain laced her arm before his fist caught her nose. Once. Twice. He knocked the knife out of her hand. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. It was running down her face, further splashing her once pristine shirt.
She tried to turn, to run, but Kelvion grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. His head was mere inches from her face. With her free hand, Lora struggled to grasp her pocket knife. Before Kelvion noticed, she swung it at his face. He lifted his hand just in time; the blade didn’t even draw blood as it went into the leather of his glove.
He laughed in her face as he drew closer, removing the knife with ease. The smile plastered on his face was as disturbing as ever. She tried to take a step back, but Kelvion’s dagger pressed against the sensitive skin on her neck, barely drawing blood. Taunting her. The slightest move and her throat would be cut open.
