A gasp from the crowd whipped my head back around just in time to see Caz land on his rear, one side of his face red. He climbed to his feet, brushing off the ice chunks. Had Mirko hit him with something?
The fight continued, neither one gaining an advantage immediately. It could last for an hour or more until one of them made a serious mistake. They were both strong and well-trained. The edge of victory would be narrow.
Regret.
I frowned, once more looking up at the stands as Ella’s emotions clouded my mind, pushing my own aside.
What didshehave to be regretful over? I was the one who had screwed up. Lied to her. Proven myself unworthy.
If I couldn’t keep her safe, what good was I as a mate?
Frustration. Lots of it. Ella was glaring at me now. She was mad at me? Her head twisted slightly from side to side, accompanied by a facial expression I could read easily even from a distance.
She didn’t approve of my thoughts. Wanted me to stop.
A roar from the crowd. Then a gasp. Andrik shouted in fear.
And before I could turn back around, it was over. Mirko was on his back, arms spread wide, while Caz stood over him. A blade of ice was pressed to Mirko’s throat with blood dribbling from it.
“Yield,” Mirko growled, exchanging an angry look with Andrik on the sidelines. “I yield.”
Whether Caz chose to let him live or not was up to Caz now. Everyone in the crowd expected him to let Mirko live. Iknewhe would. That was exactly the way we planned it.
Caz stepped back, looking at the crowd. “What say you? Mercy?”
“No,” I answered back before anyone else could shout an answer. “Death is the only answer for traitors.”
Caz turned fully to me while Mirko glared daggers. “Explain,” Caz said in a voice loud enough for all to hear.
“This creature has betrayed our kingdom. He has made pacts with the Reds. He has dealt in heart scales. He has tried to have me and my mate assassinated.”
“Lies!” Mirko howled as did many of his supporters.
“Then perhaps you can explain this,” I said, my voice theatrically loud as well so it would carry. I reached into my pocket and pulled forth a piece of paper. “I retrieved this letter from the body of one of your would-be assassins. It describes me and my mate. It says where we would be found, a secret hiding place I might add. It also says you wish us to bedealtwith. And it is signed by none other than you, given to the one who would try to kill my mate.”
Mirko snarled, rising to his feet now. “Lies!”
“I have the proof right here!” I held up the letter. “It shows you a traitor. In your handwriting. Your name signed at the bottom.”
“I never signed anything I gave Adonik!” Mirko roared.
I cocked my head sideways, and Mirko’s face paled as he realized his mistake. “I never said any names.”
The crowd remained completely quiet as the lie was exposed.
“You’re correct, though.” I unfolded the paper. “The letterisn’tsigned. But it is your handwriting, matched against official records.”
I held it up.
Mirko looked around, panicking as his scheme unraveled faster than he could process. Everyone knew the truth of him now, and he had no idea what to do.
“That is why death is called for this day,” I growled, taking a step forward, confident in my assumption of his lack of preparedness.
Ice ripped out from my feet as Mirko reacted far faster than I expected. A solid wall of it slammed into Caz and hurled him away. The corner of it caught me on the way past, spinning me around and down.
“Do it now!” Mirko shrieked above the din of the crowd, gesturing wildly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Andrik gesture at Florian, and he went down under a hail of ice darts even as Kolar leapt the railing to protect the warlord. Shouts erupted from the crowd, but I had no time for that, rolling to the side just as Mirko’s foot came down where my head had been.
