Page 134 of A Legacy of the Light

“Come on, Elsie, you can’t defend forever,” Reyne taunts while she tries to punch me in the stomach.

I grab her arm in my right hand and throw a punch with my left, which she avoids by ducking behind me and pinning my arm behind my back.

I spin away from her and go low to swipe her feet from underneath her. Reyne anticipates my move and pulls on my leg, leaving me on my ass in the snow.

“Nice. But you’ll have to be quicker than that, lass,” she chuckles, helping me to my feet.

I get into position and don’t give Reyne a chance to attack first this time. I throw all my strength, everything she has taught me, into each move. She blocks me but encourages with each move I make. I successfully block most of her attacks, but she lands a wicked kick to the back of my leg that brings me down to my knees.

“You hesitate before you attack,” a familiar voice comments from the edge of our ring. Tavish is watching us with a few of the guards.

My cheeks warm. I was focused on Reyne and didn’t notice others were observing us. Reyne tends to draw a crowd when she spars, so it didn’t surprise me the guards would be interested to see her hand the resident human her ass.

“You’re fast, and stronger than I thought, but you’re hesitating when you move, which is why she keeps blocking you,” Tavish observes as he walks toward us. He offers me his hand and I take it as he helps me to my feet. A soft smile plays at the corner of his mouth when I squeeze him in thanks.

“She’s my friend, though. I don’t want to hit her,” I say.

Reyne crosses her arms over her chest. “Elsie, if you don’t treat me like an enemy, you won’t learn. You won’t hurt me. I’m too quick.”

“It’s true,” Tavish affirms. “Reyne is one of the best fighters I know.”

Her face breaks into a wide smile at the compliment.

“Shall we show her, Your Highness?” Reyne asks.

“Reyne, are you challenging me?” Tavish laughs.

“Aye. It’s been a while since we sparred. I need a challenge, and it will show Elsie that she won’t hurt me.”

Tavish looks her over and my stomach tightens with nerves. I have seen Reyne flatten every opponent she’s faced, but Tavish is taller, broader, and a hell of a lot quicker than anyone else I’ve seen in this yard.

“Alright then,” he replies after a minute.

The onlooking guards break out into a cheer.

I look to Reyne. “Are you sure about this?” I ask her quietly.

“Don’t worry, Elsie. We’ve sparred before.”

She pats my arm reassuringly and I slowly move to the edge of the ring to watch Tavish and Reyne fight.

They face each other, only a foot of space between them. Reyne has to tilt her head back to look Tavish fully in the face, but there’s no fear on her fair features.

Tavish cracks his neck one way, then the other before offering Reyne his hand. “May the best Seelie win.”

She takes his large hand in her small one. “Aye, prince. I’ll apologize to Elsie later for messing up that pretty face of yours.”

Tavish laughs and a few of the Seelie gathered around me glance my way. I keep my focus on the center of the ring as they take a few steps back from each other and lower themselves into fighting stances.

Tavish immediately goes on the attack, wasting no time in launching his powerful body at Reyne. I catch a glimpse of the feral grin on Reyne’s face as she weaves and dives from every single advance he makes.

They both move with so much speed; if I blinked I’d miss something. Tavish is keeping Reyne on defense, but she seems happy to let Tavish continually attack her.

She feigns to the left and Tavish goes with her to his right, opening himself up on his left side. Reyne strikes. She lands a hard kick to Tavish’s ribs that has him lowering further into his crouch. Reyne takes advantage of his pause and plants one foot on his thigh and throws her other leg over his shoulder, trapping his head in between her thighs.

My jaw drops when she throws herself over his head and toward the ground, bringing Tavish with her.

In the span of a breath, Tavish is on his back in the snow with Reyne’s shin against his throat.