Page 45 of The Kingdom of Ruin

It’s on the tip of my tongue to clarify that it’s simply a challenge, not a duel, but he’s already hooting with glee as he rushes toward the diner to alert everyone else. The second he does, every damn person in the vicinity vacates the building to join us.

While their interest is occupying Leticia, I whirl my attention on the fucker who is allowing this to unravel. Marching toward him, I jab my finger in his direction. “Seriously, now would be a good time for you to open your mouth.”

He shrugs. Fucking shrugs. “If she wins, there’s less competition at the academy. And if you win, I don’t have to worry about Leticia pawing all over me anymore.”

I gape at him, his gruff voice rushing over me as he lays out his reasoning.

“You’re an ass,” I snap.

“I never claimed to be anything else,” he replies, his husky voice low as someone claps their hands from behind me, pulling my attention back to the center of the makeshift circle that’s now formed.

“Rules of a duel,” the guy hollers, pointing at Leticia and me. “Use what you want, be what you want, we don’t care. A winner is announced when someone is knocked out, taps out, or is killed. Any further questions?”

Leticia waves her hands in the air, ramping up the cheers from the wolves, which become almost deafening in my ears. How am I supposed to think of any more questions with all this noise? Fuck.

“Is this really necessary?” That’s what I settle on, which only earns me a grin from the asshole explaining the rules.

“Excellent, let’s go!” he shouts before tilting his head back and letting out a low howl.

I’m assuming that’s the sign the duel has begun because Leticia is heading toward me in the next breath. I tug my jacket from my arms, the air around me heating from the tension building inside me.

“You know, you’re pretty lacking for a fae. Your ears are embarrassing,” she mutters with a cackle, and I frown as we slowly circle one another.

“Is that supposed to hurt my feelings? My ears don’t determine who I am, and right now, I’m wishing when they were sliced that they had lopped the whole fucking thing off because then I wouldn’t have to listen to your shit.”

“Are you sure? You seem touchy, and I was only making an observation.”

“Nah, observations usually contain facts, and you’re just letting your opinion get the better of you. I bet you wear all your emotions on your sleeve. It’s going to make beating you that much easier. I should thank you in advance,” I snarl back, her eyes darkening as she bares her teeth.

“Fuck you,” she bites out before charging toward me.

Earth magic. Earth magic. Earth magic.

Planting my feet shoulder-width apart, I reach into the earth beneath me, tugging on the magic inside me as vines rise around Leticia. She yelps in surprise, eyes darting to mine for a brief second, but before they can take hold of her, she launches into the air, shifting into a stunning white wolf.

She’s not so stunning when she lands before me with a thud, teeth bared and claws ready to take me down. Her snarl vibrates around us as I release the magic in the vines to prepare for impact as she charges toward me.

I feel the comfort of my daggers against my palms as I pull two from my chest. Her claw slashes across my face as I manage to nick her with a blade. I hiss as she yelps. Her eyes narrow on me as the crowd cheers. The feeling of blood trickling down my face has me slightly distracted as we circle each other again.

Twirling the daggers in my hands, I take a deep breath, remembering everything my father taught me. The people around me disappear from view, the lick of pain from my cheek fades into the background, and the sounds of hollering and howls evaporate as I focus every piece of me on the enemy.

Her left paw hits the ground harder on her next step, the only hint of preparation I get before she’s charging toward me with purpose. Eager to use her own weight against her, I take off too, the pair of us set to collide in the middle, but she leaps in the air at the last second, making me duck and dive, sliding across the dirt and out of her reach.

Rushing to my feet, I remain crouched as I watch her turn back to me. My heart races in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I inhale it all, letting it fuel me.

She lowers her front legs, eyes fixed on me as her nose twitches and lip curls. I take off first this time, refusing to remain on the defensive. If she wants a challenge, I’ll give her one.

My grip on the daggers tightens as I barrel toward her, but someone from the inner ring of the crowd trips me mid-step, sending me careening through the air. I land on my back with a resounding thump.

My breath leaves me with a whoosh as I blink up at the moon, but my vision is quickly filled by the frothing jaws of a pissed off white wolf. Her claws slash at my chest before I can react. Agony burns through me, forcing a scream from my lungs while channeling every ounce of my mind and body to focus on protecting me.

Leticia howls up at the sky, reaping the likely cheers that echo around her instead of finishing me. The pain is consuming me completely. Whatever damage she’s done, it’s more than I’ve ever known or expected. I need to act fast before it worsens.

Using her victorious stance above me to my advantage, I toss aside the daggers in my hands, replacing them with those from my boots and slamming one into her left side, wedging it perfectly between her ribcage. Her howl of anguish reaches my ears as she stumbles forward a little, eyes wide as they settle on me.

I poise my other hand at her right side, ready to do what’s necessary. “Does it hurt?” I rasp, glaring up at her despite my vision blurring from my own pain. Her tiny whimper is the answer I want. “That’s because these daggers are a little more special than the one I caught you with at first. Want to guess why?” I twist it, her agony vibrating between us as she snaps her teeth in my face, but doesn’t actually touch me. “Are you guessing it’s because they’re made of silver? You would be correct if you did.” I can feel the maniacal smile curve my lips. “Now, it’s small, so it’s not flooding your bloodstream just yet, but with the other ready to slice through your body, that will change very quickly.” I nod down at my other hand, ready to cut through her flesh. Looking back at her, everything around us fades away as I offer her an ultimatum “Tap out, or I add that one too.”

She snarls, spit slobbering my face, but the fierceness doesn’t last long as she grimaces. The dagger is doing its job, and she’s struggling.

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