Page 34 of The Goddesses' Gifts

There was nothing against Zelfek’s casual challenge in Irnon’s bloodthirsty dueling laws. As long as they didn’t interfere with our fight, it was an excellent way to keep Lobikno too busy to steal Oz and the child away.

“Because we’re boring sparring partners, fuckwit,” Lobikno complained in a drawl. “It’s always a stalemate.” But Lobikno unsheathed his saber and stood at the ready, his posture one of spiteful indolence, as was Zelfek’s.

Lobikno bared his teeth in an annoyed grimace before lunging at Zelfek. He couldn’t turn down the challenge any more than Dulanzo could turn down mine. He’d be disgraced in front of a crowd of vicious predators. The metaphorical blood in the water could potentially end with a knife in his back before my duel was over.

Dulanzo and I circled for a moment, exchanged and parried a few strikes, the familiar motions and sharp clang of metal honing my focus—settling the heart-pain I’d been struggling against since they stole Oz away.

We gauged distances, our feet testing the terrain. Then Dulanzo swept in, slashing, and I parried, leaving a gash on his upper arm in riposte. Grinning, I followed with a kick to his knee, but he was already shifting to evade and took the blow to his shin instead. We circled for a moment more and his next attack whooshed by my head as I deflected and dodged.

Dulanzo seemed slower than I recalled, his feet not moving as lightly as they ought to, his balance slightly off. It lacked his usual finesse. Was he trying to lull me into a false sense of his skill? Baiting the maddened animal within me to act foolishly?

I chose not to act upon the apparent insight.

He attempted a feint, to trick me into exposing my side, but I slapped it aside with the flat of my blade and turned out of his path. I lunged when the follow-through left him exposed instead, sinking the tip of my sword into his pectoral before he could step back. It was enough to confirm my instinct about his speed. He growled a curse under his breath and a contemptuous flick of his wrist caught me under the forearm, leaving a vicious cut in his wake.

I pushed the pace with a fierce grin and left him panting, retreating more than advancing. Each thrust, every deflection and crash of metal driving the tempo of our bloody dance.

Dulanzo’s eyes flashed with rage. He narrowly missed hitting me in the jaw with a pommel strike, the cold metal just grazing my flesh. I snarled in return, grabbing the collar of his leathers and yanking him off balance. He didn’t fall but stumbled.

I bared my teeth and lunged before he could recover.

And that’s when a brilliant strobe of red light burst into existence at the tip of my nose. My vision went red. I pushed through to finish the strike, consumed by bloodlust, but my blade met no resistance. There was only a sharp pain in my chest. Incredible, breath stealing pain. I could do nothing. I couldn’t cry out. I couldn’t speak. My vision returned in time to see Dulanzo draw his sword from my ribs, coated red. Blood poured from the wound and the chill night air closed in around me, seeping in and replacing the warmth as it drained down the front of my leathers.

I fell to my knees and heard Ozanna roaring my name as the world went dark.

CHAPTER 17

LOBIKNO

Zelfek and I were evenly matched in every way, including deceit. We were raised together, learned all the same dirty tricks, and knew how to anticipate them. When Zelfek tried to trip me up, I was already lifting my foot. When I tried to gouge him in the eyes, he bobbed out of my reach a fraction ahead of me. The only thing he had that I didn’t was ambition.

We locked blades and battled for leverage at the hilts, and I seized the opportunity to proposition him. “The whole command could be yours if Lhoris wins this,” I hissed.

Zelfek’s eyes went wide with shock and then he grinned. “And here I thought I’d have to convince you, cousin,” he replied before we had to break away.

I sidestepped a lunge, trapping Zelfek’s sword arm and we grappled like the old, tired bastards we were. Though his frame felt wrong, too thin. I could overpower him if I tried. “We distract Dulanzo, Lhoris takes his head, and you get the power. Just follow through on terms.” Technically, that would be breaking some rules, but things happen in fights. And the records of these challenges were always written by the winner. I’d seen Dulanzo do it enough over the years. So had Zelfek.

He nodded with a grin and his eyes flicked to the other duel. He opened his mouth to speak but winced and turned away from a sudden bright light behind me. Then came Ozanna’s dark, guttural scream. Her sudden grief and anger ripped through me like lightning. If it weren’t for my grasp on Zelfek, I’d have fucking fallen to my knees. She was finally close enough for the bond to connect.

… at the most inconvenient fucking time.

I released Zelfek and looked at the other duel. Dulanzo was bloodied but held his dripping sword up in victory as Lhoris collapsed. “No,” I gasped, and time seemed to stand still.

It wasn’t fair. After all I’d sacrificed. After all he’d accomplished because of it. It wasn’t fair that he was on the ground bleeding while I stood.

Zelfek supported me for a few heartbeats before I pushed him away, my teeth bared. I glared at Zelfek, daring him to intervene as I moved on Dulanzo.

Zelfek turned to greet the cheating bastard with congratulations, and I moved as if going to Lhoris’ side. Instead, I juked behind Dulanzo’s back and separated his head from his shoulders in one swing. It fell to the ground with a heavy, hollow thump and rolled onto its cheek while the body spasmed and toppled beside it. His blood rushed out and pooled near Lhoris.’

The elves around us all stared in shocked silence for a moment before the startled grunts and cries of calculated assassination started. As intriguing as it was, I didn’t give a shit right then. I was too busy trying to get to Lhoris.

I rolled him over and took in his pale, gasping face and just how much of his blood was pooled in the grass.

I didn’t say anything, just ground my teeth and slapped my hand over the place Emma’s little bead of power rested. “Damn it Emma, how do I make it work?” I growled to myself. Then Ozanna was on Lhoris’ other side, weeping, pressing shredded linens on the wound. She crumpled over him, and I fought to keep her pain from freeing mine from where I had it contained. I had to focus.

Please, please, please…

Opening my hands, I rested one over where the power should be, the other under his back, and let the current of my magic flow from one hand to the other, through Lhoris’ stilling chest. I’d never had much in the way of magical talent, but in my desperation, it didn’t matter. Somehow, I sensed a sizable pulse of energy and instinctively swept it up in my current. The power there was begging me to free it. He’s not completely gone, let me go, let me work, let me go, it seemed to say.

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