Page 36 of Of Daggers and Deceit

I bounced back and forth, the anticipation of the moment barrelling towards me like a freight train. He flapped his wings, covering the distance with ease before diving down towards me, descending with ferocious speed.

But I was ready for him.

Bohdi’s voice ripped across the expanse, painful and desperate as its volume eclipsed the sounds of clashing claws and fangs.

“Raya!”

Not turning to look, not breaking my focus, I flicked one of my daggers out, my fingers tightening around it as the shifter torpedoed towards me from the sky.

Not the gun, not today. I’d know the thief who stole my joy anywhere. The closer he moved, the more confident I became with his markings, the same from that fateful night. His face was etched into my mind; I was eager to look him in the eye when I ruined him.

So, I ran, fury urging me forward, a fiery, ravenous beast ready to avenge the broken girl he’d left behind all those years ago. Our collision was set in stone now, with nowhere to go, both of us so determined, unrelenting.

Ten metres out.

Seven metres.

Five metres.

Three.

I leapt with all the strength I had to meet him in the sky before engaging my power, portaling just slightly to the left of him. I slammed the hilt of my dagger down into the blackened feathers of his back, rendering him unable to pull up in time before colliding with the sandy floor.

He screeched, milliseconds from impact, because he knew what was inevitable. The landing was hard and rough, with a disturbing crunch of bone. It made me feel satisfied, slightly appeasing the anger I’d held onto for so long. I landed delicately in a crouch on the sandy floor as I watched him.

He didn’t move.

He lay there with my dagger still firmly embedded in his back, blood slowly pulsing out from around the wound. But I wouldn’t be helping him today. He could consider it my gift to him, a memento.

I knew what I had done to that shifter was not enough to kill him, but at the very least, I could offer him a memory like the one he left me with. Dominants were beautiful, terrible things, incredibly resilient. It required more wounds to bleed them enough to die. I had no doubt I’d be seeing him again.

“Target acquired. Fall back before it closes,” an order barked out, echoing off the cliffs. My eyes darted across the landscape, thankful for the bright light of the moon and my heightened eyesight. Few people were left standing on the field, none of whom I recognised. All the Haven’s shifters were down and out for the count.

A large shape barrelled towards me from my right. “Time to go, Raya.”

The arrogant Dominant I had left behind on the cliff made a grab for me mid-stride. Clearly, he hadn’t intended to stop. I hated the way he perceived this all to be so easy for him, despite my earlier efforts.

I dodged once, twice, then blinked out of existence, teleporting beyond his reach towards the male carrying an unconscious Omega underneath the cliff face. She looked young, maybe just shy of ten, though she was dressed well. Clearly, an inner ringer. The Supreme would never comment on the uselessness of his guards. He never did.

A roar of frustration reverberated from the silver-haired Dominant carrying the Omega, though he didn’t falter when I materialised and instead dodged me, continuing to run at an incredible pace.

What the hell? No.

If I could nail one thing tonight, it was not letting them take her from her family. I had to save her and win the extra protection for my family.

I chased behind him as his long legs powered ahead. He wasn’t as big as the other male, but he was agile and nimble, clearly unhindered by the weight he carried. I would need to be quick.

So, I portaled as close as I could get to the running Dominant. With panic coursing through me, I stayed just long enough, half a fraction of a second, to trip him up and rip her from his arms. The movement lacked grace as I portaled us both mid-fall, landing at the closest point to the city, far away from the barrier. It was the furthest I could portal from where I had grabbed her, especially with a second body. At least I had her. I knelt there with her clutched in my arms, taking in heaving breaths as I held her protectively to my chest. That had taken far more than was normal from me.

The few Dominants who had breached us began to dart back through the barrier, one by one, in quick succession as the sand began to rumble beneath us.

Relief coursed through me at not being spotted as that nimble, silver-haired male turned and darted backwards to join the arrogant asshole carrying the hawk shifter. I blinked my eyes furiously in disbelief, staring intently at the dagger still protruding from his back.

I honestly had expected him to wake up before our shield thickened again, but the fact that they had left the dagger in his back while he was still unconscious gifted me a slight thrill.

They walked at a brisk pace, though casual and undeterred, as if they weren’t worried at all for their safety. I scoffed; arrogant, vile beasts, so unlike the Alphas that existed within the Haven.

The big guy passed through the shield first with his cargo in tow, leaving the silver-haired one as the last to leave. Fortunately, the gateway was narrow, allowing only a single person entry at a time. It meant we would never be swamped by an army of the assholes.

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