Page 27 of The Reign of Blood

I clench my eyes closed, taking a deep breath as my body warms and my vision clears. My body is no longer in control; my mind is.

He wrestles to grab my arms and pin them at my sides, his legs bolting mine to the ground. But before he can get a good grasp on my wrist, I jab at the delicate spot at his side. It does nothing more than make him grunt, but I repeat the process on the other side, and that earns me a glare.

“Feisty, Addi. I like it,” he rasps, pressing his knees into the ground so he can adjust his feet, spreading my legs wide with the move.

Fucker.

I aim for his stomach with one hand, meeting rock-hard muscles, while my other fist swings toward his face. The crack from the contact vibrates between us as he leans to the side, and I press the opening, shifting my weight to slip out from under him.

Rushing to my feet, I circle to face him, knees bent, arms tucked in close, and my eyes darting over him from head to toe.

“Did you really have to hit me in the face? It’s my best asset,” he grumbles, rubbing at the reddening mark on his face.

“Oops,” I whisper, batting my eyelashes at him.

He shakes his head, trying to smother the grin on his face as he charges at me once again. I sidestep him this time, knocking at his leg as he passes, but no sooner does he hit the deck is he back on his feet, circling me again.

“You’re not too bad at this, Dagger,” he assesses, nipping at his bottom lip as he stares me down.

“I’d say the same for you, but… it would be a lie.”

It’s my turn to charge at him, arms low as I aim for his stomach. He lets me get close, but as I connect with him, his arms wrap around my waist, putting him in control of our fall to the ground. He’s quick to shuffle around, fighting to get on top, but I push back with every ounce of strength I have.

The second I have the upper hand, he sweeps it away from me, taking me to the ground again before we repeat the process. Not once does he hit me. He just guides control, and it almost makes me feel bad for aiming for his face.

Almost.

“Are you two fucking or fighting? I can’t tell.” The question comes from Professor Tora, earning a few chuckles, but I don’t pay him any attention as I zero in further on my target.

Sweat clings to me, and loose tendrils of hair float around my face as I hit the ground beneath Brody once again.

“Submit, Dagger, and this will all be over.”

I scoff. “Like fuck am I doing that.” He’s right, though. This needs to come to an end, and quickly. Especially if people are watching.

This time, when I twist to gain leverage, I wrap my arms around his neck, locking behind his arm and holding him in position. As we turn, I roll us completely over so he’s still technically on top, but his back is to my chest, and he can’t move.

“Sorry, Brody. It’s not personal. If anything, you’re one of the few people here I almost don’t hate, but winning is winning, and you’re in my way,” I whisper in his ear, tightening my hold with all my strength.

His legs flail, but it’s pointless. I’ve done this move too many times on men far bigger than him. I sense the moment defeatkicks in, and a split second later, it’s followed by the sweet tapping of his hand on the mat.

One.

Two.

Three.

12

BRODY

She beat me.

She actually fucking beat me.

I can’t even pretend that I let it happen. That shit was all her.

Stretching my neck, I try to ease the dull ache that remains. I refuse to use my magic. I refuse to admit that she really did me over that much.

---