Page 113 of Bound By Darkness

Naexi wiped red liquid against her pants as she turned to Euris. “Doesn’t a High Faeknow how to make a deal? You never asked me to promise shit, and I wouldneversell out a comrade or my home.” She held the dagger in her fingers, a wild grin spreading across her face as she shoved the rebel plans into her coat.

Euris’ face turned bright red. “But your arm?—”

“Yeah, it’s broken, but I have a mentor who’s tough as hells,” she said, her neck popping. “A broken bone is normalon a day of sparring.” Turning to me, she pointed a finger at the dagger resting at my hip. “You were training to be a general once, weren’t you? Stop being scared and fight. Take all those years of anger and hurl it at the man who caused it all.”

Gritting my teeth, I gripped the dagger and slowly raised it toward my father.

Euris’ scowled. “Moria.”

Naexi brandished her sword. “This is what battle is all about. The adrenaline. The rush.” She grinned. “I do love proving men wrong.”

Fixing her stance, Naexi flicked her braid over her shoulder as she flashed her sword in the mist. “Does it still look like a liability? I hope not. Otherwise, you’ll find it resting through your heart.”

And then Naexi struck.

Chapter 33

Reunion

MORIA

She struck hard and fast.A swift-moving ember among mist as Euris barely had time to deflect with his blade—a shimmering piece of metal, curved and elongated for maximum damage.

Their blades wailed above the rain splatter as Naexi spun, another quick attack hitting Euris from below the waist.

He was quicker this time as he shoved her back with his blade, the curved steel threatening to latch onto hers.

With brisk footwork, Naexi maneuvered through his fury of attacks.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, her arm disadvantaged her as Euris sent attack after attack toward the broken arm. Sweat crossed her brow as she shoved him back once more. She was losing speed and agility.

I gripped the dagger as I let muscle memory take over. It would not leave. Years and years of training so that Raha might prosper. I would finish it here. I had to end it here as I breathed out slowly. I struck swiftly and efficiently as I angled the dagger toward my father’s vital points.

It was a tandem effort. Naexi struck. I struck.

It was as if we had fought together. Somehow, we instinctively knew where the other would attack. What would pressure him the most as we kept the fury of our momentum.

Euris blocked every attack, not a bead of sweat forming across his forehead.

My dagger hit the curved part of his blade.

“You’ve grown rusty.”

“And you’ve grown senile.” I huffed, my muscles screaming in atrophy.

Euris laughed. “Not once did we spar,” he said as his blade cracked against mine. “Do you know why? Because if you ever learned my fighting style, you’d have taken the opportunity to kill me.”

I gritted my teeth as I held my stance. “I was a child. I wanted a father!” I yelled as my blade struck. “I wanted a father who was proud of me. Why would I ever want to end your life?”

Naexi ducked low as Euris swung his blade wide, his brown eyes narrowing.

“Wanted? What purpose does being wanted serve? You were to serve your House without question. Without fail.”

Our blades sang.

“Did you ever love me?” It erupted from my chest as I sidestepped back, my breathing heavy as I held the dagger between us. “Did you even love mom?”

Euris’ eyes flashed black as kohl as he raised the blade. “Don’t ever question my love for Eddena,” he snarled. “You’re the reason she died. You’re the reason she does not rest beside me at night.”

---