Page 34 of Claws of Death

Myron

Dust and streaksof dried blood speak of violence and merciless battles in the arena built from inconspicuous gray stone behind the palace. A few rows of wooden benches stacked along the sides like an auditorium inform me whatever slaughter occurs here usually has an audience. I’m not certain whether this is a place of sparring or torture, but knowing the Fairy King, it’s probably both.

From the center of the space, Tori grins at me, teeth flashing unnaturally white in the pale morning sun. “Don’t worry, Myron. I’llleave him in one piece.”

With his free hand, he’s pointing at Silas, who is armed with a single broadsword matching the dull training weapon Tori holds in his other hand.

Silas adjusts his stance on the packed earth and gravel ground. “Don’t hold back, fairy.” The glance the Crow cuts Tori is nothing short of feral. Silas is a cold-hearted bastard when it comes to swordplay, and even Recienne has deigned to leave his palace to watch his general test the strength of one of my best soldiers. Of course, Royad was first to offer to face Recienne’s idea of a challenge, but Silas is right: He’s the only one in our Crow group who knows what it means to work with his full powers while also not being restricted by the foolish bargain Herinor made with Ephegos.

“I’d much appreciate it if neither of you ends up in pieces,” Recienne throws in with that handsome smirk on his features that makes me wonder if he rules by charming his court rather than threatening them the way I’d assumed firm in place.

Beside me, Ayna shifts her weight, bracing her forearms on the wooden fence enclosing the training area. The leathers Clio provided for her fit like a second skin, and I barely manage to keep my fingers away from the seam following her waist or my thoughts from what it would feel like to stand behind her, my hips lined up with the curve of her ass.

Royad clears his throat, elbowing me to bring my attention back to the two males in the arena just in time to watch Tori land the first blow. Silas catches the brutal strike with ease, swirling under Tori’s arm like a whirlwind. I’ve seen him make this move before while sparring with Crows,but with the fairy opponent, it’s an entirely different thing. Where I used to see a feathered monster—a monster just like the rest of us—now I see grace and skill. I see a true asset and a friend who’d go to the ends of this world to protect his species.

Tori stumbles a step but catches himself fast enough to parry Silas’s swing. If I’m honest, I haven’t seen one of my Crows fight a fairy since the last war, and the sight brings forth memories of a time when every drop of fairy blood was a win to us.

Today, drawing blood isn’t the goal. All we need is to know how fast we tire in comparison to the fairies. How much stronger our blows are and how much quicker our blades.

So far, it looks like an even match. Nothing Silas does gives the impression Tori isn’t up to the task, and the fairy general is dishing out his fair share of attacks that make me wonder if we were wrong after all and Crows aren’t any better than the average Askarean fairy. They certainly outmatched us twice during our time in the Seeing Forest. Then, that was before the curse was broken and our full strength was restored.

“Stop playing around and try like a big boy.” Silas doesn’t feature as much as a grin as he taunts Tori, blade lifted to catch whatever the fairy male throws his way.

By the time Kaira groans her complaints that this leadsnowhere, Recienne’s brows are furrowed, his arms folded over his chest, frowning at the display of what seems to be an evenly matched fight.

Clio is standing beside her brother, hair braided back and leathers of a warrior in place. She’s fiddling with hershortsword, ready to leap into the arena, while Herinor and Royad both stand ramrod straight, observing their kin face the fairy who’d once filled their nightmares.

“He seemed less threatening in the dungeon,” Ayna notes, gaze following the fighting pair.

I’m not certain she means Tori or Silas, but I agree. She’s never seen any of us in full-on battle mode since the curse was broken. In the dungeon, when we fought Ephegos and Katrijanov, I was still recovering from the drug, and my powers were not fully unleashed. What she’d make of me if she saw the darkness of my vast magic, I’m not sure she’d ever look at me the same way.

“They haven’t used their powers,” Clio responds. “No way Silas will land a blow once Tori unleashes his powers on him.”

Recienne nods and shouts for them to stop holding back, which is all Silas needs to hear to send a flash of silver power at the fairy general. Tori anticipated his bold move, though, watching the light dissipate along the shield he conjured while he vanishes into thin air with a cocky grin, only to reappear behind Silas and land a hit on the Crow’s shoulder.

Ready to protect Silas, I prepare to haul my own power into the arena when Silas’s body lights up with the same silver glow as his magic, and Tori is blasted aside. The male lands on his ass, cursing colorfully and rubbing his backside as he scrambles to his legs.

“What the fuck was that?” Clio reaches them first, sword pointed at Silas’s throat while she assesses Tori’s state. Of course, Tori brushes off her assistance, pride or frustration getting in the way as Silas shoots him a broad grin.

“That, my dear fairy friend, was a taste of my power. And if you still doubt I’m worth fifty of your soldiers, you better start dragging those up here so I can rip them to pieces one by one.” He glares at Tori then at the Fairy King. “And if you doubt I mean it, you better not bet your general’s or your sister’s life on it. I’d hate to be the one to start a new war. Especially when we’re already in the middle of one with Tavras and the fucking Flames.”

Herinor claps his hands while Clio checks if her mate is still intact. “You better keep your opinions to yourself,” she shoots at him, and I have to agree. Herinor is already a liability. He doesn’t need to make enemies of the Fairy King and his court when we’ve already made it this far. No matter how strong we are, we’ll need them to defeat Erina and his drug-wielding army, and those Flames and traitor Crows who’ve abandoned me to serve the piece of dirt that Ephegos is.

I’m about to voice exactly that when one of the fairy guards detaches from his post by the entrance of the arena, carrying a note a messenger handed him a moment ago, and approaches Recienne with hasty steps.

Before the male can make it halfway to his king, Recienne flicks his fingers, floating the piece of parchment from the guard’s hand and unfolding it, reading with a thick line forming between his brows.

“What is it?” Tori demands, his defeat already forgotten. Silas sheathes his sword, following the general to the side of the arena where he leans next to me against the fence, shrugging as if he hadn’t just blasted one of the most powerful fairies we know into the sand. My father used to say that,with our Crow powers intact, the Askarean fairies could have never trapped us and defeated us. Silas is surprisingly quiet about proving Carius the Cruel right, whether it is because he, for once, knows to hold his tongue or because he doesn’t want to draw more attention when, in reality, all eyes are already on him.

Recienne’s silence is as unnerving as it is to not know whether Silas’s display of power just bought us a new enemy, but when he does speak, all worries are forgotten. All but?—

“We’ve been attacked.”

My arm is around Ayna in an instant, power rising to the surface, readying to strike, while she reaches for her dagger on instinct. It will take her some time to draw upon her Crow magic first.

“How many?” Tori’s all-business tone drives ice into my veins, as does Recienne’s quick orders to add guards to the wall surrounding the palace.

“They slayed three. The rest got away.” The Fairy King exchanges a quick glance with his sister, who seems to be ready to march into battle.

---