Page 11 of Shadows of the Crown

“I accept.” I barely get the words out before she swings her leg to knock me on my back with a grunt.

I look up at her, still standing with both hands behind her, like this is just some silly game. Maybe it is to her. But now I’m pissed.

She waits for me to rise, not showing a single speck of fear or calculation. Of course she wouldn’t. She’s the most feared person in our kingdom.

I shouldn’t find that hot.

“Play fair, wraith, or you’ll be going against those rules you seem to love.”

Nothing. No reaction. I thought the name would get to her, but I’m sure everyone she meets knows exactly who she is. Her hair is as unique as her face.

“Since you know of me, you must also know that I do notplay fair,” her silky voice caresses every part of me. I unsheathe my sword and swing toward her waist, but she’s no longer there.

A heavy blow hits the back of my knees and I drop to all fours, cursing myself as I sit back. I peer up at her smirking face and decide that this isn’t such a terrible position to be in.

“Hm.” She pushes a strand of my black hair off my forehead, grazing her soft fingers along my skin before continuing. “Maybe you aren’t as useless as I thought…you could certainly do many things from down there that wouldn’t requirethatsword.” She pointedly looks at the weapon on the floor, her tone teasing. Aether, she’s a bitch.

I snatch the weapon and stab forward with a speed that impresses even me. She catches the sword between her legs, not caring that the sharp steel could sever her limbs with little effort. I let go of the hilt and strike my fist into her gut, but she barely registers the hit. Instead, eyes of raw venom stare down at me, probably annoyed I could get a hit on her.

Leaping up to strike again, she grabs my arm and twists our bodies until our backs are touching. She bends forward and heaves my body through the air, forcing me to land on my stomach. Hard. I’m trying to get breath back into my lungs when I’m rolled over and her toned thighs wrap around my hips, holding me in place.

“Well, wraith, since the rules allow competitors to fight with consent, I would assume that applies to other things, as well.” I smirk and run my hands along the top of her fitted leathers. Fuck me, she feels good…her legs stiffen, and I know she feels the evidence of my attraction to her violence. There’s just something about a woman who knows her way around a blade, infamous murderer or not.

I shove to punch her gut once more, though she learns quickly. She grabs my fist—grabs. From mid-swing. As if the force of my intention was nothing but a small inconvenience. She twists myhand until my body is forced to follow, lest I leave here with a broken wrist. She scoffs, shoving my arm away and standing. I tilt my head back to meet her eyes; she watches me, bored.

“Again. But this time, quit being an idiot and put in effort.” She sounds almost angry, as if I've offended her.

I roll and push to stand, grabbing my sword carefully as I watch her. “Or what?” I was alreadyputting in effort, but I have a feeling she'd kill me just for admitting it. A brow raise—what would it take to get an actual reaction from her? I really want to find out. “Fine, don't answer. But when I win, you owe me something of my choosing.” Not even a glimmer of humor flits through her eyes. She takes one step, tilting her head.

“And what would that be?” I open my mouth to answer, though I do not actually know…I didn't think that far. She doesn't wait to hear my confession, before flinging a blade in my direction, knocking into just below where I grasp the hilt of my sword. My hand flexes, dropping it, and she's in front of me slamming her foot into my cock before it fully lands on the mat. I stumble backward, resisting the urge to gag from the waves of pain.

“Fuck, give me a minute, will you?” She chuckles, shrugging as she continues advancing, though slowly.

“It's not my problem you're slow and unobservant.” Why did I agree to this?

I tug on my kinetic strand, reaching for one of the blades on the wall and flinging it at her head before I second-guess the choice.She doesn't move—doesn't even flinch as she flicks her wrist and sends the blade backward just before it sinks into her skull. My jaw drops as I watch the weapon thud to the floor, clanking loudly. For a moment I freeze and consider how foolish it was of me to attempt such a thing, at the Silver Wraith of all people; but when I meet her eyes, there's a playfulness to them that wasn't there before.

She's not angry I just tried to kill her…

“That was better, though next time refrain from staring at your next move as you execute it.” I roll my eyes, watching her as I throw nearly every weapon on the wall at her before my next heartbeat. Her hand snatches one from the air that nearly connects with her cheek, the rest maneuver around her and clamber into the mirror. I wince at the loud crack, willing the entire thing to not fall apart before I can find someone to fix it. The wraith throws her head back to laugh, spinning as she twists the small blade through her fingers.

She says something—likely an insult—though I don't hear as I rush after her and shove her body into the wall. I unsheathe a blade from my belt and press it to her waist as my weight smushes her front to the stone. She gasps when I press into her, my grip loosening from the barely perceptible sound.

She chuckles darkly. "You truly make it too easy,” she breaths before her elbow connects with my throat—fucking bitch. I choke and push the uncomfortable sensation away as I block her nextswing. We spar for several minutes, though I'm convinced she's hardly trying as sweat builds along my skin while she doesn't even look a bit worn. She pauses on a mat, a sinister smile spreading across her face.

“I know you’re lying,” she states as she circles me, looking like an ethereal predator. “You are not one of us.”

“And why would you say that?” I follow her movements, trying to anticipate where her next advance will be.

“The Aether can hear your footsteps without strain. You’ve nearly tripped twice, which tells me balance is not part of your training regimen. And…” She fakes right and knocks a knee into my side. Before I can grab the area, she’s behind me, holding me up with a blade pressed to the delicate skin above my rapidly beating heart.

“You leave your left unguarded. You’re practically inviting me to come slit your throat.” Her voice is pure sin, and my breathing speeds up for a whole new reason. I nearly lean into the sharp touch before I remember I’m not supposed to enjoy this.

“Fair. You win,” I concede, not really paying attention to my words with the way her pelvis presses into my ass.

“No, I think you do,” she purrs, and I almost groan. Aether damn this woman; of course the Angel would send me someone so unbelievably sexy but so off-limits. “I don’t give advice for free; but your performance was pathetic, so I’ll belenient just this once.” The lust fades from my mind, replaced with a burning sensation slithering up my neck.

“Are you going to lower your blade?” I spit, done with these teetering emotions I’m feeling.

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