Page 76 of House of Mages and Raven

She knew about the true nature of my power. I’d wondered how the kidnappers knew more about me than I did them. I started to string pieces together. It’d once crossed my mind that Queen Lilith might be behind all the moves against me. Now I was pretty sure that she’d provided the Seed to the druid to take me down.

She’d also sent the Maiden to rat me out, though the oracle had bailed out at the last minute. How could the demon queen know about my father and me? Where did she find or create my carbon copy? What was the demon queen’s relationship with Ruin?

“An Echo, they say,” Grace said with a mocking smile. “You aren’t an Echo. You’re a thief who doesn’t have her own magic, so she steals from others. You have no shame.”

“What shame? Care to elaborate?” I asked.

If I’d had shame, I wouldn’t have whored Sy out.

I don’t mind,Sy said, her longing gaze glued to Rowan at the heirs’ table.I love working.

“I pity you, and I don’t have time to educate you,” Grace said, “but I need to show my people how to bring down a creature like you.”

I smirked. “Like a capuchin monkey bringing down an African lioness? I could be a she-wolf, you know.”

Silas laughed so hard that he choked, and Cade pounded the shifter’s back to help him.

“All you have is a foul mouth,” she said, “but you’ll learn not to run your mouth whenever you want.”

“Say please,” I said.

Grace called back her hellfire wind, and I leashed my dark wind as well to show her that I was a good sport and played fair.

She lunged at me. One second, she’d been several feet away, then the next, her boot was an inch from my face. She was unbelievably fast. I twisted my torso and let her expensive boot pass. Her fist came after me at the same time, driving toward my kidney. I dodged away only to find a flurry of kicks and punches chasing me.

I narrowly missed one blow after another as I studied her moves.

“Quit being a coward, Barbie!” Bellona barked in disgust. “Just take a punch like a real bride candidate.”

More mob members were fed up with my evasive moves and demanded I take a hit.

I ignored the heckling; I didn’t want to take a hit due to my low pain tolerance. Every time Sy took my pain into her, guilt punched through my chest.

Grace’s onslaught turned more aggressive, and the crowd cheered. Her every punch carried strength and elegance, the Princess of the Underworld turning violence into a dance. Obviously, she was well-trained in martial arts. I was self-made, so it was no surprise that I was ungainly at times and far from lithe.

I was rough around the edges, my counterattacks marked by impulsiveness rather than well-planned moves. But at least I was unpredictable. Thankfully, I was a chick of speed, and Sy’s viciousness and strength made up for the rest.

But then I got distracted, and Grace booted the back of my thigh, almost sending me to my knees.

“Just lie down and don’t get up, Barbie!” Bellona proposed, and the mob echoed the same sentiment.

“I hate to disappoint, dude,” I said. Bellona hated me calling herdude. “I ain’t the ‘lie down’ type.”

I borrowed Sy’s strength and twisted away, lightning fast. Grace blinked, not expecting me to get away. I seized my advantage and rammed a fist into her ribcage before I darted away like a flash.

“Ta-da! Kiss-kiss.” I jumped up and down, not minding that I was the only one cheering at landing a punch on my opponent.

Grace hissed and lunged at me, but I was done with evasive maneuvers. I met her attacks beat for beat. She might be a martial arts pro, but I’d been fighting for survival since before I could even walk.

She tried to land a punch on me, and I raised my fist to meet her blow. She kicked, and I blocked her ankles with my wrists while Sy took in the pain caused by the impact. I kicked out in retaliation and sent Grace stumbling.

We broke apart and then lunged at each other again, our movements a blur of fists and kicks. The mob glanced left and right, unable to tell us apart, especially as we looked alike and wore the same academy uniforms. No one could see the different house insignias etched on the chests of our uniforms when we were two blurs, like a snake eating its own tail.

I found a new opening and took it, my boot finding purchase on Grace’s temple. The mob got to see her stumble back. I didn’t care about losing face, but the Princess of the Underworld cared a lot.

Icy rage and hatred searing her eyes, Grace leapt high, driving her fist toward my head. I jumped up to meet her strike, my fist ramming into hers, only to realize my mistake a heartbeat too late. A pair of metal knuckle guards materialized around her fingers, slamming into mine. My eyes widened in shock as they made contact.

The knuckle guards were made of the same material as the kidnappers’ chains and torque that had rendered me useless. Medea had tried to put me down with the same spells infused in the chains. And now Grace was doing the same.

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