Page 23 of Risking Her Heart

When we stop rolling, he is on top. I try to punch but he blocks, knocking my arm to one side. He has my throat in one hand, squeezing. Air is thin. Blackness fights with the red of the bijass.

“Zas!” Kat screeches.

He looks to the side. The bijass surges. A primal scream roars free. I strike his arm above my throat with my forearm, breaking his grip. My other fist hits his face. He rolls off to the side.

I’m up in an instant. Rushing him. He dodges.

“Brother, stop,” he says, dancing out of my grasp.

“Zas,” Kat calls my name but then she emits a high pitched yelp.

The sound jerks my attention to her. The other Zmaj is up. He’s bleeding but has one arm around her, holding her like a shield.

He dares touch my treasure. Words don’t matter. All that matters is destroying him.

Balling my fists I stalk forward.

16

KATARINA

Zas is out of his mind. Watching him fight, the way he moves, the grunts, growls, and every aspect of his being makes it clear. He’s a primal force bent on destroying these other two Zmaj. He roars as he attacks and something about it is so incredibly raw that it makes me shudder.

I watch in awe. Two opponents and he’s not stopping. I watch as they try to avoid his strikes. Sometimes they do but just as often they don’t.

They are up and down fast. All I can do is try to avoid both being in the way or putting myself in danger. Zas is tackled and taken to the ground. The other Zmaj is on top, choking him. Zas is fighting but there is no denying that he’s growing weaker.

“Zas!” I scream.

He finds strength from somewhere. Striking his opponent’s arm then punching him in the face hard enough that it knocks him to the side. I yell in surprise and encouragement. Zas is on his feet in less than a blink of an eye. Rushing at the Zmaj.

I dance to the side to avoid being too close.

“Zas—” suddenly I’m grabbed from behind. “Gawp,” I yelp as an arm closes just below my neck.

Zas stops in his tracks and spins towards me. His eyes widen and then narrow as he assesses the situation. He growls, low and dangerous.

The one holding me says something but it’s in Zmaj. It doesn’t sound like a threat but what do I know? He could be telling Zas that he fucked his mother for all I know. The way Zas reacts, it might as well be.

Zas roars and it shakes my guts, reverberating against my bones. He charges. So fast he’s little more than an approaching blur.

I don’t know what happens. One moment I’m trapped, the next I’m spinning free. I land in the sand but its soft and I sink part way in while getting a mouthful of the grit.

Rolling over, I spit as I try to see what’s happening. The two Zmaj are on Zas, trying to restrain him. I get to my feet and run towards them. I know they are infinitely stronger than I am, but I’m not going to let them hurt him.

I spot his lochaber. The blade glints in the double suns so I change direction and grab it. It’s a lot heavier than I expect. I have to hold it with both hands to keep the blade up. I spin back towards the enemies. They each have one of Zas arms. He’s outstretched and still trying to break their grip.

He slams the left one with his tail. That one grunts as his head is knocked down and his chin cracks on his chest, but he doesn’t let go.

“Stop!” I yell as I barrel towards the right one.

The blade dips up and down as I run. I shift my grip to try and steady it. He looks and sees me coming then yells something at his partner.

In a surprise move the two of them let Zas go. They quickly move back as Zas whirls to continue the fight. I come to a stop at his side, dropping the blade of the lochaber.

Zas is breathing heavily, shoulders hunched, but clearly ready to continue the fight. The other two Zmaj hold their hands up making a soothing notion as they talk. Zas steps forward but something about this is off.

I put my hand on his arm, and he stops. Turning his head and staring at my hand. His gaze roves up my arm to meet my eyes. His eyes are different. They look darker, almost as if there is a tint of red to them.

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