Page 137 of Song of Her Siren

Radnor arched a brow.You’ve spent the past five years battling Malvolia’s spies and your father’s mercenaries while he’s sat on his happy, fat ass, and I’ve seen you wield your sword with both hands.

Ivar’s goon tied my hand back with a grunt, making the knots so tight, my hand ached, but I dared not complain and look like a weakling. The ring of steel cut through the stifling air like a blade. My gaze shot back to Ivar, who had suddenly become much steadier on his feet while waving his sword in front of him. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea.

His eyes gleamed with wickedness. “To the death then, prince?”

Well, fuck.I blinked up at Radnor.If I don’t survive, tell Tari that I love her and that I’m sorry.

So dramatic, Prince.My drake had the nerve to roll his eyes.I’m putting my coins on you.

You don’t have any coins, I retorted.

I will once you’re king.His fanged grin nearly stretched ear-to-ear.I plan on hoarding the royal treasury for myself. Now, kill this beady-eyed bastard.

I adjusted the strange weight of my sword in my other hand. Ivar lunged for me, barely giving me time to pivot. I spun around, slicing open his arm as he nearly face-planted in the dirt.

Ivar’s dragon let out a whimper, smoke pouring from his snout.

Was this how drunkards fought? If so, how had I survived the past five years?

You had me.Radnor’s answer echoed in my skull.

I hadn’t realized I’d projected that thought.Thanks, I said to my dragon, pivoting when Ivar charged me again.

Again, the rider almost face-planted, but his dragon intervened, stopping him from falling over with his snout.

Radnor growled and snapped at Ivar’s dragon until he backed up.

While Ivar tried to find his footing, I gripped my sword, practicing awkwardly cutting through the air with my dominant hand tied behind my back. This was harder than it looked. No wonder my father took Ivar’s sword hand.

Ivar’s face was as red as a dragon’s pecker as he charged again. I pivoted, but this time he pivoted, too, and I barely blocked his sword before it nicked my arm.

Ivar let out a menacing laugh, his eyes darkening as he faced me like an angry minotaur. “You’re going down, Prince.”

I circled him while raising my sword. “You think so?”

Don’t listen to him, Radnor projected to me.He’s all smoke, no fire.

I wanted to argue with my dragon that he had at least a few sparks in him, judging by the burning pain in my arm, but I needed to reserve my focus for my enemy.

“You have no moves, except to pivot and block,” Ivar said while swaggering around me like a drunken pirate. “You will wear down soon enough when your arm tires.”

“I’m not close to tiring.” I laughed. “You’re the one stumbling around like a drunken gnome.”

When the other riders burst into boisterous laughter, crimson flushed Ivar’s face and fanned across his bald head. He let out a roar and charged.

I pivoted twice this time and sliced my sword across his side before spinning out of his reach. He cried out, running face-first into his dragon’s golden leg. Slumping against his dragon’s scales, Ivar let his sword fall to the ground while he clutched his side.

Radnor bowed up, snarling at the other dragon. The crowd gasped when Ivar’s dragon flicked Ivar off his leg like a flea, sending him spiraling right toward me.

Show no mercy!Radnor’s deep voice boomed in my skull.Do it for your brothers!

I wasn’t about to fight a man without a sword, so I backed up when Ivar stumbled into me. It took me a moment to register the pain in my gut, but when I looked down, I gaped at the short blade sticking from my side and the slow trickle of blood that splattered my boot. Sneaky bastard!

Jerking back, I dropped my sword and clutched the dagger handle when Ivar reached for it. I couldn’t let him pull it out. I’d bleed out before I could get to Tari.

An agonized roar sounded above me, and I pivoted again when two dragons flapped to the ground like giant, wrestling hawks. Radnor had Ivar’s dragon’s neck between his jowls. Ivar’s dragon let out an agonized roar as the lifeblood spilled from the gaping wound in its neck.

“Noo!” Ivar cried, snatching his sword off the ground and charging Radnor’s exposed belly.

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