Page 57 of Courting the Fae Captain
My muscles felt lethargic as I willed my body to obey, but she was right. I was a sitting duck right now. I needed to be the hunter, not the hunted. My heart thudded in my ears, beatinglike a war drum as I got to my feet and faced off against the female who cautiously circled me. She sneered, her hands white-knuckled over the spear. Her breath clouded out in plumes and snowflakes caught in her fiery red hair. It reminded me of Melania and the Bloodhound, adding further fuel to the anger already swirling through my veins.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said gently. “We can fight back. We can take the Pentad down.” She jerked her spear in answer, and I swerved, careful to keep my distance. “Please,” I tried again. “We can help each other—we can all fightwitheach other.”
The look in her eyes promised that no amount of pleading or logical reasoning would get me anywhere. She was out for blood, and only victory would satisfy her. No more running. No more escaping. If it were kill or be killed, then I would choose the former, but I would disengage or disarm where I could.
I rolled my neck and adjusted my footing, then I waited for the inevitable. She charged head-on, swiping her spear. I ducked, sliding under the weapon along the frost-coated grass and slicing the tendons in her ankle with my sword. Blood spurted onto the ground, and she cried out, immediately falling to her knees.She may never walk on it again, but she wouldn’t die. Not by my hand, at least.
I left her there in search of my friends in the arena, and there, in the middle of the fray, was Akira fending off two females with barely a blink. I could watch her fight for an eternity, her long hair swishing in a sheet of black, her twin blades in perfect synchronicity as she swung. She could handle herself. Sherai was balled up near the edge of the arena, but she was holding her own. Still, if the numbers added up, she’d remain stuck in that corner.
Fuck. We were all too separated for my liking, and we were stronger together. I ran, my boots stomping over the snow as I avoided skirmishes left and right.
A female jumped in my path and sliced upwards with her sword. I had to dive awkwardly to the ground, the blade narrowly missing my stomach as I fell. She was on me moments later, the sword driving into the snow behind my head as I shifted. Then, her fist grabbed my tunic and her other ploughed into my cheek, making stars burst behind my eyes.Another punch, then another. The blows caused the thumping already in my ears to dial up to a ringing that blocked out all other noise. I blinked, half dazed, as she drove down with her sword once again. It sank into the snow, pinning my cloak down. I wriggled out of it moments before a dagger appeared in her hand. My hands lashed out on instinct, clasping over hers as we each struggled in a power play. The blade teetered, dipping closer to my chest. My muscles burned as I gritted my teeth and grunted.
Swords whined and clashed all around us, the screams and cries of the dying drowning out the wind, but all I could see were green eyes and teeth. All I could think of was never seeing Raithe’s face again. Never seeing that smirk or hearing the husky edge to his voice. The thought was too terrible to bear.
The blade wavered, and the scales began to tip in my favour as I hefted all my weight behind me and drove her over and down to the ground. Her arms bent, wobbling with effort as I gained the upper hand and began turning it against her. Those green eyes widened as fear and uncertainty flooded in, and I knew I had her.
She knew it, too, as her arms wobbled even harder. “Please,” she spat out, her eyes darting between me and the sword. “Please don’t kill me.”
Would she give me mercy if the roles were reversed? I stared into those eyes, deep into the soul that lay beneath, and chose to trust her.
I chose wrong. The moment I lowered the blade and began to climb off her, she lashed out with a punch to my jaw. Surprised, I dropped the weapon, which clattered to the ground. We scrabbled towards it. I stretched, feeling the hilt scrape against my fingernails as I clawed for purchase. Pain flared in my leg, and I cried out as the female sank her teeth into my calf.Fuck!With a grunt I grasped the hilt and managed to horse kick the girl in the face. When I turned to face her this time, I didn’t hesitate.
“May Ryvia rest your soul,” I whispered, then I grunted as the blade slid home.
Her eyes widened, then a breath left her lungs as the pupils blew and the light went out. I didn’t let myself dwell on that as I looked up at the warfare. I had tried to do the right thing, and that had to count for something.
My friends. I needed to get to my friends.
Blood soaked the crushed snow, now a sloshy, muddy field of dirt and death. I was still several feet away from Sherai when a squealing of rusted hinges sounded, and the very ground vibrated as hidden grooves at the four corners of the arena slowly slid open.
Not everyone noticed as the mechanisms underground screeched to a halt and the slots slid fully open, nor as those horrible beasts from the labyrinth we’d first been thrown into charged out all at once. The chains keeping them from roaming free clanged as they leapt at their victims.Blood-curdling screams rang out as the beasts joined. Fresh blood flowed freely as the Waiflings fed and ripped their victims limb from limb.
I looked away in disgust as the one closest to me leapt on a girl’s back, immediately breaking her spine and tearing into hercheek. Bile rose up my throat, but I swallowed it down, focusing on Akira, who was far too close to one of those things for comfort.
“Akira,” I shouted. “Push back to the middle. Don’t let them corner you!”
“A little … preoccupied … at the moment,” she yelled as a female opponent pressed her closer to the beast.
My chest tightened as I realised that the moment that Waifling was done with its current body bag, it would be upon her. “Sherai,” I called over the din. “To me!”
Her eyes found mine through the throng of people, her gaze narrowing as she took stock of her surroundings. A muscle flexed in her jaw as I pointed at Akira and the deadly row of teeth at her back, but she nodded as I fought my way towards her, dodging or batting away weapons as they sang and whined through the night.
We met at the same time, then turned toward the female fighting Akira. “Leave or die,” I hissed, my tone and our numbers leaving no room for argument.
The other Fae female took one look at us and turned tail. “We have to get to the middle of the arena,” Sherai said to Akira as she grabbed her arm to steady her. “The leashes don’t allow the Waiflings that far.”
“I’d be happy to,” Akira said as she panted. Her skin was white as snow and flecked with blood, but she was unharmed. “There’s just one problem.”
Sherai turned to follow her line of sight. My friend shouted, pulling Akira to the side, just as the massive jaws of a beast opened wide to devour me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
‘Blood Mages are among the trickiest opponents to face. Their affinity for blood spells means even the hardiest of armour won’t keep you safe. My advice? Avoid their bad side and have a healer on standby.’
The Trials and Traditions of a Mithrian Fae
“Aeris!”
