Page 66 of Vicious Princess
The crowd cheers when the arrow lands in the middle of the first target’s thigh and an agonizing scream tears out of the fae’s throat. The second arrow lands on the thigh of the second fae hanging on the wall. Same goes for the third fae, until the fifth.
Once the first archer is done, he whirls on his heel with his bow above his head. He soaks in the cheers from the crowd with pride.
Daegel’s chest is against my back. Heat surges through me, and I have to remind myself to breathe. He braces a palm on the iron fence next to my head, his arm lightly brushing against my ear.
“The iron.” My words come out a whisper. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
His chuckle against my neck ruffles my hair. “If you saw an Ezkai cry or whimper at the touch of iron, it would be a huge dishonor. We train to withstand any sort of pain, the burn of iron included.”
“This guy has a thing for thighs?”
Daegel snorts. “Many fae who gather here have perverted tastes, so he might be obsessed with helping people lose specific body parts.”
I can’t help the shiver that runs through me. I resist the urge to hug myself.
“I thought you enjoyed flirting with danger.” The low timber of his voice makes my toes curl in my shoes.
I lift my chin and clear my throat. “Clearly, this is an illegal establishment. Why don’t Ezkai or the General shut it down if you know about its existence?”
I turn my face to look at Daegel’s profile. His eyes are focused on the archers in front of us. The vicious look on his face as he watches the second archer land his arrow in the first target makes my stomach twist.
“It’s not that simple, Wildarrow. This place might look like a shithole, but it’s a damn profitable shithole. And when there’s money involved, the government might not always have a say or control. At least not as much as the Ezkai General likes to believe he has. Besides, neither gambling nor betting on sports competitions is illegal in Ekios.”
“I thought the Order of Ezkai was supposed to be the most powerful organization in Ekios.”
Daegel’s eyes slide to my face, and he smirks. “Power is not black-and-white. There are a lot of things at play, shifting at all times. Think of it as a dance of ever-changing energies.”
Frowning, I turn back to the competition. The crowd is loud, which only adds to my agitation. The second archer lands the fifth and last arrow, missing the target by an inch.
“Well, he’s definitelynota Phantom Ranger.”
Daegel chuckles in response.
The third archer steps up. When she lifts her smooth black wood bow, she does it with ease and elegance I’ve never seen before. Her fingers are quick to draw the string and just as quick to let it go.
The arrow whizzes through the air. For a heartbeat, time stops.
When the arrow lands right between the first fae’s eyes, the whole warehouse falls quiet. I hold my breath, eyes wide.
The dead silence holds only for a few moments before the crowd erupts once more. Even louder this time.
The fae archer doesn’t miss a beat and shoots again. The arrow lands between the eyes of the second fae.
The third.
The fourth.
And the fifth.
By the time she’s done, the crowd is so riled up and loud, I think they might actually break through the damn fence.
Slowly, the fae archer turns to face the audience.
Her features are soft as a feather, moon-pale skin glowing in the dim light. Her naked arms and shoulders are covered with intricate red-ink tattoos. They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before.Stunning.
She might look like a dark priestess. But the way her dark almond-shaped eyes glower at the crowd that’s eager to worship her tells me she’s just as vicious as her skill with the bow.
I turn to Daegel. “Who is she?”
