Page 144 of Vicious Princess
My blades never once come anywhere close to her. She does get a few punches in—one to my left side and two to my ribs. Despite her size, she’s damn strong.
I feel every hit.
When her fist connects with my jaw, I manage to get a punch to her face, too. She pulls away, and I roll my neck while I put some distance between us again.
A crashing sound comes from Gloria’s office, drawing my attention.
Leti uses the moment of distraction to advance.
I swing my blades, but she parries and then knocks one of them from my hands. Holding me by the wrist, she twists us around, and I scream when she wrenches my arm behind my back.
Her breath is warm against my ear. “And if he doesn’t get bored enough to leave you himself, his father will make sure he does. Did you really think you, an unknownyrathi, have any chance to live happily ever after with Talbot’s only heir?”
I try to elbow her with my free arm, but she graciously dodges it. I feel her hand slide against my waist. Too late I realize what she’s about to do.
She draws one ofmyfucking blades.
Ignoring the searing pain in my arm and shoulder, I throw myself forwards in an attempt to toss her over myself. I manage that, and she lets go of my arm. She lands on her back with a thud, and I straddle her before she can get back to her feet.
I angle the blade against her throat, but she only laughs. I pin her arms with my knees to the floor too late. A sharp pain pierces my left side.
I look down to find my blade lodged all the way to the hilt in my side.
“You’re good. But I’m better,” she seethes.
“We’ll see about that.”
Even when I press my blade against the smooth skin of her neck, her confidence doesn’t waver.
“He’s mine now,” I whisper.
The blade slides across her skin like it’s butter. Blood sprays over my face.
Her eyes widen, and the mocking smile drops as she chokes on the crimson flooding her throat.
Slowly, I push myself to my feet.
I’m bleeding, and in pain. But I leave the blade inside the wound. If I pull it, I’ll bleed out.
Each step up the stairs costs me dearly. But I grind my teeth and make my way to the office where the fight is escalating.
When I reach the landing, I see the door to Gloria’s office wide open. The fae in the hat lies face down on the floor in a poolof blood. His bodyguards lie next to him with two blades buried deep in their chests.
Roman stands over the corpse of Gloria’s bodyguard. Panting, he pulls out a bloody blade and wipes it off on the bodyguard’s shirt, then whips around just in time to bury his blade into the stomach of the second bodyguard coming at him from behind.
Farther inside the office, Daegel is locked in a fight with Gloria.
She’s wielding a damn broadsword, which clashes in the air with Daegel’s double blades so hard that sparks fly all over. Without hesitation, I pull my bow from my back and lift it, aiming at her.
The wound in my side aches so badly my mind clouds for a moment. But I blink away the nausea.
My bow hums as I draw the arrow and prepare to strike.
This time around, I don’t have to worry or hesitate. The moment the target is clear in my mind, I know that’s exactly where the arrow will land.
Daegel’s safe.
Inhale.
