Page 180 of Seven Oars
With another hard blow that he couldn’t block, he went down, and she knew: he was fighting blind.
A hard freeze settled over her soul.
Phex kept pounding on him, hard, no matter that he was already down. He danced around Finn’s body, kicking viciously, hitting his bloodied face. He wouldn’t stop.
He wasn’t going to.
Not when Fincros’movements grew slower and feebler.
Not when they stopped.
Something in Rosamma snapped.
She hurled herself at Phex, clinging to his arm, screaming at him to stop, to have mercy, to remember his defender's honor.
He swiped her aside.
She hit the floor, scrambled to her feet, and threw herself over Fincros, inhaling the sharp tang of his blood, slipping in it.
Phex kept kicking, half his blows finding her.
It hurt. Oh, it hurt.
She clutched Finn’s beautiful, blood-soaked hair, holding tight, her nose against his scarred cheek. If Phex killed him, she’d go too.
There was a shuffle of more feet and stomping.
Then Phex was finally shoved back.
Thilza dragged her off the fallen Striker. She tried to fight, but it was useless.
“Is he dead?” someone asked.
Phex shook free from restraining hands. Still breathing heavily, he stepped to Fincros and, hooking the tip of his boot under his chest, rolled him over.
“I believe that’s mine.”
He tore at his defender shirt with rough hands.
Rosamma lunged again, but Thilza caught her.
Her powerful alien lay still, his face completely obscured by the red mask of blood. Nothing would save him now. He would’ve called it a fitting end, dying in a fight, a harsh stop to a brutal life. Some such bullshit she didn’t subscribe to.
Phex had managed to wrangle the garment off Fincros, but lingered over his body, his own head hanging low. Suddenly, he crouched and wiped the blood from the tattoos at the base of Finn’s throat.
Then he cursed. Violently.
“He is a defender.”His voice rising to a roar, he repeated,“He’s a fucking defender!”
He slowly straightened from his crouch, his eyes no longer flat but madly brilliant. They absorbed every pirate crammed inside the Dome.
“Did you know?” he demanded.
“We’ve always known,” Thilza said calmly.
“How can he be one? Tell me,” Phex snarled.
“His life, his story.”
