Page 4 of Empire of Death
To throw him off, I didn’t move, just pivoted my body and waited for him to come to me like prey.
He hesitated, like he didn’t know what to make of the approach.
I decided to inhabit his space, to be the one to make him uncomfortable, to grow taller as I came closer, holding a blade that was too heavy for most women my size. It normally strained my muscles, but with Wrath’s power in my veins, it weighed nothing.
Then I launched my attack, slicing the heavy steel through the air with a speed that made the wind whistle.
He barely blocked my hit before he was driven back, losing his footing because all his energy went into his defense. Hesidestepped then moved back even farther, constantly being pushed in whatever direction I steered this ship. I didn’t let him breathe, didn’t let him have the opportunity to turn the tide toward his offensive. Never struck to wound or kill, just to tire him out from blocking and evading and avoiding.
He was breathless and visibly tired, so I dropped my blade and stepped back.
He panted as he moved away, his dark hair matted to his forehead from sweat that acted like glue. “How the fuck are you doing that?”
Just to taunt him, I spun the blade around my wrist. “Do you yield?”
“No,” he said like a stubborn child.
“Alright, then.” I was on him again, pursuing him like I was the predator and he was the prey. I was honestly impressed by how well he handled me, basically taking on two fighters at once. If he knew he battled the strength of the underworld, he would actually be proud of himself for holding his ground without the power of a dragon because he hadn’t fused either. He was just a young man, continuing to fight because he was too stubborn to admit defeat.
I stepped back and gave him another reprieve.
“How are you this strong?” he yelled. “How?”
It was one of the rare times, maybe even theonlytime, I saw Wrath smile. With his arms crossed as he leaned against one of the full-grown olive trees, he looked thoroughly amused.
“Do you yield?” I asked again.
Hawk continued to pant, his forehead glistening with sweat, his entire armor set rising and falling with his deep breaths. He held the sword at his side with a single hand while his eyes danced with ferocity. Like a child who wanted to scream that this was unfair, he looked like he was about to burst.
But then after a few breaths, he released a sigh and sheathed his blade across his back. He didn’t look at me right away, as if trying to process the shame of his defeat, especially at the hands of his sister.
He eventually lifted his eyes and looked at me as he crossed the gap between us, handling his loss with as much grace as he could muster. “Yeah, I yield.”
I returned my blade to the scabbard across my back.
“Dad teach you all of that?”
“He taught me most of it. But I learned a lot more on the seas…and from other teachers.”Like the god of the underworld.
He gave a nod. “Guess Dad was right. You’re meant for this.”
Now I felt guilty for securing his respect in a deceitful way. I might have been a good swordsman, but it was Wrath’s strength that made me untouchable—and that wasn’t me.
“Don’t feel guilty.” Wrath knew me so well at this point that he could read my mind just from a look. “You’re the only one who could earn the undying devotion of a god. My strength is yours eternally.”
Hawk’s hand tightened into a fist against his chest before he dropped it. “I’ll serve you and our kingdom until my dying breath. Let’s prepare for war.”
“Thank you, Hawk.”
“I know Dad wanted us to wait to fuse until we’re older, but I think, under the circumstances, it’s necessary. We’ll need all the protection we can get if our enemies can inflict wounds that don’t heal.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
The sun had set over the horizon, and now the lit braziers really began to glow. The hot coals flickered and popped quietly in the distance. In a few hours, the stars would start to shine. It would be a beautiful night…if my heart weren’t completely broken.
Hawk looked at the stars for a moment before he looked at me again. “At least we still have each other.”
My eyes met his, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a real connection. Similar to what I had with Dad and Mom. Something that was our own. “Yeah.”
