Page 41 of Vengeance Becomes Her

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Rhiannon grunted under the force of Tristain’s sword meeting her own. The strength of his blow shifted her back two steps. She steeled her thighs, holding herself in place as he pressed forward, refusing to yield any further.

“I hate you,” she huffed.

“That’s fine.” His lips tilted into a smirk. “Although, last time I checked,” he pushed the words out with effort, “someone who hates you doesn’t bring you dinner and check in on you.”

“You’re impossible,” she snapped back. The truth of it made her even more frustrated. She pushed back with double the effort, but Tristain didn’t budge.

“Those thighs of yours are going to burn tomorrow if you continue to be stubborn,” he taunted.

“Yes, well, it wouldn’t be the first morning my thighs burned from strenuous activity. Although, those occasions were arguably more fun than this.”

The quip took him by surprise, taking his mind other places, just as she’d hoped. It gave her the opportunity to take advantage of the fact that he was leaning his full weight into her, which allowed her to slip under him.

Losing the resistance of her weight caused him to fall forward and lose his balance. It was a risky move, the sword narrowly missed her shoulder, but now she hadthe advantage.

She kicked him on his lower back, causing him to stumble forward further, nearly crashing into the ground. He stopped himself from face planting, shooting his palms out under himself at the last minute. When he sat up on his knees, her forearm locked around his neck, holding him in place as her other arm brought her sword against his neck.

She leaned down to his ear, her hair tumbling in a pearlescent wall around them in the afternoon sun. “Yield, or lose your head.”

They laughed in unison.

“You wouldn’t. I thought we were friends.”

She pulled her sword away, firmly planting a boot against his ass and kicking him forward. He huffed out a breath as he caught himself with his palms against the rough gravel.

“That’s not playing fair.”

“Like you said, there’s no fair in a real fight,” she threw his words back at him.

Their tone was light, but she knew they were both taken by surprise by how thoroughly she’d bested him when it seemed the odds were stacked against her.

Tristain wiped his hands roughly against his pants, dislodging the gravel that had buried itself in his skin.

“I’m impressed. That was very clever, using my weight against me when I was so close to overpowering you. That’ll come in handy if you find yourself against a large opponent.” He squeezed her shoulder affectionately. “What you lack in years of training and perfect form, you certainly make up for in your refusal to yield. It’s admirable—if not a bit annoying.” He winked at her.

She hated the way she preened at his compliment. However, her smile fell immediately when she noted the shift in his mood.

“I wish you would change your mind.”

It took her a minute to catch on to what he was hinting at. “I’m coming with you.”

“I promise I’ll bring him back and we’ll make sure he’s held accountable. You will get justice, don’t you trustme?” He argued.

Rhiannon was momentarily speechless. She was surprised to find that she did trust Tristain to keep his word. But it wasn’t enough to change her mind.

“That’s just it. There’s no justice to be had. You saw how the council turned me away. It’ll be the same no matter where we go. They will not give me, or any of the other women, the justice we deserve. There won’t be any accountability for a man like Silas unless it’s forced on him. Which is exactly what I intend to do.”

She stood her ground, waiting for him to argue more. For an excruciatingly long minute, he only paced and grunted to himself. His hands clenched in his hair as he deliberated his response. Finally, he came to a stop mere inches from her, placing both hands on her shoulders. His determination was written clearly in his expression, but hisvoice was soft.

“Fine. But if you’re coming, you need to be willing to cooperate with me. Traveling through this country can be dangerous, especially when we’re trailing after someone wanted for murder. He won’t be found or cornered easily. We’ll have towork together.”

Rhiannon nodded rigidly in agreement. “Fine. I can do that. But you should know, I won’t quit until I have seen the light leave his eyes. I will be the one responsible for his last breath. I know he is your brother, but I won’t compromise on this.” Her eyes locked with his.

“You can’t truly expect me to agree to those terms? He’s my brother. I know what he is and he must pay for his actions, but blood for blood isn’t the answer. I will bring him back to face trial for his crimes in this country and my own. For you, for Leylah, and for all the other women.”

“Not likely.”

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