Page 104 of Kiss of Ice

“But it still exists. It’s still my right. I can finally put an end to this madman’s ambitions.”

“But what if you lose?”

“I won’t.”

“You don’t know that.” Shade shook his head in bewilderment. “This is folly of the highest order. You’re risking everything. And for what? The throne is already yours.”

“But he won’t stop. He’ll always be there, plotting in the background. A perpetual malevolence hanging over us. A constant threat. I won’t risk it, Shade. I won’t riskher.”

“Her?”

Kam looked at Shade bleakly.

“He hurt Ren.He hurt her.I’m going to finish him.”

Kam swung away before Shade could raise any more objections. He turned to face Salaq who was on the other side of the room surrounded by his followers.

“What say you, Marid? Do you accept?”

Salaq hesitated.

If he lost, it would end his aspirations. Perhaps it would be better to play the long game. Wait quietly in the wings until something tragic happened to the Emperor. He was good at waiting. He’d waited a long time. Why rush, when all he had to do was…

“Or are you a coward as well as a traitor?”

Salaq stiffened.

“I’m not the one who ran away,” he snarled.

“Oh, we both know the truth about that, don’t we? But look at it this way.” Kam spread his arms wide. “If you’re truly meant to be ruler, then all you have to do is prove it through Virtuous Combat. Defeat me, and the throne is yours.”

There was silence as the crowd waited to hear Salaq’s response.

He nodded.

Kam shrugged off his brocade jacket and grinned wildly.

“Then let’s go.”

He dove for Salaq, hurling them both through the plate glass window.

Forty Five

They landed heavily in a shower of glass and rolled across the manicured lawn in a frenzy of blows. When they finally broke apart, they circled each other warily. Blood trickled into Kam’s mouth and he wiped at it with the back of his hand.

“Come on, Marid,” he taunted. “What are you waiting for? You want to prove to all these people you’re worthy, don’t you?”

Salaq narrowed his eyes. Clouds gathered around him and suddenly a whiplash of blue-grey hurtled towards Kam. It smashed him off his feet and a second coil lunged like a spear towards his heart.

With a grunt Kam manifested a shield and deflected the blow. He sent a burst of light which caught Salaq in the chest and sent him staggering. Both jinn recovered and flung blasts of power at each other. Blue met white and exploded so brightly that onlookers had to turn away.

Kam created his twin swords and flew at his rival in a deadly onslaught. But Salaq was no bar room brawler. Lithe and athletic, he spun gracefully and parried with his own weapons.

Again and again they clashed. The air was hot with the force of their magic. Kam landed a lucky blow and managed to send Salaq flying. The Marid landed heavily but jack-knifed to his feet almost immediately.

His retaliatory shot was wickedly precise. It smashed squarely into Kam’s shoulder, wrenching muscle and ligament and nearly twisting the bone from the socket. Pain scythed down his arm and he dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth against the agony.

Salaq saw his opportunity. He morphed his power into a sword and came at Kam in a rush. Kam managed to raise his own sword to block him. Both jinn were breathing heavily.

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