Page 233 of Fated to be Enemies

I’m fine. I’ll use my magic against him, I replied, pouting. I want Curry.

Curry’s harassed you, and I’d honestly rather not fight one of my own. Besides, you’ve been injured, and Curry is a damn good swordsman. Daniel has a weak spot on his left shoulder. If you strike him there, he’ll be caught in an unexpected heat wave.

I hated to take the easy way out, but if it would help Kieran fight to win, I’d gladly make the sacrifice. My shoulder was still bothering me, though I could move it without excruciating pain. Not wanting to argue, I turned my focus on Daniel.

Water from Curry splashed over me, rinsing off the manticore blood, and for one bizarre moment, I was super thankful to him.

I watched as Kieran froze Curry’s feet and stopped his advance.

That was a great use of ice powers.

Daniel has wind magic, so be careful, Kieran alerted me.

I stilled. He’d just told me something about one of his own people to protect me.

That moment of hesitation was all Daniel needed. A sudden, big gust of wind swirled around me, lifting me off the ground.

I spread my wings to catch the wind and shot up vines to wrap around my legs to anchor myself. I was twenty feet in the air, but that prevented Daniel from reaching me with his sword.

Thinking I was safe, I glanced below to find Kieran and Curry fighting.

The manticores screeched with a rage that rattled my bones even in a tornado. We’d killed five, and from what I could tell, there were five individual screeches of agony.

This wouldn’t go well.

I glanced down at Kieran just as he shoved his sword into Curry’s neck. The blade exited from the bottom of his head, and there was no doubt Curry had died.

Now, there were only three.

The wind stopped, and my body crashed to the ground before I could counter it.

“Alina!” Kieran screamed, not even ten feet away, as I landed on my front. My breath was knocked out of me, and Daniel appeared at my side, sword raised.

At least it isn’t Kieran who kills me, I thought as I desperately called my fire magic, but I didn’t have enough time.

His blade swung down, and then Kieran’s body covered mine. His face filled my gaze … and the sickening sound of a blade slicing through skin filled the air.

Pain exploded through me, but it wasn’t mine. Blood trickled onto the grass all around me.

My heart stopped. What had Kieran done?

Chapter Thirty-One

My agony and fear mixed with Kieran’s relief. I rolled him onto his back, away from Daniel, and stood to face the silent Winter fae.

He wouldn’t hurt Kieran again. I’d make sure of it.

Daniel tried to rush past me, and I blocked him. Then he dropped to his knees and gripped the hilt of his sword. “My King, no.”

My gaze flicked to Kieran, and I finally understood his fear. The wound in Kieran’s neck bled so freely that Daniel must have nicked an artery.

Tears burned my eyes. Kieran had thrown himself over me to protect me from the fatal blow.

Kieran commanded, “Now stand up and finish me.”

“What?” Daniel huffed. “I can’t, My King. I was here to ensure you won, and now I’ve killed you myself.”

“Do as I command,” Kieran rasped. “Or be a traitor to your own kind.”

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