Calix winces. “Yes. I’m going to go and get Ziven. Maybe he can stop her.”
He runs off, leaving me alone with Daegan and most of the Moon Dynasty staring at us. He leans so close to my ear. “Say the word and I’ll kill her.”
“Daegan, don’t,” I quickly answer. I know that it’d be one hell of a fight, and it would hurt Ziven’s people, what he’s got left of them. I won’t be the one to cause that, even if Ziven can’t be trusted and we are nothing to each other anymore. “I’ll be okay.”
“No, you won’t.” He grabs my wrist, holding me in place, tight enough that he almost hurts me. “You can’t die like this!”
He looks furious, and I cover his hand on my wrist. “Let me go, please.” Daegan doesn’t for a second, looking around like he wants to fight all of them, but he finally releases me with a frustrated blow of breath. He follows me over to the mat where Sterling is waiting.
I straighten my back and nod towards her. She cracks her knuckles. “I’m going to enjoy this. Did you really think you’d come into our dynasty, claim the king, and no one would be bothered by that?” Claim him? What the fuck is she talking about? “Do you not think he’s promised to other people? He’s our king!”
Some people clap from the crowd, and the back of my neck feels warm. I didn’t claim anything or anyone, but I’m not arguing that with her. “Unless we’re having a fight with words, perhaps we get on with it?”
I refuse to show that I’m absolutely terrified of fighting her, but she isn’t the worst monster to ever hurt me. Nothing she could do could compare to the pain I’ve experienced in the past. A part of me doesn’t want to lose the marks that I’ve earned in the Decidere, lose those dragons and my chance of being a dragon rider. I’m not sure if that’s even something I want, but these marks, I earned them. She’s not taking them from me.
Sterling goes straight for me. She doesn’t waste time, and she’s fast. I barely dodge out of her way, but she catches the side of my top, yanking me back and tearing at the side as she punches me straight in the throat. I gasp for air as I stumble away, just looking up in time as she comes straight at me with her boot. But I jump away, still gasping for air from the hit but managing to focus. She comes at me again, and that’s when I notice the dagger in her hand. My eyes widen and I steer away to the other side of the mat. “Weapons weren’t part of the challenge.”
“Weapons are allowed in the challenge.” She waves me over. “And it will make this over quick.”
A dagger is pressed into my hand, and I turn back, seeing Etena. “Calix told me, and I ran here.”
“I’ve not fought with daggers!” I whisper, never taking my eyes off Sterling.
“Here’s a hint. Stab with the pointy end.”
I can feel her rolling her eyes at me, but I don’t have time to reply, as Sterling is on me. We start circling each other, Daegan shouting over the cheering. “Sterling, whatever you want, it is yours, just stop this.”
Sterling huffs. “I want her blood on my hands. There’s nothing you can offer me, Sun king. I’m not part of your dynasty.”
“Where the fuck is Ziven?” Daegan roars. I try to block him out and focus on Sterling, knowing if I let my guard down, she is going to kill me. She doesn’t want me to pass out, she wants me dead. She lashes for me, her dagger cutting straight across my thigh, but I quickly use my other hand as I ignore the pain, swinging out so my dagger cuts straight across her arm. She cries out as she reaches for my throat with her hand, but I dodge out of the way, her fingers slipping through my hair and yanking some of the locks with her. I wish I’d tied it back.
For a while, I manage to avoid her. I’m simply moving out of the way as quickly as possible, and after a few minutes, I think she’s doing it on purpose to wear me out. I remember Ziven telling me that it’s a good way to beat a fast enemy. To keep them fighting and eventually they will get tired. I might have speed on my side because she’s quite tall, more muscular than I am, but I would have to eventually slow down.
I need to end this quickly, but I don’t have the skills to beat her. Daegan’s right, she is going to kill me. I can’t beat her. Focus, Story. There has to be a way. Getting close to her means a very good chance of that dagger going through a part of my body. Not that I haven’t had daggers stuck in me before and survived it. I barely even feel the pain from the cut pouring from my leg, and I certainly don’t let it slow me down.
I feel the minute Ziven arrives. Sterling’s eyes flicker over my head. “Stop her!” Daegan’s demand echoes to me.
“It is a challenge,” Ziven purrs. “So, no.” The word rings out. He’s not going to help me.
“I told you to fucking stop this madness. If she dies in there—”
“I said no. I’m not helping her.” Ziven’s lethal voice is firm. Daegan goes quiet, and if he is talking, I can’t hear him. I don’t know why I expected Ziven to help me. Of course he wouldn’t. Ziven has come to watch his enemy fail and die.
Sterling corners me, lashing out again with that sharp dagger of hers, and I barely block it, grabbing her wrist. I pull my knee up straight into her stomach, and she falls over with a scream. I quickly run away to the other side of the mat, getting my breath back.
Large warm fingers wrap around my waist, one fingertip dipping into the band of my trousers just barely. My heart races as Ziven’s hot breath blows near my ear. “We both know you can win this, Storm. I trained you, and no one gets to hurt my enemy other than me. Get back in there and fight.”
His hand slips away, along with him, and for some reason, those words give me strength. With that strength, I decide to attack her first, and she doesn’t expect it. She blocks my dagger that I was aiming straight at her shoulder, but that was a distraction. I kick her other hand, knocking her dagger straight out, and it flies across the mat. Her eyes widen as I lift my fist and punch her straight in the face. My thumb cracks under the pressure, but a feeling of satisfaction powers me. I wrap my leg around hers, using the same move that I read about and practiced with Ziven, knocking her straight down. I jump on her, grabbing my dagger tightly in my grip and holding it straight above her heart. Her eyes widen as she looks up at me. “Where the fuck did you learn that?”
I lean down, breathless, but I can’t help smiling. “Your king taught me. Tap out.”
“You won’t stab me!” she shouts back, anger burning in her eyes as bright as her cheeks.
“Really want to bet on that?” I ask, knowing she might be right. The Story who walked in here by accident months ago wouldn’t have dared to do it, to hurt anyone. But I’m not her anymore. I chose to live; I chose to have a life, and I’m not backing down. “You tried to steal everything I earned and risked my life for.” I push the dagger slightly into her skin. “I have been used and abused for most of my fucking life. I have never had someone stand behind me, train me, and tell me I can do this. Do you think there is even a second of doubt that I won’t push this into you to save myself? Because I will.” I make sure to look her in the eye. “Because I’ve done everything possible to save myself and decide I want to live. That isn’t changing because of you.”
Whatever she sees in my eyes makes her tap the floor three times, and I climb off her. Cheers echo around, and I glance over as Ziven steps to my side, taking the dagger from my hand. He flings it and it flies across the room, straight into Sterling’s shoulder. She screams, falling to the ground. The cheers go silent. “Next time anyone makes a challenge against her, that will be just the start of what will happen to you.”
He walks away without another word, leaving everyone staring at me, including Daegan. Daegan walks away without saying anything, but the look of disappointment in his eyes is not going to be easy to forget.
Chapter Twenty
Page Twenty.
The books are death, bound and printed by the deities. I wish I never, ever prayed to them.
There are only three of us left. Catherine, Fritz, and me. I stand between both of them, watching the doors to the Decidere, feeling the music of the drums beating like they are my own heartbeat. The last test was brutal, and truthfully, I’m worried about doing the next if they are all going to be like that one. I look at Catherine, admiring how calm she is. I know her though, and she will be very uncalm on the inside even if she manages to hide it super well. “Do you feel like this will be the last one for you? It feels like it might be mine.”
Catherine opens her mouth to reply, but it’s Fritz who interrupts. “It won’t be mine.” I glance at him as he carries on. “The Moon Dynasty has the strongest dragons and powerful riders. I will join them, finally.” Fritz drops his eyes to me and quickly looks away. “You must be good. Our king made it clear I’m not to touch you today.”
He really is disgusting.
“Maybe he just wants you focusing on what’s important—becoming a rider,” I snarkily reply. “But I’m happy you’re leaving us alone.”
I don’t want to speak to him anymore, and I turn to Catherine. I take her hand and squeeze it once. She squeezes it back. “You’ve got this.”
She gulps. “We can fly together.”
