“I don’t think—”
Theo threw a punch, his fist cracking against Dax’s cheek.
Lirabel and Roa sucked in a collective breath.
Torwin moved to intervene.
“No,” said Roa, grabbing his arm, holding him back. Theo wouldn’t stop until Dax accepted the challenge. “You’ll do him no favors by rescuing him. Let him defend himself.”
Torwin stared at her like she’d lost her mind.
But Theo had plenty of reasons to challenge the son of the king. And if Dax wanted scrublander support in this war he was plotting, he needed to prove himself the scrublander way.
“You take.” Theo shoved Dax, who staggered back. “And you take.” He shoved again. Dax shook his head, still trying to recover from the shock of the punch. “And you take.” The final shove made Dax nearly crash into the wall.
“You dare come here asking our people to fight your war? Prove you know what you’re doing. Prove you deserve our help.”
Theo kicked the sword at him.
“Pick. It. Up.”
Dax picked up the sword.
But as he turned to face his opponent, his grip on the hilt was all wrong.
Oh, Dax,thought Essie.
He held the weapon too hard and too close.
Seeing it, Theo smirked, then kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind from him. Dax stumbled back, his arms swinging as he tried to keep his balance. Which was when Theo parried, easily disarming him.
Once more, the sword clattered to the ground.
Theo stepped in, nose to Dax’s. “Pathetic as ever.”
“All right,” said Roa. “You’ve proven your point.”
Theo ignored her, ramming Dax hard into the wall with both hands. Weaponless now, Dax grunted as his back hit stone. Theo pressed his blade to Dax’s throat, keeping him pinned.
Roa slid Essie’s knife from its sheath at her calf and advanced. Essie flew from her shoulder to Lirabel’s.
“I should do us all a favor... ,” Theo said into Dax’s ear, “and kill you right here.”
“Now where have I heard that before,” Dax said bitterly.
Roa pressed the tip of the knife to the spot just above Theo’s kidney, piercing through the shirt. Pricking his skin.
Theo went immediately still.
“Enough,” she warned.
“It’s all in good fun,” Theo said, keeping the steel of his blade against the heir’s throat. “Isn’t it, Dax?”
Roa looked to Dax, who met her solemn gaze over Theo’s shoulder.
“Dax doesn’t appear to be having any fun. Let him go.”
Theo didn’t move.
