The dagger slashed sharp and deep, slicing sheer and powerful against that ridge in Ulfarr’s trousers. Flashing first shock across his watching eyes, and then a convulsive, wide-eyed agony, as something hot and sticky spurted onto Maria’s fingers. Something that surely wasn’t pleasure, but instead reeked of iron and salt. Ofblood.
Ulfarr’s howl tore through the air, the pain and rage contorting his face, his hands clasped to his bloody groin. And when Maria belatedly leapt away, her whole body trembling, he lurched after her, claws swiping between them — but then he bent double again, his hands clutching back to his groin.
“You almost cut it off, you sneaking humanhag!” he shouted at her, between gasping breaths. “You shall make amends to me for this! You shall writhe andscreamunder my rut, and worship bloody and broken at myfeet, you —”
But before he could finish, something new shot through the air. Something huge and grey and swinging, crashing straight into Ulfarr’s bent-double body, and hurling him whole to the earth.
Simon.
38
Around Maria, the world had suddenly blinked to stillness. Catching, ringing, flickering white, transfixed in glittering truth.
Simon washere.
And not just here. Everywhere.Everything. Swarming Maria’s lungs with his familiar scent, filling her ears with his roar, flooding her eyes with the fluid, capable power of his furious fighting form. His fists flying into Ulfarr’s belly and face, spattering blood in a wide arc, unleashing a yelping, broken howl from Ulfarr’s throat.
Ulfarr somehow shoved back against the onslaught, blocking Simon’s next punch, keeping one hand cupped over his still-spurting groin. But Simon was far too strong, too fast, and Maria clutched her own bloody hands against her pounding heart as he flew into Ulfarr again. His fist landing with a sickening crunch against Ulfarr’s nose, his muscular leg driving straight into Ulfarr’s bloody groin.
Ulfarr roared and retched and then rounded up again, striking for Simon’s undefended gut with his fists. But there was no pain in Simon’s answering growl, no defeat — only sheer, vicious fury, rippling raw and deep up Maria’s shivering spine. And at Ulfarr’s next attack, Simon landed a pulverizing blow into his belly, hurling him back against the earth, where he wailed and writhed at Simon’s booted feet.
“This shall be a slaughter, ach?” said a cheerful voice beside Maria, making her leap near out of her skin — but it was onlyJoarr, good gods, leaning casually against the nearest tree, flashing her his quick, sly smile. “This was much help,” he continued, “when you near cut off Ulfarr prick. Make mate proud.”
He jerked his head toward Simon’s still-raging form, which was currently driving repeated punches into Ulfarr’s bent-double waist. “Um,” Maria said, fighting for words, for air. “Good? I think? But how — where did you —Warmisham—”
She helplessly flapped her hands around them, and thankfully Joarr seemed to follow without effort. “Duke having happy nap,” he said with a wink, as he plucked a tiny mushroom from his pocket, tossed it in the air, and then tucked it away again. “And Baldr has smelt Ulfarr and Simon hunting us for many days now. Only no wished to frighten you with this, ach?”
Wait. Ulfarr had been following them fordays? And Joarr and Baldr hadknown?! And wait, Joarr was nodding toward Maria’s other side — toward whereBaldrhad indeed appeared. Looking briefly sheepish, before his eager eyes flicked back to the still-ongoing brawl before them.
“We knew you wished to focus on facing this duke, Maria,” Baldr said. “And you may be sure, you were not once in true danger. Not with Simon tracking Ulfarr thus.”
Maria’s gaze had darted back to Simon too, watching him kick and punch Ulfarr’s cowering form with graceful, ferocious ease. “But Ulfarr — hekidnappedme,” she managed. “In the middle of thestreet!”
A surprising flare of anger lit up Baldr’s eyes as he glanced at her, his arms crossing over his tunic. “Ulfarr is a fool,” he said, voice clipped. “As if the Ka-esh do not know all the old ways all over Preia — and as if they should not then share this knowledge with Simon, so we may help keep his mate safe? After Simon has sought to keep the Ka-esh safe also, unlike the other Enforcers before him?”
Maria couldn’t stop frowning at Baldr, despite the odd, hitching warmth surging through her chest. “But — youcouldn’thave been there with us,” she protested. “Ulfarr didn’t evensmellyou!”
Baldr winced, and on Maria’s other side Joarr laughed aloud, merry and mocking. “You hide naught from a clever Skai, ach?” he said. “That was Baldr, woman. You ken he gain this place as captain’s left hand by only his sweetness, or his tight pretty arse?”
Baldr winced again, darting Joarr a dark, reproachful look — which Joarr returned with another laugh, and a meaningful glance behind Baldr. To where — Maria blinked —Draflihad also appeared, striding straight toward them.
But Drafli wasn’t looking at Joarr or Maria, or even at Simon and Ulfarr’s still-brawling bodies beyond. No, he was only looking at Baldr, his eyes watchful, glimmering, intent.
And in this moment, for perhaps the first time, Maria’s stilted, disordered thoughts could maybe — maybe — see what Baldr saw in Drafli. It was the ease in how he walked, the grace in his lean prowling form, the expressiveness in his speaking black eyes. In the way his long fingers snapped up to flick at Baldr’s cheek, quick and light, in a silent question, perhaps even a command.Look at me, it meant.I’m here.
But Baldr’s answering glance toward Drafli was furtive, brief, uncertain. And when he looked away again, his gaze sliding back to Simon and Ulfarr, Maria saw it for the refusal — or even the rejection — it was. A rejection that Drafli clearly saw too, and Maria didn’t miss the telltale tightness on his mouth, the hint of bleakness in his glinting black eyes.
A blood-curdling howl from Ulfarr abruptly jerked Maria’s attention to Simon again, to where — she winced — Ulfarr’s leg was now bent at an unnatural, awful-looking angle. And Simon’s huge, fluid form was slamming Ulfarr forcefully to the ground, his hand gripped tight around his neck.
“You shall yield before your kin, Ulfarr,” Simon ordered, his deep voice carrying — and Maria realized, with another jolt of shock, that there were somehow more orcs, standing all around. Their tall, still forms almost blending in with the trees, their eyes fixed on the sight before them.
“Never,” Ulfarr gasped, hoarse and broken, and Maria could see blood staining his mouth, slipping down his scarred cheek. “Finish it.”
Finish it. Because this was — this was a fight to the death. This was Simon defending his place as Enforcer, permanently. This was the victory Simon had fought for. The victory he surely deserved.
“Finish it,” Ulfarr gasped again, his voice almost pleading. “Do what you did to my father.”
Hisfather? But — oh. Right. Of course. Ulfarr’s father had been Enforcer, Simon had said, for many summers. Until —
