Page 127 of Wings of Destruction

My words cut off on a choke, and my throat closes. “Be done with it.”

Kieran drops the headlock. “There’s no honor in this type of concession. You’re not out of choices, Morgan.”

I rear up, stumbling and off balance, coughing until my eyes blur with tears. If he expects me to yield⁠—

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” He grabs one of the daggers and flips it up into the air before catching it deftly.

A practiced maneuver.

He pinches the blade, holding the handle out for me to take. “Come on, then. Don’t give up.”

My throat clears. I sniff and swipe at my eyes. When I’ve recovered enough, I saunter up to him and ignore the knife to punch him in the throat, the same tactic I’d used on Evie. His gaze goes watery as he chokes.

Fury isn’t so bad.

I’ve been called worse in the past.

I’ve worked out and prepared to the best of my abilities. But it’s still a little surprising when Kieran recovers much quicker than Evie did, than I did, and charges me. I spin away sluggishly and he flips the dagger again, swiping it across my arm.

My skin splits easily and blood pours from the wound.

“You underestimate how interested I am in seeing what you can do with your skills,” he grunts.

My chest heaves. “You want me to prove it to you? Haven’t I done enough?”

“I’d love nothing more than to watch you.”

I shake off the pain from the cut. It’s only a few inches long and it will heal on its own without the need for stitches. One foot in front of the other is my motto, isn’t it? I circle Kieran.

He’s smiling at me and waiting for me to charge him again because that’s what he expects me to do. He wants me to give fully into the frustration and the rage and make a mistake so he can lord it over me.

I might be mad but there’s no reason to be a complete idiot. I’ve already made too many mistakes on that count.

He holds the blade between us in a striking position, both of us poised. My brain has somehow managed to demand my muscles be patient, to watch him for his patterns and weaknesses instead of charging.

“Do you want to go to the mines, Morgan? Because I’m pretty sure that’s where you’re headed, after what you did to Evie.” He arches the knife down.

I dodge out of the way before he nicks me again.

“I was already going there,” I tell him through gritted teeth. “I had until the end of the week, and they were shipping me off.”

I kick out at his wrist but Kieran retreats before I make contact. My kick is sloppy. I’d do better with a weapon. Or sleep. I need approximately three days of absolute oblivion to make up for today’s fight and the repercussions of the adrenaline rush.

Kieran’s stare goes hawkish. “Oh really?”

I shrug, disguising the seething boil in my veins. “I’m not made to fit in. Definitely not here.”

The prickle of eyes on my scalp reminds me of the audience but there’s Kieran, smiling, lifting a brow, and my blasted heart stutters again.

He shamelessly drops his arms to his side. “I thought you’d want to stay.”

I scoff. “There’s no more choice. I’m out. Milkin isn’t about to change her mind.”

Not after she caught me.

My life is forfeit. There are no more options left. I didn’t even get around to killing Evie for what she said.

“I can⁠—”