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When he comes at me again, my knee slams into his ribs, and something cracks on impact, just as I spin and throw my elbow into his already broken nose. He staggers backwards, cursing and grabbing his nose as I level the playing field. Now his middle is as vulnerable as mine.
We fight. We survive. We move forward.
“Bitch,” he mutters before spitting out a mouthful of blood. The smell taunts me with a sickly sweet aroma.
It’s the first time blood has tempted me since Zee, but I’ve used so much energy tonight that I’m hungry, craving it…
Victor catches me distracted, and his fist almost connects with my face. But I catch it in my hand, crush it, and kick him in the same spot where I know I broke his ribs. A garbled cry escapes him, and he falls to the ground on his knees as I continue crushing his hand in mine.
He swings the blade up in his other hand, but I catch his wrist, snapping it the same way Slade once did mine. He cries out in pain, and I bring my knee up, slamming it into his face before finally letting go of both of his hands.
He thuds to his back, and I walk over, squatting beside him before teasing his throat with my knife. He sucks in a sharp breath, and I feel the dark smile playing on my lips.
“You really are a monster,” he says, wincing when the blade bites into the flesh of his neck just enough to make a slither of blood appear.
“You really are a victim,” I counter, and his eyes widen just as I slice through his neck, looking away before I have to see the damage.
I’m not cold, but I’m no longer the weak girl who has to look over her shoulder. I never want to fear him again.
Looking down, I see my stomach has completely healed, and I draw in a breath of surprise.
Something crashes behind me, and I turn just in time to see one of Victor’s men fall to the ground. His eyes are lifeless, proving he’s already dead. My eyes dart up as Slade appears, silver eyes zeroing in on me.
“Did you kill him so you could have me to yourself?” I growl, ready for a rematch if he wants to force it.
“You blamed One-Eye for your aunt’s demise. I assume that’s the woman I killed in there, given your reaction when she fell.”
Not what I was expecting him to say. Apparently he’s been lurking and listening in.
My eyes narrow, and he glances down to Victor’s lifeless body.
“Victor caged her. He turned her into a prisoner. He stole her will to live, her properties, and used her. Yes, I blame him. He made her choose me or her own life tonight. He underestimated her.”
He studies me for a moment, and he takes a step back. “You’re being honest.”
He acts surprised by that, and my brow furrows. “What do you want?”
“My parents’ souls can rest. Your aunt was an Aquarius. I’ll leave this alone if you will. Obviously you want to kill your own kind more than you want to kill ours, judging by tonight.”
“I thought they killed Zee.”
“I saw that. So you’ll leave this alone? Or do you want revenge?”
Rolling my eyes, I grab the knife from the ground and wipe Victor’s blood off on my pants before putting it back in my boot.
“Victor is the only one I wanted dead, and it wasn’t for revenge. It was because I didn’t want him on my back. Without him, and this—” I grab the amulet from around Victor’s neck and crush it in my hand. “—I won’t have to worry about the anointed. Neither will the others.”
We stare at each other until it just feels awkward, and I break the silence again. “Are you going to leave this alone, or do you still want me dead?”
I swear he doesn’t know how to do anything but glare.
“As I said, my parents’ souls can rest. I’ve done my part. I just don’t see you letting this go, considering the person who died at my hand.”
“As I said, Victor is the reason she’s dead. It’s only a betrayal if you trusted the person. Logic is my only reasoning, Slade. I’m not like you. I’m not like him. I’m just me. Zee isn’t logical, and he will fucking kill you for what you did to me, but I’d rather not look over my shoulder for you any more than I wanted to look over my shoulder for him.”
Again, he just stares at me, like he’s working things over.
“I can’t sense a lie right now…”
