AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just the two of us.
I heaved in a breath and sprang onto my feet, my sword high at the ready.
“You left too early.” Damen’s voice was casual, not the slightest bit winded. “I’m not done with you.”
He stalked toward me, his sword lazy at his side, and I didn’t bother to waste precious energy trying to skitter away from him.
No more running.
Whatever was going to happen in this moment was going to happen.
It’d been a long time coming. I was just relieved it happened after I’d delivered Venetia to the Academy.
My left foot shifted back in the sand, bracing my body for impact.
He charged, his blade swinging hard at my shoulder. A flick downward of my wrist and I parried the blow off to the side as I spun.
Before I could even turn, he was striking again, going after me in rapid succession. Our metals clashing once. Twice. Three times. Four.
On the last strike I managed a foot up into the inside of his knee and he twisted awkwardly, but it didn’t stop his next swing.
He was going at me like a madman, not at all like he usually fought—cool, collected and vicious.
No. He was incensed, desperate to make me pay for everything I’d done in the last four years. Make me pay for taking Venetia away from him.
His eyes looked like they did that night years ago in the club in Sardinia, when he was trying to get to me to save me. A demon straight from bowels of hell, determined to unleash all manner of carnage upon this world.
Five more raging strikes and I kept spinning, deflecting. Darting in for an attack only to be repelled and forced back.
Until he roared, charging me, his scream vibrating the air around me. “You fucking took her away from me!”
I knew I couldn’t block the terror of his blow coming at my head so I dropped, rolling through the sand away from him.
I jumped onto my feet, running around and behind him. “Whatever you think to do to me, you cannot take her out of the Academy. It’s in the contract. She signed it herself. She knows. You know it as well.”
He spun, rage like I’d never seen in a malefic palpitating the very air around him, like a heat wave steaming off black tar in the desert.
His sword went high. “Damn you.”
“No, damn you.” My hands went to both ends of my sword, ready to block his blow.
“I already am.” A growl and he swung, blind with rage and I caught the tip of his blade crosswise, then slid my steel down against his. A lock on his handle and I twisted the grip out of his hand. His sword went flying, landing next to his clothes he’d discarded.
Three speedy strides over to it and he dove across the sand, reaching for his sword, his pile of clothes under him. I followed him, my sword aimed at his back, not about to let him get to his steel. I’d throw the blade into the damn ocean if it helped me escape him.
Just as I stepped past him toward his sword, he grabbed my ankle, yanking it. I landed hard on the sand, my sword arm stretched out high above me, the wind knocked out of me.
He was on top of me in an instant, his body holding me down, his left hand clamped around my forearm, locking my sword arm in place.
His right hand jerked inward and his hand clamped over my nose and mouth.
Not just his hand. Something in his hand.
I hadn’t been watching his right hand. Just his fucking sword hand.
Sweet-smelling rot invaded my nostrils.
Shit. Chloroform.
