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As the memories swept me away, I almost missed Dominic’s attack. I flung up a hastily formed water shield to block the fire spear he’d thrown.
He narrowed his eyes as the weapon doused quickly. The spear evaporated far too easily, which meant he was holding back to test me. He hadn’t even released his dragon yet.
His mistake.
I might have been born a princess, but that hadn’t stopped me from badgering my father to allow me to train with his soldiers. He’d finally given in when I was seven, and I hadn’t looked back. I practiced with them every single day until the day I left home.
Since then, I’d spent the last ten years watching the fighters in this very ring. I’d learned so much more about my own abilities than my father ever showed me and practiced as often as I could when no one else was around. No one but Frankie.
I was confident that I was as good as any of them, maybe even better. I just never had the chance to prove it.
Until now.
With a sudden burst of speed, Dominic lunged forward, claws extended.
I sidestepped his attack, my movements flowing as gracefully as a river’s current, and countered with a swift kick that landed against his midsection.
He grunted as my kick propelled him forward into the ropes. With his back to me, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned. There was a glimmer of vulnerability in his gaze, a hint of pride and passion hidden beneath his fierce exterior.
Despite the purpose of this battle, the flutter of an unexpected emotion stirred to life deep within me.
The black ink tattooed across his back glowed red. Emerging from his skin, a shimmering form slithered through the air, growing as long as Dominic was tall.
A dragon born of molten lava soared overhead and released a powerful, terror-inducing roar. The air wavered with the intense heat spewing from the beast’s open maw.
My jaw went slack. I had seen the magnificent creature plenty of times before, but never this close. It was unbelievably beautiful.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Dominic seized my wrist in an attempt to immobilize me, and our eyes locked.
Time stood still.
In that electrifying moment, I felt a connection, an undeniable attraction that soared beyond our exteriors. The lines between us being adversaries and something much more intimate blurred.
Before his dragon could interfere, I twisted my body free of his grasp and delivered a punishing roundhouse kick that sent him staggering sideways.
Growling low and deep, his gaze was now a mixture of determination and something unspoken. Something primal and predatory that sent a shiver up my spine.
The airborne beast shot toward me with the speed of a flaming arrow.
With a flick of my hand, I summoned a powerful wall of water around Dominic and me, blocking the dragon from reaching its target unless it wanted to extinguish itself.
More water surged around Dominic and immobilized him in a vortex of liquid force. Leaping into the air, I kicked him squarely in his chest.
He crashed to the mat flat on his back, beaten.
Hardly breaking a sweat, I gazed down at him and smirked. “I win.”
Only after saying the words did I regret them. I mean, I wanted to win, but I didn’t want the prize I said I did. I didn’t want him to leave me alone.
What’s more, I expected him to be furious about losing. As far as I knew, he’d never lost a fight in this ring. But fury wasn’t what his gaze reflected.
No, he looked downright rapturous while staring up at me.
Maybe he liked getting his ass handed to him.
“What in the seven Hells are you?” he asked, his voice hushed with awe as he sat up.
Backing away, I shook my head, not quite sure what I was saying no to. My hands and voice trembled. “Nothing. Forget this ever happened. Forget me.”
