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“Have to do better than that.” Shelby bounced on his toes.
When he threw the next punch, Ace groaned and covered her eyes. Not even the smallest part of her wanted to watch the only two people she truly cared about pick each other apart. Even if it was for training. Her ears caught every sound of feet scuffling over dirt and grunts of effort as the two unleashed themselves upon each other. There were several loudsmacksof knuckles to flesh and a few dangerous chuckles.
Rising dust that they’d kicked up began to tickle her nose. She lowered her hands to try and catch her sneeze just in time to watch Shelby’s fist collide with Rehan’s face. A brutal crack caused Ace to flinch and blood began flowing rapidly from his nose. He caught every drop of crimson in his palms and backed away with a hiss.
“That felt very good.” Shelby shook out his limbs.
“I’m sure it did.” Rehan jerked, another snap of cartilage over bone signified his broken nose being reset in place. For once, Rehan grimaced. “So your own life being threatened by an opponent isn’t so bad. But..” He turned to face Ace. Hair fell across his face as he tilted his head.
Rehan opened and closed his palm around the immediate glow of his weapon. “What about a threat to a friend?”
“Wha—” Shelby started to ask but went frigid as Rehan yanked Ace up off the ground and held her to him with the sword pointed at her throat.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Ace growled.
“Play along,” Rehan whispered against her ear.
“You won’t hurt her.” Shelby crossed his arms over his chest, looking rather bored.
Hard muscle was a steady wall at Ace’s back, keeping her still. She didn’t really believe Rehan would hurt her either, but the feeling of having a knife at her throat, practically pressing against that scar brought back memories that caused her spine to bead with sweat.
“I won’t?” His breath coasted along the side of her throat.
The blade pressed a little closer. Until it touched her flesh. Ace gasped as its holy forged steel dug into her old wound. Trees blurred and tilted in her vision but she forced herself steady, still, and strong with a stubborn inhale. Like liquid fever, blood oozed from the shallow cut and dripped into the hollow curve at the base of her throat. Her skin burned and tingled where it was already knitting back together.
“Rehan,” Ace warned. If he thought she wasn’t going to kick him right in the kneecap and bring her knee up into his groin next, he was about to be sorely mistaken.
“Take it easy, dear. I’m only playing to get him to take the bait,” he whispered into her hair.
Ace closed her eyes. Her throat yo-yo-ing against the blade as she swallowed down her thoughts.
“What are you doing?” Shelby said through his clenched jaw.
“Wings or I’ll carve her up a little deeper.” Rehan only ticked in return.
“I can’t—” Shelby started but stopped when Ace winced as the blade raked over her neck. She felt as though her throat had become a violin and Rehan was the musician holding the bow to glide over her again and again.
“Wings.”
“Rehan, I’ll—”
More blood pooled. Ace squeezed her eyes tighter, air blown through her teeth.
“Wings.”
“Stop it—”
Ace let out a small whimper as the skin sealed and then was re-opened again. She dug her nails into Rehan’s arm, hoping she could draw blood of her own. Her toes curled in her boots as if that might keep her from fainting in Rehan’s arms. She was stronger than this, she reminded herself.
It’s just a game. Just a test of Shelby’s strength. You won’t die. You can’t die.
Yet the image of her sisters’ faces flashing under the lightning filled sky came and went behind her eyelids. She could taste the mix of earthy drops of rain and salty tears that rolled down her cheeks and into her mouth.
“Wings.” Rehan’s tone had shifted to a dark bark that felt smokey like shadows. Ace swore she felt the ground rumble under her feet at the command.
Or perhaps that had all been Shelby’s doing.
Because in the next moment there was a ruffle of unfurling wings and Shelby roared.
