Page 18 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)
Aeron takes advantage of my slight distraction and lunges, making the first move. He lands a small blow to my side—or tries to—but my reflexes react at the last second, using my arm as a shield to absorb the blow .
“Lesson number one,” Aeron mocks. “Eyes on your competition, Vagrant. You’re sloppy and distracted. If you need something pretty to stare at, I’m right here.”
I scoff. “Seems to me like I blocked you just fine, distraction and all.”
Aeron towers over me, packed with muscle. I know I won’t be able to out-strength him, so the only option is to outsmart him. I just need to rile him up a little so he makes a sloppy move, and then I’ll pounce. My small size compared to his, paired with my speed, will give me the advantage I need.
Slowly, we begin to circle each other again, and time freezes. I’m focused and locked in on his every move, just as he is with mine. I take a slow, deep breath, which pushes on my cleavage that’s on full display in this skin-tight suit.
First plan of attack: distract.
I catch Aeron’s eyes trailing from my face down to my chest, where they linger for a fraction too long, and then, as if pained to do so, they trail back up to my face.
“Seems I’m not the only one distracted,” I tease.
This sets Aeron off, just as I was hoping.
In a rushed frenzy, he lunges at me sloppily out of frustration, but I’m prepared for the move.
Setting my trap, I wait until the last second, then side step his attack, grabbing the back of his neck as he flies past me, shoving him down onto the ground.
I quickly jump on his back and straddle him with my full weight to keep him pinned.
In one, swift movement, Aeron rolls onto his back, throwing me off him. I fly through the air and land on my back, briefly knocking the wind out of me. I try to regain my bearings, but in those few seconds, Aeron has switched places with me, straddling my body from above.
“I think I like this view better.” He smiles down at me, and I clench my fists.
This man is not light by any means, and it’s starting to get hard to breathe under his weight. I need to get out from under him so I can level the playing field. Right now, my strength doesn’t compare to his, and I need to be able to get back on my feet if I want a fair chance.
With quick but careful movements, I grab sand in each hand, then smile sweetly up at him, batting my lashes. “You know what view I like better?”
“Enlighten me,” he purrs.
“You when you can’t see.” He looks at me confused, and I use that second to throw both handfuls of sand at his face.
I catch him off guard, and he starts coughing, covering his face with his arm to shield his eyes. I use the distraction to slide out from under him and back on my feet.
“No one likes a cheater, Nyxi.” His eyes are red and irritated, and he’s covered head to toe in dust. It takes everything in me not to laugh at how ridiculous he looks.
“Just admit I outsmarted you, Command .” My grin turns lethal as we start circling each other again. I know I must look unhinged right now, with blood dripping from my ear and smeared in my hair, sporting a smile from ear to ear, but I’ve never felt more alive .
I live for adrenaline and violence. It’s the only thing that drowns out all the noise buzzing around my brain all hours of the day.
There’s no pain or heartache here, just me and my need to purge my rage.
It’s empowering, and I know Aeron can feel it too.
I hope he sees the way I plead for him to play this game, to let me have this moment to fight my demons.
As if on cue, Aeron nods at me, fastening on his signature shit eating grin. “Show me your worst, Vagrant. ”
I sigh internally, thankful for his compliance to play along for my sake.
I clear my mind of every thought and painstaking memory, ripping out the phantom dagger plunged in my heart.
I let it all float away with the wind then focus on Aeron’s every move, preparing to release my fury on the devil himself.
I run directly at him, and at the last second, I crouch, sliding on my shin and narrowly missing his punch as I jab him in the back of his thigh.
He grunts out a curse but stays standing as I quickly get back to my feet.
Now I’m just toying with him, trying to tire him out and force him to get sloppy.
C’mon, Aeron. Make a move.
As if hearing my thoughts, he lunges, and instead of going for my upper body, he takes a card out of my book and kicks out my feet.
I land on my back with an umph, and he’s on me in an instant.
He cocks his arm back to punch me, but I’m faster.
I draw my knee up, crashing it against his balls and then his side before rolling out from under him.
He grunts. “Fuuuuuck, Nyxi. Those are precious jewels.”
“You should learn to protect them better if they are that important, don’t you think?” The corner of my mouth quirks up as I continue to egg him on.
While he’s still kneeling, I kick out at him, but he grabs my ankle mid-kick and yanks me forward so I tumble into his lap.
A growl comes from the corner I know Hade watches from as I’m forced to sit in Aeron’s lap like I’m his play thing.
He secures one arm around my midsection, wedging his chest against my back while he slides his other hand slowly up my throat, latching on.
I try to fight his hold, but he only grips tighter the more I struggle.
“If you just calm down, this can be enjoyable for both of us,” he whispers against my ear in a playful, seductive tone.
“Too bad for you. I never learned how to play nicely.” Throwing my chin down, I slide Aeron’s hand choking me into my mouth and bite hard, breaking his skin until blood floods my mouth.
He rips his hand from my mouth, and I take the opportunity to throw my elbow back into his side until he releases me with his other arm. Turning, I pounce on him like a rabid beast, and my fist connects with the side of his face. Blood explodes from his mouth, spraying the both of us.
He looks up at me in a daze, his mouth oozing blood as a bruise starts to form on his swelling cheek. I shove my forearm into his throat, choking him, but not enough to cut his airway off.
“Do you yield, pretty boy?” I purr down to him.
He spits blood. “I think I might be dreaming. I’m pretty sure a beautifully lethal woman just beat me to a pulp, and I’ve never been more turned on.”
I narrow my eyes and press my arm harder into his throat. “Yield, now!” I grit out at him.
He throws his hands up in surrender, that shit-eating grin firmly on his face again. “I yield, viper. Does that mean you have to get off me?”
I scowl and push off him, leaving him in a bloody dirty mess on the ground.
“You’re really gonna walk away from a handsome man spread out for you like a feast?”
I scoff at him, but it holds no malice. “Go clean up. Your ego is stinking up the place.”
I hear Aeron’s pained cries fade behind me as I grab my weapon, shove it in my boot, and make my way back to Winston, who is waiting with a grin on his face to escort me back to my room.
Sweat mixed with our combined blood drips down my face and chest. The force field does nothing to dull the harsh beating sun; if anything, it only intensifies it, making it feel like a hotbox in the Bubble. The fight took more out of me than I would like to admit, only fueling my fire to do better.
I’ll have to ask Winston if I’m allowed to go on morning runs around the castle to help with my endurance. That, paired with daily training in the Bubble and eating more food than I’m used to eating in a week, should help my chances at winning the thing .
I have no idea what the Empress has in store for us, so I need to be prepared for anything. It feels like each year, her ideas have only gotten grander and more dangerous.
Yay for me.
Winston’s toothy grin comes into view as I approach the invisible door.
“Did you miss me?” I beam up at him.
His belly laugh vibrates over my skin. “Only you could look like you just emerged from hell itself and make a joke like nothing happened.”
I shrug, feigning innocence. “So, is that a yes?”
“C’mon, little lady. Let’s get you back and cleaned up. You positively stink.”
I pout dramatically. “Do not!”
Winston puts his hand against the Bubble to activate the door, and I take that moment to sneak a peek behind me to the corner Hade was tucked into, except he’s nowhere to be seen now. He left, and for some reason, that leaves an uneasy feeling nudging my battered heart.
I’m confused; why should I even care? Why does it matter if he stayed and watched me at all? It seems my heart is onto something my brain can’t quite comprehend, and I’m scared for the day it catches on. I can’t imagine a day Theo isn’t the sole reason the pathetic organ in my chest beats.