Chapter 31
Daisy
Three people flew. They took a running leap, stretched out their arms, and said weeeee all the way down.
The rest didn’t get much sleep. All but three reveled in each other’s bodies, and the three sober ones tried to stay out of the way—Daisy, the big champion…and the female who’d helped Daisy the night before.
After telling the female about the elixir, Daisy had said, “I am not saving your life.” It was probably even true.
She’d earned a small smile and a slight nod. They were even.
But now that female walked out of the dark hallway and into the glow of the Court Hall. Her lank hair fell beside her thin face, her eyes darting this way and that. She already held a knife, clutched tightly in her small hand. Her knuckles were white.
Daisy let out a slow breath as her stomach twisted.
She replayed all the fights she’d seen with this female, as seen through Tarian’s eyes.
She reassessed the movements, the strikes, and the feints.
Then she tucked her thoughts down deep where they couldn’t be found.
Not that it would matter—cutting out magic would take care of that naturally.
The floor was slick with blood at Daisy’s feet. The nobles were all in their places, having watched all the fights for the day, save hers. She and this female were last.
The king waited on his dais, his blood-red eyes gleaming. The diamond chalice sat beside him on the chair, his long, spindly fingers wrapped around it.
The female stopped on the other side of the pool of blood.
Her gaze flicked down to it, over to the king, then finally to Daisy.
Her expression was unreadable. Her free hand flexed and then curled into a fist. The female had helped Daisy, Daisy had helped the female, and now one would kill the other. Welcome to life with the fae.
“Do not kill the human,” the king called out. “Break her, only. If you can.”
He leaned back on his throne, his smile predatory. He’d pitted Daisy against arguably the weakest of the champions, save Daisy herself. Both of them were hiding their true skills. Neither could hide any longer.
“Commence,” the voice boomed.
The female’s eyes took in the blood at their feet again. She stepped forward once, christening the soul of her boot.
Daisy withered the female’s magic as she ripped out one of her throwing knives. She took it by the blade, balanced, and threw. It somersaulted in the air, end over end.
The female barely looked up. She didn’t even sight in on the throwing knife. She leaned to the side, and the knife went right on by, slicing a strand of hair as it did so.
Daisy expected the female to attack, but she didn’t. She paused, actually, her gaze going down and to the right, like she was listening. A couple people yelled, someone screamed, and chairs and couches scraped against the floor. The knife flowered blood in a noble’s shoulder.
The female’s eyes lifted, a violet sheen glowing within them. Mirth twinkled in their depths. If she was worried about Daisy taking her magic, she didn’t show it. She must have known it, though, because she could no longer read Daisy’s mind. She simply wasn’t concerned.
Uneasy with the enigma, Daisy took out two more knives, stepped one foot over the other, and threw in quick succession.
Her technique was perfect, the throws on target, and the knives left with speed.
Daisy didn’t expect them to land, not when the female had been looking right at her, but she did expect the female to jerk out of the way. To give a pronounced twist or feint.
Instead, the female took an unhurried, graceful step to the right.
She shouldn’t have been able to get out of the way with the slowness of that step. She barely moved a shoulder, and both knives flew past.
Daisy couldn’t have gotten out of the way like that. On her best and fastest day, she wasn’t that good.
Unease jiggled her stomach. She didn’t bother looking to see if any nobles got hit. She took out her magical knife and thought about taking out a dagger too.
The female stepped farther into the pool of blood. Her eyes tracked Daisy as she, too, stepped. Another foot, the knife loosening a bit in her hand. She didn’t look frightened—she had to know that Daisy wasn’t fooled.
To rush or not to rush…
Daisy stood her ground as the female took another step. Then another. The female’s knees bent just a little. Her body was completely loose. Ready.
Fuck, this was going to go badly. Daisy could feel it in her gut.
She grabbed the dagger and started forward. There was no point in delaying. Time to see what this female could really do.
When she’d cut the distance in half, her steps confident, the female stepped forward.
Daisy slashed with her dagger, expected the easy dodge, and thrust forward with her elongating magical knife.
The female stepped and slashed, the strike coming so fast and with such precision that Daisy barely got her hand up to block in time.
Their forearms clashed. Daisy dragged her knife, point down, and her arm away. The blade just caught flesh.
The female didn’t so much as flutter her eyes. It was like she hadn’t felt it at all.
Daisy struck with the other knife as she stepped. Pulled back and struck again, rotating them. The female stepped with her in perfect synergy. Her knife flashed out, raking across the air right in front of Daisy’s chest. Daisy replied with a strike of her own, equally missing.
On they went, stepping and thrusting, dodging and attacking. The female might’ve been Daisy’s mirror, the steps perfectly timed, the strikes all a fraction too short or too wide. It was as if she wasn’t trying to hit Daisy, but rather was toying with her.
Unexpectedly, the female launched at Daisy.
Daisy spun and kicked. She made contact with a shin. The female faltered, and Daisy was there, batting the knife out of her hand and to the ground. She kicked it away before stabbing forward.
The female ducked and turned. Her leg came out of absolutely nowhere and swept Daisy’s ankles. Her weight shifted, and she went down.
“Sweep the leg, Johnny,” Daisy muttered as she rolled, barely avoiding a downward thrust of a knife that hadn’t been in that female’s hand a moment before. “Sweep the leg!”
“What?” the female said, slipping as she tried to stab down at Daisy.
“A movie. Lexi has odd taste.” Daisy hopped up and changed tactics. She didn’t have enough skill to go at it with just a knife. Time to try mindfuckery.
Her magical sword changed into a staff, and Daisy attacked, moving and swirling it to throw the female off track.
She stabbed, parried, and launched herself at the female.
The female tried to backpedal, but Daisy was on her, grabbing her shoulders while swinging herself around.
She went for the eyes, missed, then hooked her fingers into the female’s cheeks and tried to rip and tear.
It was hostile and weird and off-putting all at the same time.
Often those with superior fighting skills didn’t do well with these rough-and-tumble tactics.
The female flailed, as though overcome. Daisy didn’t miss that her knife was perfectly positioned, though. She just couldn’t get out of the fucking way!
The blade sliced across Daisy’s forearm. She sucked in a pained breath and reached for the wrist. Another knife materialized in the female’s other hand and she slashed.
“Are you…a fucking…magician, or what?” Daisy twisted, grabbed around the female’s middle with her legs, and used her leverage.
She spun around and down, ripping the female to the ground with force.
Daisy landed first and rolled, reaching for her knife as she scrambled up.
The female flipped, kicked her feet, and suddenly tackled Daisy to the ground.
How the fuck…?
“Release my magic,” the female whispered as she wrestled Daisy through the blood. “I need to speak with you.”
So she did know Daisy had cut out her magic, but she wasn’t confused or concerned. She didn’t ask how. Did she know what Daisy was?
No, that was impossible. She couldn’t.
Wary, unsettled, Daisy tried to cut the female’s side. Once again, she got air as the female rolled away.
“I need to speak with you,” she hissed as she grabbed Daisy’s hair and yanked her head back. She stuck the knife in Daisy’s thigh. “Please.”
Daisy cried out in pain, and for reasons she didn’t know and would never understand, she did as the female said. She released her magic, still continuing to grapple and half wanting to give up. This female was better than her, faster. She was a fucking wizard.
Never say die, Zorn’s voice echoed in her head. There is always a chance you may live.
In this case, there was a chance she’d be broken into a thousand little pieces.
When the time comes, you must not be greedy for the kill, the female said through Daisy’s mind. If she had any other magic, she didn’t use it. One must never let down one’s guard, even when the enemy is on the brink of death.
She slashed another part of Daisy’s body, not taking any damage of her own.
Wait… This female was saying Zorn’s words. His teachings. Did she shoplift those out of Daisy’s mind at another time? Why?
Tarian cannot help you, she said. Not will not…cannot. You must do this. Remember your resolve. You are the only one who can save him. Who can save them all.
They rolled around, slashing at each other. The female grabbed Daisy and forced her onto her back, laying her on the ground. The female’s eyes were right over hers, urgent.
You are the key. The only one who can do it.
Daisy’s dagger filled her hand, though she hadn’t grabbed for it. Her magical knife suddenly rested against her skin, magically strapped to her side under her garments. This female was arming her.
What the fuck was going on?