Chapter 15 Fists and Fury
fifteen
Fists and Fury
“I’ve got ten on Jade!” Sylvia yells and Apollo covers her mouth too late.
Someone else across the room takes the bet and things come to life around us.
Rhazan stares me down like he’s about to rip out my throat—or maybe fuck me to death, I don’t know. This insatiable, predatory gleam in his eyes is intoxicating, and I want more. If that means I have to fight him for it, I will.
Bets get shouted and it sounds mostly in Rhazan’s favor. I’m not mad about it. Look at him. He’s definitely going to give my ass a whooping, and that’s without magic. But I’m going to put up my best fight, show him I’m not some weak fawn that needs his protection.
Rhazan steps closer. Violent intent spills over my body like gasoline on a flame. I’m ratcheted to a thousand, itching to go.
“Ready for me, Firecracker?” he asks in a low, gravelly voice that scrapes my insides raw.
I take first stance, cultivating my breath as I give him a Shaolin salute. “Bring it, RhazDaddy.”
His jaw flexes and flames dance in his eyes. That’s the only warning I get before he moves to strike. His left foot comes forward and he twists, pulling back his right shoulder. I flow, turning aside and slapping his wrist away. With his ribs exposed, I plant a fast, testing palm to his side.
A thump of impact, and the crowd roars. Rhaz exhales a pleased grunt and pivots to catch me with a hook, but I drop my weight, sliding under his arm.
The tips of my fingers brush the floor for balance as I make a swipe for the back of his knee.
He lifts his leg, stomping down for my chest. I roll backwards and spring to standing, shifting my feet around a few times to release the energy burning through my body.
Rhaz takes a moment to observe me, a smirk playing on his lips. “I thought we were going to fight, not dance.”
I curl two fingers at him. “Come, then. Fight.”
He leaps forward with explosive speed. I dodge the first hit to my chest, then push away the second. I grab hold of his wrist on the third strike and twist into him as I drive my heel into his thigh. Fiery power surges down my leg, and the hit lands with an explosion of sparks.
It’s like hitting a tree trunk.
He snaps up my ankle with a wild grin. “Got you.”
I pull into him, standing on his leg as I bring my other knee up into his chest. I twist, holding my wrist as I smash my elbow against his big jaw. It hurts like hell, but his fingers slacken on my ankle. I push off him, flipping to land a few feet away.
“You’re a fucking badass!” Sylvia screams from the sidelines, and I can’t help but smile.
I even surprised myself with how cool that was.
Heat tingles across my fingers and sweat tickles my neck. It’s not just hot in here—I’m hot. Like there’s literal fire coursing through my veins, powering me, making every move stronger. But it’s stuck in me. It’s not releasing in my strikes.
Rhaz rubs his jaw with a brilliant, animalistic grin that makes my insides melt.
I squash the feeling and take cat stance, centering myself.
He circles and I move, my legs like liquid fire.
The audience fades in my ears as I home in on him, on the beat of his heart thrumming through the lava-like cracks in his skin.
He takes a deep breath that glows all the way out to the tips of his fingers, and then he moves like lightning.
I barely dodge the next attack, and the second has me dropping to the floor to evade.
I explode up in a dual-fisted strike. The hit lands in his gut with a blazing smack that resonates back down my arms. He didn’t even budge.
I pull back and whirl under another punch, then deflect his fist, but not fast enough. He clips my shoulder, and the raw power behind the strike makes me yelp.
This is definitely my real body.
I leap back, ready to avoid another hit, but it doesn’t come. Rhazan stands up straight, a look of terror paling his red face.
“We’re done,” he says.
Just like that?
“Like hell,” I snap, coming at him with all my strength.
He blocks my first punch, and I shove his arm away with my other hand, then come back in with another. It hits the soft spot of his ribs, but it feels more like punching brick. I roll away from a grab and chop down on his elbow.
He grunts in pain as his arm goes limp and—
A hot hand closes around my wrist and I’m yanked skyward. No, not a hand. His tail.
I kick at his chest, but he captures my ankle, then the other, until I’m drawn before him. His eyes travel the length of my body up to my face.
“Everyone out,” he booms. “The fight is over.”
I growl. “We’re not done!”
Fiery chains twist between his fingers and surge for my neck. They’re hot against my skin, though they feel less like metal and more like rough cloth. They wrap around my mouth, gagging me. They’re not so hot that I burn, but it’s right on the edge of uncomfortable.
I hurl curses at him and thrash under his strength, but it’s all useless.
Helplessness worms into my mind, and the invisible band snaps like a whip around my middle.
Sylvia and Apollo appear at Rhazan’s side.
“Same time next month?” Apollo asks.
He grunts confirmation at him, his eyes never leaving me.
“Good to meet you, Jade. Hope to see you next time,” she says.
“You were so cool!” Charlie quacks in my head.
There’s not enough oxygen in the room. I’m panting heavily through my nose and biting down against his magic to quell the anxiety that’s got a noose around my guts, dragging me toward the abyss of an attack.
Rhazan pulls me against his chest, a vice grip on my ankles as he cradles my backside with his other hand. The security of his grip brings a modicum of comfort, slowing my downward spiral just a hair. He releases the gag and I suck down a gasp.
“Please, lemmego.” The words come tumbling from my mouth.
“Wrap your arms around me,” he says, and his tail unravels from my wrists.
I do just that, my animal brain not knowing what else to do than follow orders from the man holding me so steadily.
The room clears out and he rushes toward his office.
“Hold on a little longer,” he murmurs.
I’m gasping for air though I know there’s plenty. I just can’t seem to catch it. Can’t stop my heart from slamming against my ribs. I bury my face in his neck and squeeze my eyes shut, wishing—begging—for this not to happen.
Rhazan speaks a series of incantations as we enter his office and the room seals with a golden red light. He brings me to the cot and tries to set me down, but my lizard brain can’t let go—letting go will make this worse.
“What’s going on?”
I want to tell him I’m having a panic attack, but if I open my mouth I’ll scream. The force of holding it all in makes me tremble.
Rhazan crawls onto his bed and curls around me. His wings fold over us until it’s dark. The glowing scars littering his skin cast us in a gentle light that makes my breath come a little easier.
A rumbling hum starts in the depths of his chest. The song is melodic, sad, and slow. It vibrates into my body at the same frequency of my trembling, calming it to a mild shiver. I latch on to the sound, on to him, digging my nails into his tough skin to get him closer.
He hugs me in tighter and hums louder.
I breathe. Deep and long.
Again.
In for six.
Hold.
Out for six.
My body eases against his and my muscles release all at once. I puddle into his chest and fold in on myself. His lips move across my brow in what might be a kiss. He exhales heavily and his smoky breath ripples into our cocoon.
“What was that, Jiahui?”
“T-tell me what that song was, f-first,” I say, my voice trying to fail me.
His fingers, no longer taloned or sharp, caress down my side to my foot, then back up to my hip.
“It’s of my own making.”
A lingering tremble rocks my body.
“Beautiful.”
“Thank you,” he whispers into my hair.
“You l-like music?”
“I do. It was my only friend for a long time.”
“When was that?”
He takes a deep breath, and another curl of smoke pours from his nostrils into our space. “A long time ago, I was imprisoned. Singing was the only outlet I had—the only way I could express my pain and sustain myself.”
Imprisoned…
“What happened?”
We breathe in silence. Two breaths. Three. Five.
I look up. Our faces are only inches apart and I can see the deep agony in his.
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“Why not?”
His thumb traces my bottom lip. “Because I don’t want you to hate me.”
“It’s a little late for that,” I mumble.
He goes deathly still and I huff a half laugh.
“I’m kidding.”
It’s his turn to melt, his whole body collapsing around me. He presses our foreheads together and pinches his eyes shut.
“Tell me what happened to you, and I’ll tell you what I did.”