20. Zai
Zai
My mind was a swirling haze of instinctive reactions.
Moon girl’s back pressed against my chest, her heavy breathing reverberating through me. Her curves molded against me in ways that scattered my thoughts. Where noble women had delicate skin stretched over fragile frames, she had solid muscles thrumming with power.
Something about the way she moved had awakened something wicked inside. I kept reminding myself she was nothing but an enemy standing between me and my target. But for some reason, I just couldn’t stop myself from teasing and provoking her.
Nothing had prepared me for the sight of her standing atop that beast, ice glittering around her like shattered stars in the moonlight.
For one breathless moment, I’d been completely enraptured by the sheer force of her power—the impossible grace of a woman who’d just brought down a lethal beast with effortless precision.
When a monster had charged at her, I’d moved without hesitation.
My hand still clutched her wrist, her skin cool to the touch, a stark contrast against my heated fingers.
The urge to pull her closer clashed with disciplined logic. But as another monster rocketed toward us, I tightened my grip around her waist and flung glowing metal at the beast’s head. At the same time, she threw her free arm out, yanking scattered ice from the ground and propelling it forward.
Our magic spiraled through the air—mine brilliant orange, hers crystalline white—twisting together as if drawn by a magnetic pull. It tore through the creature, sending it crashing down.
Her breathing came hard and fast, one arm still outstretched. Strands of her inky-black hair tickled my jaw, carrying the scent of night air and rain-soaked earth. Not a trace of the suffocating perfume women at court drowned themselves in. Something about it was wildly intoxicating.
I shouldn’t keep holding her. I needed to step back. But my arm locked around her waist, refusing to let go.
More monsters barreled toward Tera and her crew. Moon girl spun free of my hold, and the absence of her warmth lingered against my chest.
For a moment, our eyes locked.
Her gaze tore into me, burning with something between a challenge and a question—assessing and suspicious—yet undeniably curious.
Then she bolted toward the monsters, her braid bouncing against her back, gleaming like liquid shadow.
The corner of my mouth twitched up as she whipped up her shields left and right, defending pirates and guards alike.
Even me. I’d nearly killed her moments before, yet she’d saved me without hesitation.
My jaw clenched as I sprinted after her. Of course she protected us. To survive these monsters, she had no choice but to team up.
Steam and heat thickened the air as I fought beside her, sending searing metal through leathery hides.
Father would scold me if he’d learned I’d saved her. He wouldn’t listen to explanations about uniting against a common threat—he’d argue I should’ve let that beast kill her and be done with it.
And he’d be right. That’s what I should’ve done.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted by a pretty face. She remained an obstacle, nothing more. Just someone standing between me and my target.
I needed ruthlessness to survive.
Tera sent her glowing blade through a monster’s throat before redirecting it into another beast attacking from the side. She moved with lethal grace, even sharper than when she’d trained me in the palace all those years ago.
But her heat wielding could use some refinement. Each time her metal cooled from carving through flesh or hissing through water, it cost her precious heartbeats to reheat it.
I dove aside as a monster swiped its curved hook toward my face. Twisting in the air, I slammed a metal spike through its core.
A scream split the air, and ice flooded my veins. I abandoned the writhing creature and whipped around, scanning the chaos for moon girl.
But the scream hadn’t come from her, she was busy fighting a beast.
One crew member hung limp from monstrous jaws, blood streaming down the beast’s chin. Was that Orrin the Cook? Grease and mud caked his features, but that thin frame and rounded belly was unmistakable.
A loose circle of moon guards remained around the Dual Wielder, shielding him on all sides.
Dead monsters littered the ground, at least a dozen sprawled in pools of dark blood. But more beasts kept clawing through the violet tear.
Fault and fire, what was happening? Everyone knew the rift was growing, but gradually, measured over decades. A fresh tear opening like this was unheard of.
My gaze snapped to the airship overhead. Kestrel’s golden-brown hair whipped in the wind as he leaned over the railing. He and the other non-wielders had stayed behind on the captain’s orders. He hadn’t bothered hiding his relief, immediately launching into a cheerful song about Tera the Tactical.
Around us, pirates and moon guards alike crumpled beneath hooked claws. We had to retreat back to the ship.
Many would likely die climbing those rope ladders while fending off monsters, but what choice did we have?
The wounded monster beside me twitched to life and lunged. I barely blocked its strike, my glowing shield hissing as I reshaped it into a blade.
Ashes and embers, everything was heading to the abyss.