Chapter 52
Fifty-Two
Dirk
Mirko walked forward, the ice around him rippling with each step as if it were liquid underfoot. Caz waited until Mirko was halfway to center, and then he started moving.
I watched through narrowed eyes, trying to focus on the fight in front of me and not the emotions of my mate somewhere behind me. My dragon was just as torn. Our enemy in front of us. The best thing in the world behind us.
The desire to turn, run up the stairs, and snatch her in my arms to fly away had never been stronger. Ella was my mate, the only person in the world I longed to be around, even if she didn’t want me anywhere close, despite the softening of emotions I could sense through our bond.
It was better for all of us if I stayed at the side of the field. Where duty required me to be. My dragon and I both understood duty and what it meant.
Mirko stomped a foot, and Caz leapt into the air a second before spikes of ice thrust up from the ground in a circle under him. He floated down on wings of white protruding from his shoulders. The razor-sharp tips of the spikes melted into flattened disks as he walked from one to the next.
As he reached the edge of the circle, the final spike melted back into the ground, bringing Caz down to field level once more.
Before Mirko could attack again, Caz gestured with his right hand. The ice rippled like a wave, rushing forward, only to stop at Mirko’s command. He looked at Caz with a sneer, twisting his birthmark with disdain.
Which is when the second wave struck him from the rear, knocking him on his face.
Mirko was no slouch. He hit the surface and shot away with a push as Caz landed nearby, driving a thick blade of ice through the spot Mirko had just occupied.
The suddenly slippery surface turned one of Caz’s ankles, and he stumbled sideways on impact.
Mirko stuck a hand into the ice, pulled it up, and whipped a trio of razor-sharp ice-disks at his nephew.
Ella’s emotions spiked with fear, and I twitched, turning slightly before catching myself. She was fine. Kolar and Durion were up there, not to mention Anna. Mirko was on the field, Andrik was across from me. She didn’t need me.
Loneliness clobbered me in the head, courtesy of Ella. I did look up at her now, at long last, to find her staring right back.
Did she … miss me?
A gasp from the crowd whipped my head back around just in time to see Caz land on his rear, one side of his face red. He climbed to his feet, brushing off the ice chunks. Had Mirko hit him with something?
The fight continued, neither one gaining an advantage immediately. It could last for an hour or more until one of them made a serious mistake. They were both strong and well-trained. The edge of victory would be narrow.
Regret.
I frowned, once more looking up at the stands as Ella’s emotions clouded my mind, pushing my own aside.
What did she have to be regretful over? I was the one who had screwed up. Lied to her. Proven myself unworthy.
If I couldn’t keep her safe, what good was I as a mate?
Frustration. Lots of it. Ella was glaring at me now. She was mad at me? Her head twisted slightly from side to side, accompanied by a facial expression I could read easily even from a distance.
She didn’t approve of my thoughts. Wanted me to stop.
A roar from the crowd. Then a gasp. Andrik shouted in fear.
And before I could turn back around, it was over. Mirko was on his back, arms spread wide, while Caz stood over him. A blade of ice was pressed to Mirko’s throat with blood dribbling from it.
“Yield,” Mirko growled, exchanging an angry look with Andrik on the sidelines. “I yield.”
Whether Caz chose to let him live or not was up to Caz now. Everyone in the crowd expected him to let Mirko live. I knew he would. That was exactly the way we planned it.
Caz stepped back, looking at the crowd. “What say you? Mercy?”
“No,” I answered back before anyone else could shout an answer. “Death is the only answer for traitors.”
Caz turned fully to me while Mirko glared daggers. “Explain,” Caz said in a voice loud enough for all to hear.
“This creature has betrayed our kingdom. He has made pacts with the Reds. He has dealt in heart scales. He has tried to have me and my mate assassinated.”
“Lies!” Mirko howled as did many of his supporters.
“Then perhaps you can explain this,” I said, my voice theatrically loud as well so it would carry.
I reached into my pocket and pulled forth a piece of paper.
“I retrieved this letter from the body of one of your would-be assassins. It describes me and my mate. It says where we would be found, a secret hiding place I might add. It also says you wish us to be dealt with. And it is signed by none other than you, given to the one who would try to kill my mate.”
Mirko snarled, rising to his feet now. “Lies!”
“I have the proof right here!” I held up the letter. “It shows you a traitor. In your handwriting. Your name signed at the bottom.”
“I never signed anything I gave Adonik!” Mirko roared.
I cocked my head sideways, and Mirko’s face paled as he realized his mistake. “I never said any names.”
The crowd remained completely quiet as the lie was exposed.
“You’re correct, though.” I unfolded the paper. “The letter isn’t signed. But it is your handwriting, matched against official records.”
I held it up.
Mirko looked around, panicking as his scheme unraveled faster than he could process. Everyone knew the truth of him now, and he had no idea what to do.
“That is why death is called for this day,” I growled, taking a step forward, confident in my assumption of his lack of preparedness.
Ice ripped out from my feet as Mirko reacted far faster than I expected. A solid wall of it slammed into Caz and hurled him away. The corner of it caught me on the way past, spinning me around and down.
“Do it now!” Mirko shrieked above the din of the crowd, gesturing wildly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Andrik gesture at Florian, and he went down under a hail of ice darts even as Kolar leapt the railing to protect the warlord. Shouts erupted from the crowd, but I had no time for that, rolling to the side just as Mirko’s foot came down where my head had been.
I kicked out, dumping Mirko on his ass. I got to my feet and charged at my uncle, one hand shifting into claws as I neared.
I would finally rid the kingdom of the threat from within. Finally my mate would be safe.
And finally, I would be able to rest.
My hand came up to strike.
“Dirk!”
Ella’s scream stopped me in my tracks.