Chapter 12 #2
The drums echoed through the room, building and building before they came to a stop, marking the beginning of the duel.
Demir stood in front of me holding a pair of what looked like three pronged Sai.
But these were far deadlier, with each prong shaped into a blade rather than the usual blunt spear.
My sword would do nothing in such close combat, so I threw it to the side and pulled two blades from my boots, one in each hand.
The drums climaxed and then stopped, ushering in the beginning. Now, this would be a bloodletting.
I ran towards him with everything I had in me, every emotion I had felt over the last two days fuelling each stride.
Just as I stepped in front of him, slashing across his abdomen, he spun right out from under me.
I caught him again, but the centre of his Sai blocked my blade.
He pushed it back, the screeching of steel-on-steel ringing throughout the arena.
It was a violent convergence of blades. Every strike was either parried or blocked.
As fast as I was, he was faster, there to meet every strike.
It was chaos, blow after blow, metal against metal until he broke through the fray and sliced the inside of my arm, my blood splattered to the floor.
His lips quirked into an almost curious smirk, as if he couldn’t believe he had drawn blood.
Beads of sweat drenched his shirt and glistened on his skin.
I heard the crowd cheer in the distance at the first drops of blood.
Not even acknowledging the pain, I pressed on with a series of rapid strikes, forcing him backwards and conceding ground.
I was quick to block any counterattack. I pushed him further and further back until his back hit the wall of the arena.
The crowd cheered above; they loved it when people got pinned against the wall where they sat for a front row show.
He seemed almost shocked, realising how much ground he had lost. Just as quickly his honey-coloured eyes turned into deep resolve.
He raised his arm high, using the momentum and his strength to strike a powerful blow.
But he left himself exposed in that moment, so I drew my blade back and then forced it into his abdomen.
I watched him fold in on himself as I pulled it back out.
Blood dripped from my blade, and as I twirled it in my fingers a menacing laugh escaped me.
He threw his shoulders back in fierce determination and lunged for me, throwing out technique and now relying on his overbearing size and strength to catch me off guard.
Thinking I wouldn’t anticipate it right off the back of me stabbing him.
But I knew how cornered animals lashed out, I was one.
Even so, I wasn’t quick enough to fully escape his grasp before his fingers closed around my belt.
He pulled me back and under him as he all but collapsed on the ground from the blood loss, using his body weight to drag me down.
His legs locked mine in place as his hands gripped my shoulders.
With the weight of his muscles, I could barely move and the panic began to flood through me.
I was at his mercy; my nightmares had come to life and were plaguing me.
For the briefest moment, I felt powerless.
I had lost control. I needed that control.
But I refused to let it show. He was smirking down at me; satisfaction oozed from every pore of him at the fact that he would win this.
Maybe she isn’t Ruhi but fuck she feels good underneath me.
His thoughts bled into me at his touch. I felt his hips grind into me ever so slightly, and my eyes widened in shock.
Was he fucking hard right now? Registering what he had done, he instantly paused, and his eyes mirrored the shock in mine.
What the heck did I just do? I used his confusion as my chance to bring my head up and strike his chin, causing his teeth to smash against each other.
While he was temporarily stunned, I pulled my leg free and slammed my knee between his legs.
Demir let out a laboured breath before wrapping his hand around my hair and pulling my head back down to the ground.
Now I was the one mixing pain and pleasure, and I was confused as hell.
Wanting to both stop him and beat my own thoughts away, I drew my head back, even with his fingers fisted in my hair, and smashed my face against his jaw.
I tried for a headbutt but with the restriction of his grasp I did more harm to myself likely shattering my nose.
Raising his fist, he said loudly enough for the crowd to hear, ‘I’ve been waiting for this, bitch.
’ But he hesitated. It was brief, but it was enough, and it would cost him.
I gripped my blade and slammed it into the side of his body.
He gasped, the pain loosening his grip on my hair.
He braced himself against the floor as I twisted the blade further.
I pulled it out and then slammed it back into his shoulder, not giving him a chance to recover.
He completely collapsed on top of me, soaking me in his blood as he bled out. His breathing heavy.
I can’t do it. Why… why did it have to be her, was all I heard of his pained thoughts before his body was pulled off me.
I had won, and rather than applause, the arena sat in silence, staring at me drenched in blood.
Everett pulled Demir to his feet but had to carry him; his eyes were barely open, yet they held my fierce gaze.
The blade in my hand was covered in Demir’s blood and glistened.
Standing, I used the blade to cut open the top of my tunic so the black mark would be exposed.
I smeared his blood on it. The next time I spilled his blood, he would be just another number among those who had fallen at my hands.
The crowd looked at me in disgust, with most expressing horror and fear. This was a side they had not seen. Demir looked right through me, lost in the pain—as if he were barely registering what I had done—while Everett turned him around and helped him to the healers.