26. Chapter Twenty-Six #2
I felt Nikan shift his weight before lunging for me.
I side stepped and jutted my dagger out to catch his torso but he blocked, throwing up a rock at the last second.
He countered, kicking a stream of dirt through the air straight at me.
I jumped then dive-rolled out of the way, bringing my daggers up crossed above my head to catch the blow of his sword.
I pushed him off, feeling Malina coming up behind me, and spun to throw one of my daggers, which she deflected with her own.
I could feel her pushing energy outwards and was thankful for the blindfold knowing that she was wielding her light—more for her own practice than for me—to blind her attacker as she came through it.
Nikan had thrown up a rock dome to shield himself from the light. I took the opportunity to sheathe my dagger and quickly drew an arrow, aiming right for her. I released it, and spun to run at Nikan’s dome, hoping for the element of surprise when he deconstructed it.
I felt Malina behind me strike the arrow from the air, hearing the crack of the wood as it snapped in half.
“Wrong tip!” she yelled.
“Oops,” I whispered to myself.
I didn’t understand how she was able to see through her own light, but I knew she could.
Within a moment of a step, I felt the vibrations of Nikan coming through the dome as I approached.
I crouched down just as he came up and swiped at his feet with my dagger, now back in my hand, my bow still in the other.
He lifted on a mound of rock, and threw me to the side.
I landed hard on my back, immediately rolling as Malina’s dagger pierced the dirt where I had just been.
Jumping to my feet, I nocked another arrow.
I could feel Nikan now standing on his rock dome, and I released my bow string, the arrow screaming through the air at him.
Malina charged at me from the side and I met her blade for blade, pulling one of my daggers from my back and dropping the bow.
Malina and I went at each other, strike after strike, equally matched. Nikan joined in moments later, and I alternated between blocking and attacking each of them. They were working together to wear me down. And after a long while of fighting the two of them, their plan was beginning to work.
Just as I was about to yield, I felt something in the distance.
“Cease,” I shouted firmly. Nikan and Malina instantly stopped mid-attack, an understanding between all of us that we needed to stop at the safe-word.
I quickly removed my blindfold and turned to the other side of the clearing, Nikan and Malina doing the same, following my line of sight.
I grabbed my bow and strung an arrow through it, aiming at the tree line.
Nikan used his terbis to hold an area of the ground, the equivalent of arming himself.
Malina flipped her daggers so that the blades were resting between her fingers, ready to throw them.
On the other side of the clearing, a stocky male strolled out of the treeline down the path, whistling a tune and leading a bull-drawn cart filled with goods. The trader, likely coming from Morah, halted in his tracks when he saw us. His eyes widened.
“Roav…” he whispered with a gasp. He placed a hand over his mouth and mumbled a prayer to the Gods, backing up into his cart.
We lowered our weapons, but not quickly enough.
It appeared that we had frightened the male, because he yanked on the bull’s lead to steer him away down the treeline around us.
Odarum was now standing directly behind me .
“Oh I can’t wait to see what rumors will come of this encounter. Roav, caught without their masks and fighting each other,” Malina said after the male was out of earshot. Her head turned to the side and caught the sight of Odarum. “With a Spirit pony too.”
I snorted a laugh when Nikan rolled his eyes.
“Feel better?” He turned to look at me with a smirk.
Now it was time to roll my eyes. “Yes.” My face softened, and I looked at both of them. “Thanks.”
They gave me what I had needed, let me vent my anger. It wasn’t the first time, though it usually wasn’t even me who needed the outlet. We all had our own internal turmoil, and sometimes we just couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Any time.” Nikan slapped my shoulder and walked to his horse, pushing the rock dome back down into the ground like it was never there.
“Feeling a little frustrated are we?” Malina teased.
I sighed. “I need to figure out my magic, develop the bond with Odarum to manifest my shifting and his magic, complete Kleio’s task and stop the Glaev.
” I didn’t mention that I also had to worry about a mating bond with a hot, shadow wielding Lord with silver eyes that made my thighs clench.
“So yes, forgive me if I’m a little cranky for it. ”
“Want to talk about it?” Malina asked cautiously.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat before they left my lips. I felt it again, off in the distance.
My mate.