Page 87 of Gemini Hunted
I know it’s a bad idea to taunt him. But I legit can’t resist.
Old habit, you feel me?
I grin into his savage face. “That the best you can do, cuz? Must be gettin’ weak in your old age.”
He’s exactly one year older than me.
He retaliates with a whirlwind of slashing parries that keeps me on my toes. As I parry and retreat, parry and retreat, his upper lip curls in contempt to reveal one tiny fang.
“That’s just cute, for real.” I give him a wink. He knows I like those fangs of his, always have. Told him so the one and only time I snogged him, back in our Avalon Academy days, at his royal birthday masquerade.
Right before he kneed me in the nuts.
Seeing my wink, Zephyr’s eye narrows with wrath. He hisses a vicious incantation. The moon-blessed steel of his swords lights up with cold lilac witchfire.
Shit just got real.
“Whoa there.” The queen’s worried face hovers on the periphery, but the chick’s combat trained herself. She knows better than to get between us. “Zephyr. Mordred isnotthe enemy.”
“He is my enemy,” Z says through gritted teeth. “My mortal enemy. He is the serpent you allow in our bed!”
“Yeah, one time, and only tosleep.” This time, I aim my grievance over that sucky compromise at the whole room. “Y’all made me sleep across your feet like a dog.”
Cousin Z extends his fiery sword to point at my chest. The blade hums like a lightsaber. “That demon covets my throne—”
“Naw, that you can keep. Told you before, cuz, that whole insurrection thing was all your auntie, with me in a summoning circle. Babydoll broke the old witch’s curse when he summoned me outta Avalon to the mortal plane.” I shift my grip on my trident and give it a good spin.
Yeah, sure, I’m showing off a smidge. For Cousin Z and his girl. So far, the queen of the witching world seems totally immune to my flirting, which frustrates the hells outta me.
I mean, seriously? Who’s immune to an incubus?
“Lies. All detestable, moon-fuckedlies!” My cousin scowls fiercely at my showy theatrics. “You cannot deny you covet my bride!”
My grin shifts to the bride in question. “Well, he ain’t wrong—”
Zephyr growls like a hellhound and leaps for my throat, both blades whirling through the air. I bark out a laugh of fierce delight and slant my trident to meet his blows—one two three four—then follow up with a vicious jab at his gut. Just to earn his respect.
I mean to have that much.
His respect.
Even if I can’t have everything else from him I want.
He twists aside with a hiss. The tines of my trident graze his dragonscale. Just the way my fingers grazed his abs when we danced at his birthday party. The one and only time he ever let me touch him.
My trident can pierce the hide of a megalodon (and yeah, we got those in the Avalon Sea.) So evading is a prudent move on his part.
Still, I’m pulling my punches. I don’t want him dead, for real.
And he’s warrior enough to know it.
“Fight me like a man, you squid.” He sneers at my polite restraint and rolls out that childhood nickname I always hated. “If you dare.”
Finally, a jellyfish sting of annoyance pricks even my thick hide. I scowl and pivot into a vicious sidelong swipe that makes him jump. If he hadn’t, my tines woulda opened his quads to the bone. He whirls into a vicious two-bladed riposte I barely catch on my trident.
I spin into another sweeping parry to make him jump higher. Guy jumps like a flea. Oughta look ridiculous doing it(the way I would). But he’s the Dark Fae King, so he just looks agile and lithe and hot.
“How’s that?” I say on a growl.
