Page 29 of A Kiss From Death
With quick but careful movements, I grab sand in each hand, then smile sweetly up at him, batting my lashes. “You know what view I like better?”
“Enlighten me,” he purrs.
“You when you can’t see.” He looks at me confused, and I use that second to throw both handfuls of sand at his face.
I catch him off guard, and he starts coughing, covering his face with his arm to shield his eyes. I use the distraction to slide out from under him and back on my feet.
“No one likes a cheater, Nyxi.” His eyes are red and irritated, and he’s covered head to toe in dust. It takes everything in me not to laugh at how ridiculous he looks.
“Just admit I outsmarted you,Command.” My grin turns lethal as we start circling each other again. I know I must look unhinged right now, with blood dripping from my ear and smeared in my hair, sporting a smile from ear to ear, but I’ve never felt morealive.
I live for adrenaline and violence. It’s the only thing that drowns out all the noise buzzing around my brain all hours of the day. There’s no pain or heartache here, just me and my need to purge my rage. It’s empowering, and I know Aeron can feel it too. I hope he sees the way I plead for him to play this game, to let me have this moment to fight my demons.
As if on cue, Aeron nods at me, fastening on his signature shit eating grin. “Show me your worst,Vagrant.”
I sigh internally, thankful for his compliance to play along for my sake. I clear my mind of every thought and painstaking memory, ripping out the phantom dagger plunged in my heart. I letit all float away with the wind then focus on Aeron’s every move, preparing to release my fury on the devil himself.
I run directly at him, and at the last second, I crouch, sliding on my shin and narrowly missing his punch as I jab him in the back of his thigh. He grunts out a curse but stays standing as I quickly get back to my feet. Now I’m just toying with him, trying to tire him out and force him to get sloppy.
C’mon, Aeron. Make a move.
As if hearing my thoughts, he lunges, and instead of going for my upper body, he takes a card out of my book and kicks out my feet. I land on my back with an umph, and he’s on me in an instant. He cocks his arm back to punch me, but I’m faster. I draw my knee up, crashing it against his balls and then his side before rolling out from under him.
He grunts. “Fuuuuuck, Nyxi. Those are precious jewels.”
“You should learn to protect them better if they are that important, don’t you think?” The corner of my mouth quirks up as I continue to egg him on.
While he’s still kneeling, I kick out at him, but he grabs my ankle mid-kick and yanks me forward so I tumble into his lap.
A growl comes from the corner I know Hade watches from as I’m forced to sit in Aeron’s lap like I’m his play thing. He secures one arm around my midsection, wedging his chest against my back while he slides his other hand slowly up my throat, latching on. I try to fight his hold, but he only grips tighter the more I struggle.
“If you just calm down, this can be enjoyable for both of us,” he whispers against my ear in a playful, seductive tone.
“Too bad for you. I never learned how to play nicely.” Throwing my chin down, I slide Aeron’s hand choking me into my mouth and bite hard, breaking his skin until blood floods my mouth.
He rips his hand from my mouth, and I take the opportunity to throw my elbow back into his side until he releases me with his other arm. Turning, I pounce on him like a rabid beast, and myfist connects with the side of his face. Blood explodes from his mouth, spraying the both of us.
He looks up at me in a daze, his mouth oozing blood as a bruise starts to form on his swelling cheek. I shove my forearm into his throat, choking him, but not enough to cut his airway off.
“Do you yield, pretty boy?” I purr down to him.
He spits blood. “I think I might be dreaming. I’m pretty sure a beautifully lethal woman just beat me to a pulp, and I’ve never been more turned on.”
I narrow my eyes and press my arm harder into his throat. “Yield, now!” I grit out at him.
He throws his hands up in surrender, that shit-eating grin firmly on his face again. “I yield, viper. Does that mean you have to get off me?”
I scowl and push off him, leaving him in a bloody dirty mess on the ground.
“You’re really gonna walk away from a handsome man spread out for you like a feast?”
I scoff at him, but it holds no malice. “Go clean up. Your ego is stinking up the place.”
I hear Aeron’s pained cries fade behind me as I grab my weapon, shove it in my boot, and make my way back to Winston, who is waiting with a grin on his face to escort me back to my room.
Sweat mixed with our combined blood drips down my face and chest. The force field does nothing to dull the harsh beating sun; if anything, it only intensifies it, making it feel like a hotbox in the Bubble. The fight took more out of me than I would like to admit, only fueling my fire to do better.
I’ll have to ask Winston if I’m allowed to go on morning runs around the castle to help with my endurance. That, paired with daily training in the Bubble and eating more food than I’m used to eating in a week, should help my chances at winning the thing.
