Page 182 of Dukes Are Forever
Balfour winced, pressing his fingers to his bloodied side. He looked up with a smile. "Your form's improved."
"Thank you. Nothing like a good motivator to really inspire."
"A pity it won't be enough."
Balfour drove forward, and this time it was all Malloryn could do to keep the bastard off him. The tip of Balfour's rapier flicked across his arm, leaving a burning lash in its wake. And then it was under his guard again, skewering through his side.
Malloryn gritted his teeth and fell back.
"That's just a taste of what is to come."
Back and forth they went, his eyes stinging from the smoke. It was growing thicker in here, and he could hear Adele coughing. Having her here distracted him, but he couldn't do anything about it.
"Where are your precious Rogues now?" Balfour sneered as he scored another slash along Malloryn's shoulder.
Safe. Hopefully safe.
"Your precious Gemma and her lover? Your pair of thieves? Your mech and his wife? And the verwulfen bitch and her lover? Have they left you here to die?"
No. I made them go, so they would not.
He ignored the taunt as Balfour suddenly intensified his attack. Behind Balfour, he could see a shadowy figure emerge from behind a tapestry that hung on the walls; a secret passage only he was aware of. Relief burst through him as he recognized the familiar mask.
"Watch out!" Adele cried.
A pistol suddenly echoed behind him.
Heat burst through his right shoulder, a shooting numbness jolting down his arm. Grinding his teeth together, he tried to hold Balfour's sword at bay with both hands on the hilt of his own rapier, but it felt as though someone was slowly sliding a hot poker through his upper back.
He went down on one knee, his arm giving way beneath Balfour's pressure. Behind him he could hear Adele grunting with exertion.
"You son of a bitch."
A quick glance showed a familiar figure wrestling with Adele, his pistol still smoking.Fucking Devoncourt.
"Always have an ace up your sleeve," Balfour told him, almost fondly. "You should have learned that lesson by now."
Then a knee was driving toward his face.
Pain burst through Malloryn, and he slammed onto the marble tiles, sliding back several paces.
Balfour drove his sword down, but Malloryn managed to parry it. And again. He kicked out, aiming for Balfour's knee even as his nose throbbed. Broken, possibly.
"I did," he managed to grind out as he rolled onto his knees. Behind him, Adele went sprawling as Devoncourt threw her aside.
Balfour paused. "Pardon?"
Malloryn slowly pushed to his feet. "I said, Ididlearn that lesson. You weren't the only one who brought a friend. You missed one of my Rogues."
Balfour stilled.
Behind him, the pistol lifted.
Devoncourt didn't even see his death coming.
There was a swift retort and then a dart stuck out of his chest.
The false earl looked down in shock, plucking at the dart, but it was too late.
