Page 54 of Ruthless Fae
To my relief, instead, she peeled the device off her head and tossed it to a guard behind her. Eyes set on me, she waved her hands in an intricate pattern, causing the dome to flicker for a few seconds, just long enough to allow her to cross to the other side and step onto the bridge with me.
She rolled her neck and took a deep breath. An expression of glee etched on her face. She loved to brawl. It was clear to see. I hadn’t been so wrong about her, after all.
“No flying away,” Karen said with relish. “That would be cheating.”
I wondered ifshehad the honor to fight fair. I guessed I would find out.
“I won’t need to use my wings. My hands will suffice.” I lifted them and crouched, ready to fight her to the death if it meant saving the world.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I lockedeyes with Karen as she readied herself to fight. In a split second, I sized her up. She was taller than me by a few inches, and her body was formidable. Strong muscles bulged out of her tight, white T-shirt and filled out her black pants. Her feet were clad in combat boots that could do damage of their own. The venom in her expression, as she closed the last few feet between us, was meant to intimidate me, but she didn’t know my secret.
And she didn’t know I had nothing left to lose.
She charged as her fist came up, sailing toward my face. I dipped left in time for the punch to miss and sail through. Karen’s body went with it, tilting forward, and I used this to my advantage. Kicking back, my foot collided with her backside. She flew forward, spilling into the grass.
When I whirled around, she’d already jumped to her feet, her fists coming up to her chin like those human boxers I’d seen in that movie the children loved.
She was spry for her age. Formidable.
“You’re young and fast,” she said before spitting grass from her mouth, “but I’ve trained in military hand-to-hand combat for twenty-five years, and if you think I’ve taken it easy because I have magic, think again, sweetheart.” She shook herself out and beckoned me toward her with one hand.
Forming my own hands into fists, I inched forward.
Her fist flew out, sailing toward my head, but when I went to dodge, her other fist caught me below the ribs. Air exploded out of my lungs as I folded in half and stumbled sideways. Trying desperately to breathe, I shuffled back, but Karen sensed her advantage and ran after me, punching again. Another blow caught my right shoulder and spun me around. Then her foot struck my backside, and it was my turn to fall to the ground.
Sucking raged air into my lungs, I tried to push up on all fours, but her boot landed between my shoulder blades and wings. Using all her weight, she shoved me down, forcing my face into the dirt until there was no chance of getting up.
“Stupid, ugly fae. You know, when Mystro Ponomarenko killed your people, it wasn’t just because he hated your aunt. It was because you are disgusting creatures. Savages. Animals, all of you. When I kill you, I’ll be doing the world a favor.”
Her foot crushed down harder, grinding me into the dirt like a bug. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.
“And when my army is operational, I’ll go after your cousin and aunt, too. We know they took a boat. They’ll be easy to track. Easy to kill.”
Her boot pressed harder. I couldn’t draw breath, but I didn’t need to breathe to feel the anger course through me. She would go aftermy family? Myvery reason for living?
She leaned close, her spittle dripping on my neck. “And that disgusting werewolf boy toy? I’ll enjoy hanging his skin on my wall.”
No. Not Vaughn. Not him, too.
The Fae Warrior inside me roared up, coming alive even as my energy waned.
With my last ounce of strength, I shoved up with my arms and legs while simultaneously whirring my wings on either side of her boot. The force together was enough to dislodge her from my back. While Karen stumbled, I scrambled up, gaining my feet and a huge gasp of fresh air.
I rushed out of her reach and whirled, ready to face her once more.
My opponent’s eyes narrowed. “You’re pretty wily, aren’t ya? No matter. It’ll make things more interesting.”
She came at me again, running and punching, but this time I was ready for her. I dodged one punch while blocking the second with my knee, then continued the spin and brought my foot up until my heel met her jaw. Bone crunched on bone, and Karen stumbled back, one hand on her face.
With bloody teeth, she leered at me and came again.
But her moves were predictable, and I could see them coming. When she punched high with one hand, she immediately followed with the second, aiming lower. I dodged and spun, twirled and blocked, her blows glancing off or only grazing me. I figured out her secret, and now she couldn’t land a single blow.
And it was pissing her off.
Spitting blood and panting, she came at me again, roaring as she punched wildly, but I dodged her every time. Quickly, she wore herself out with punches and struggled to draw breath.
