Steel Rose

Chapter 50

With a flick of her red locks she gestures to the empty arena. "Join me to spar?"

I train my face to look surprised and slightly hesitant. Elane is eager to believe it. "Spar?" I look past her to see her kin have officially given us their full attention. I shrug, "Why not."

I follow her into the arena, feeling all eyes fall into us. It's no secret who we share our beds with. It is public fact, things arent going so well, for either of us, if I had to guess. Elane turns to face me. "Nornus."

A heartbeat. "Haven."

Nobody expects either of us to be warriors. Not like Ptolemus or Evangeline. We're not brute force like they are. No, we are so much harder to predict. To see coming.

The world slows around me slows. It is like everything is frozen, although I know it's only me. I hear my father's voice in my head. Be quick. Get to them before they can disappear.

I circle Elane, as she begins to fade from my view. She had hardly recognized that I've moved. I move towards her, bumping my shoulder with her's slightly. It works, as she shrieks in surprise at she spins with the force, tripping over her feet. I do it again, and again and she finally falls down, the cushioned floor breaking her fall.

She doesn't stay down for long, and her arms come out, as the sun from the windows suddenly shine to a blinding burning light. I stop, closing my eyes trying to chase away the sting.

A fist closes around my hair, the roots snapping, and before I can stop it, her knee slams into my nose. Fire spreads through my skull, and I feel blood chase down my lip. I can taste it. My stomach curls.

I force myself to open my eyes, before she can do it again. When I do, I can longer see her, but her grip on my hair is enough. I pull my arm out, and elbow her sharp I the ribs with blinding speed. A unmistakable crack follows. She yelps in pain, her grip on my hair loosening. I push her arm away, risking a few more strands and turn, returning the favor, my fist connects with her own nose. A sickening crunch follows and she stumbles back, her hand coming up to cradle her nose.

I swipe my legs out, connecting with hers and she falls on her back. I practically hear the wind rush out of her. And she makes the mistake of trying to breath right away, of panicking.

She still has the sense to roll away from me, however. Coughing, and finally spitting up blood. With one hand she cradles her ribs, and the floor is stained with her shimmering blood. I swipe at my nose and lips, noting my own silver blood on my hand.

"Yield," An unfamiliar voice snarls. It's mine.

She looks up at me through her now failing red curls, with a sneer of her own. Her eyes are lit and sharp. I land  a quick kick to her chest. She gasps, and her eyes squeezing shut.

They won't stop until you make them. Once more my father's voice is clear in my head. Of course then, he meant my brothers. Although I'm sure it applies now.

Suddenly a hand grips my forearm. I  turn away, my leg swinging out, kicking them right in the groin. Elane's would be savior doubles over in pain. I grab the back of his head, fisting red hair in my hand, and slamming his head in my knee. With a dull thud he falls to the ground, too slow to even fight back.

I turn back around to Elane, seeing that she is still coughing blood up on the floor, her broken rib probably puncturing something. With my foot, gaining some sort of composure I roll her over onto her back. She winces with the movement, but flops over. She stares up at me.

I bend down beside her, pushing my braids over my shoulder. Sometimes quiet passes between us. I feel no anger, no resentment towards her. I look up at the elevated sitting area, where a healer sits, wide eyed. Probably debating whether or not they should risk coming down here  "Yeild."