Wyrd: Book One of the Witch War Trilogy - WATTYS 2018 WINNER!

Chapter 34: When Rowan Fights a Fight She Cannot Win

Rowan could feel the fury and frustration simmering off Nythander as they glared, yelling about them ending up dead and Rowan ending up a concubine and how that was a godsawful plan and Rowan must be an idiot. Rowan would have agreed if she didn't know better herself. Then, Nythander had charged, bringing that monster of a sword down on Rowan's head. She'd braced for it with her swords and the clash of sound had made Fae ears ring and brought the two contenders face-to-face.

"We draw," she'd whispered through clenched teeth and the metal bars of her deadly weapons. She pushed back and zipped under the Commander's weak side.

"I don't want to die today," Nythander bellowed.

Rowan missed on purpose, brushing by with a whispered promise on the wind: "You won't." She parried and feinted. "And I don't want to kill you, but I didn't make the terms of this arrangement!" Rowan yelled back.

"How?" Nythander pitched their voice low, hidden under a clash. "I can go all night!" They yelled to the crowd.

Rowan knew she'd be the one to tire first, that she couldn't hold up against Nythander as long. This was the crux of the problem. No Fae would ever believe that Nythander was fading at the same pace. A natural draw could not occur. The Fae would never be fooled that way.

Rowan spun and flashed, then darted forward in a lunge, one kukari held backwards and one drawing a shallow cut along Nythander's exposed neck. As every eye was drawn to the red blood on metal, Rowan dexterously pulled an arrowhead-tipped knife from Nyth's belt. A poison covered fairy dart, deadly to humans and Fae alike... without an antidote.

Only Nythander was the wiser.

A raised eyebrow. A look that said, are you insane?!

Yes, she was, but it was their only hope.

Nythander nodded in agreement. Smiled as if to say, let's make it count.

This, nobody would see coming. They clashed again, blades singing. "Trust me," she whispered.

Rowan went in then, fighting like she meant it. Her elbow came up into the Ulnar nerve in the elbow, disabling it momentarily and making Nythander drop the heavy sword. Nythander recovered so quickly their sword was back in their hand before Rowan even knew what was happening. The gasps covered her words as she said, "Make me bleed or they'll know."

Nythander had to be beyond reproach.

They pulled Rowan in with sheer brute strength, their arm around her throat and their sword hovering over her foot. Nythander flinched and dropped it, piercing flesh, but doing it in a place that would heal quickly. Damn, it hurt. Rowan's swords clattered to the ground, but she still clutched something else in her grip.

Nythander's mouth was right next to her ear as the crowd roared. "You're crazy," they whispered in a husky low tone. "Together then?"

Rowan couldn't breathe so she couldn't answer as the hush descended.

The Head of the Fae raised their hands to the sky. "Are you ready, future Queen of Aary," Finvarra's voice boomed, "to admit defeat? To surrender?"

The arm around Rowan's neck loosened.

"So?"

In answer, Rowan drew the small arrow blade across the arm in front of her, cutting deep enough to ensure that Nythander would be thoroughly poisoned.

Nythander swore, dropping their grip on Rowan and clutching their arm in shock. Playing it perfectly.

Then, before anyone could react, Rowan pulled the blade in a thin line across her own throat, poisoning herself.

Rowan laughed like a madwoman. To be honest, she already felt a little woozy and could tell the poison was entering her blood stream. "It looks like I won't be able to surrender," she crowed. "We both die." The Commander dropped to a knee beside her as the poison did its work quickly. Rowan dropped to both knees and clasped Nythander's hand. "Or we both live. Which," she felt drunk, like her words were coming out slowly and slurred, "makes this a draw."

"Medic! Someone fetch the antidote now!" Finvarra commanded.

"Wait!" Rowan gasped out. "We need to discuss terms for a draw. I agree," she said, though it came out garbled, "to be your baby's future lover concubine person, but not exclusively. And in return, I get, ummmm." Her eyes closed momentarily. Htrae felt like it was spinning fast, so fast. She shook her head. She had to focus. Had to get them to agree. She couldn't fall unconscious yet. "I get Nythander, and Nythander's super sexy squad to help us fight. And any soldiers or Fae civilians who would like to join the cause or fight against the Empire that will ruin the world you live in. For like... until the war is over."

There were Fae healers rushing onto the sand now. Nythander had face-planted and was out cold and two Fairy nurses were turning them over and dribbling some sort of green liquid into their mouth. Then the healers came at Rowan. She picked up the little arrow-headed knife and waved it at them. "No!" she yelled. "Not until the Finvarra agrees that those are fair concessions for a draw. Agree! Agree!" She waved the knife with a flourish as an entire population of Fae and all her friends peered at her like she was nuts and maybe had a death wish.

She had to hope that her life and Nythander's were worth something.

She tried to make eye contact with the leader of the Fae, and even though they looked blurry, she could see the rage rolling off of them in shades of crimson. "Fine," Finvarra snapped, "I agree."

The binding agreement was acknowledged, and with that, Rowan ate a face full of sand.

***

Guys! Guys! I'm taking a writing retreat at a cottage to write non-stop for 10 whole damn days next month and I'm going to get as much of this dang book done as I possibly can. I honestly can't wait to have that much time to WRITE like WHAT!? I've been working 6 days a week and that sounds like heaven on earth and I sooooo want to get a huge chunk of Wyrd done. I just need time. Which apparently I'll finally have a bit of! Just a tad excited is all, sorry! So that means more soon. I might actually finish this bad boy at some point.                                                   ~Emmy