Rising Flames | Throne of Glass

32

Go away.

Make me.

Rowan watched them, stone face unmoving, but amusement glimmered in his verdant eyes. Fenrys cocked his head. 'Taunting won't do,' he mused to Rowan. 'Perhaps it needs to be more physical. He looked at her. 'Seeing as you call yourself that pathetic excuse for an assassin-'

Rowan let out a small chuckle.

And suddenly, Celaena felt very small. A child - she was merely a child compared to the centuries-old males before her. Snickering at her as if she were indeed-

'I'm not pathetic.'

'Then prove it, princess.'

'Stop calling me princess.'

'Why not?'

She knew it was wiser to keep her mouth shut and glare at him instead.

'The poor babe,' Fenrys jeered. 'Throwing that oh-so-fancy title of Adarlan's Assassin around - what you've experienced,' he sneered at her, 'is nothing. She hasn't seen enough pain in her life,' he smirked at Rowan. Talking about her as if she weren't in front of them, as if she were just an object. 'Pathetic. Utterly spineless and pathetic. Maybe we ought to whip her to knock some sense into that brain.'

One moment, he was stood some distance from her.

The next, Celaena had slammed a fist at his jaw, ramming an elbow into his stomach.

Fenrys stumbled to the ground, eyes flaring in surprise.

And Celaena leapt upon him, snarling and spitting in his face, raising another hand to strike him-

Rowan grabbed her wrist.

But Fenrys was chuckling, even as blood and bruises bloomed across his cheek and jawbones. 'There we go.'

And Celaena suddenly realised the difference.

How everything seemed clearer.

And her limbs- her teeth- her ears-

She'd shifted.

Fenrys sneered at her. 'Well done.'

She snarled at Rowan, yanking her arm from him. Fenrys didn't try to fight her. 'Go on,' he said maliciously.

Celaena wanted to, she gods-damned wanted to so badly. But she knew that they would taunt her more for this. So she stood with a rough jerk, and Fenrys let out a low laugh of fierce victory, his eyes now flat black. He, too, stood up.

And then Celaena punched him.

Almost. He'd whirled out of the way just as her knuckles brushed the fabric of his shirt, and then slammed an elbow into her outstretched arm, sweeping his leg as she doubled over - and then she was sprawled across the ground once more.

Celaena pushed herself up with her arms, panting heavily. She would not let them break her.

That's the spirit, Fenrys smiled.

'Again,' she growled.

This time, she lunged for his throat, darting towards him in a movement so fast that even the wind blurred her gaze with tears - but she had him pinned against the stone wall, fingers digging mercilessly into his neck.

But he drove a knee towards her stomach, and instinctively she drew back to avoid the blow - and Fenrys was free again.

One clean uppercut to her chin made the world flash white. And then the stone ground connected with her spine once more.

'Erilea's greatest assassin,' Fenrys mused, sauntering up to her as she tried to sit up. He threw her a look, one of pure contempt. 'I think not. All that prancing around with fancy clothes and fancy jewellery and flinging money around like it's nothing - not caring about anyone else but yourself - selfish, that's what you are. A selfish coward who has done nothing-'

'Shut up.'

'Hm?'

'I said, shut the hell up.'

Fenrys laughed. 'Make me.'

Celaena let out a screech of fury. And this time, without hesitation, sprang forwards and aimed a fist straight at Fenrys' face.

He caught her forearm with ease, wrenching her arm backwards. She brought a knee up though the pain, and Fenrys hissed slightly, but did not let go. He shook her violently as if she were a rag doll, and pain raced down her arm.

Fenrys had lost all sense of control now. He hated her, and she hated him, and he let nothing go between them.

Fenrys let go of her arm, and kicked her square in the stomach. Claws were visible, jutting out from the tips of his knuckles as he pounced upon her.

Celaena's fear was tangible, and feral as he may have been, there was a predatory delight in his gaze at her racing heartbeat. It was all a game to him.

And Rowan did nothing to stop him as the young male crashed into her, bowling the over upon the ground. Forest debris tore into her skin and clothes, and Fenrys seemed unbothered as he rolled smoothly onto his haunches. He placed a hand on her back, his razor-sharp claws pricking her neck, and she kept still, the side of her head pressed into the ground.

The other hand he placed on her back. Celaena sucked in a breath as a claw pierced a new scar.

Fenrys was still laughing, voice both a purr and a snarl. 'Scared?'

'No,' she managed to grit out through the pain and fear.

'No?' Fenrys smiled, even though he could scent the pure panic seeping from her. 'In that case, you certainly have more guts than I accounted you for.'

Then he ripped a claw into her back, and Celaena screamed.

[2101XX]

uh... hehe?