Alexi could feel the hot breath of the Wyvern behind him, leaping across the gap in a building he whipped free a dagger that was strapped to his torso under the fold of his thin lined cloak.
The tiles on the slanted roof slid out of place when he landed on it, when he began to slide in the same direction Alexi braced his body, riding down with the tiles which had once been attached, the gutter of the roof jutted out at the edge, he could see its black outlining approaching as he slide closer.
Alexi laughed, his chest hurting from the lack of air that wasn't in his lungs. He had one chance at this to get it right. but he wasn't the Phantom for nothing.
There was a yell from the Witch that steered the airborne beast chasing him across the skyline of Rifthold. Her frustration coming out in a roar of anger, these women really scared the shit out of him. The end of the roof was coming closer, the surface finally disappearing from beneath his feet, twisted his body around Alexi became face to face with the jaws of the beast, flicking his wrist he threw the couple of daggers, one going straight for the Ironteeth, she leant back in the saddle keeping her in place, the dagger missing its mark.
The air was whooshing around him, he had seconds left before it would be too late. Lurching the arm around and releasing the dagger, it sailed finding its mark in the right eyes of the Wyvern.
The Beast made a howling sound that was so inherently wrong Alexi almost completely missed his window, hands reaching up his fingers wrapped around the gutter of the roof. Wet Moss brushed against his fingertips.
More tiles and brick rained downwards to the street below when the Wyvern's huge body was thrown off, falling victim to its own momentum, the beast clawing for grip in the bricks on either side of him. The Witch went down with it, Alexi looked down seeing her fierce expression as she leaned into her mounts back, a snarl breaking through her lips. He physically shivered.
The gutters edge was cutting into his palm the lead sharp from the tiles scarping across it like sandpaper, pulling upwards Alexi hauled his body back onto the edge of the roof. Hands rested against the cage of his chest; it rose rapidly as he panted catching his breathe. Gods he seriously can't be this unfit. Rolling over the edge to look back into the alleyway the Wyvern lay still.
Laughing breathlessly, Alexi pulled an arm free, sending a vulgar gesture in their direction.
"Can't kill this awesomeness Bitch" chuckling once more, Alexi sat up watching the still unmoving beast. He seriously just took down that beast and its rider, who was centuries older than him.
Leaning back to look at his accomplishment once more, Alexi stiffened when the Wyvern's beady orange eyes snapped open, the pupil dilated, honing onto him.
"Shit!"
Pushing up onto grip to the loose tiles, Alexi thrust himself up into a run, leaping for the next roof over. The estate house was only a couple of streets away, Commander Brielle could help him. There was a roar behind him and as though fire was nipping at his heel, Alexi ran faster ignoring the burn that spread through his thighs and calves.
Glancing back over his shoulder, the shadows rose with the bleeding Wyvern. The darkness of its scaled flesh shifted as it climbed the side of the building. It's white dagger like teeth parting the colour, jaw unhinging to showcase the lethal rows. Yeah, Brielle would be the better idea.
☽⋆❈⋆☾
"You got blood on my shirt" Was the words that left Brielle lips when Titas stood staring down at her. Something about them seemed appropriate.
"What do you want Wench" Titas spat, hand still tightly gripped to the crossbow. At least she could be thankful that he hadn't reloaded it again.
Still on the ground of the estate house's front room, Brielle crosses her legs at the ankles and leaned her head back. Smiling with her lips parted, "Well that depends on how much you can offer me"
"You got everything you came for last time did you not? What more could you possibly want?" his voice sounded more desperate now, at the mention of their interactions two years ago.
"I could take everything If I wanted to, I didn't" Brielle patted a hand to the center of her chest, "out of the good of my heart"
"The Heart of the Lioness doesn't mean shit to me when I've been busy trying to fix the mess you created for me"
Brielle eyes trailed down his body, stopping at his manhood, Titas looked down shifting uncomfortably on his feet,
"How have you managed after I made my... alterations"
Titas loaded the crossbow again, holding it up, Brielle raised her hands in surrender, whistling "Touchy subject okay I get it"
"You ruined my reputation and empire that I spent years building, anything that comes out of your lips is a lie"
"Well, it's the price I deemed fit for you, those young girls didn't deserve the treatment you gave them. You blamed it on your nature" Brielle coughed to cover her laugh when she gestured to his groin again "I simply made sure you couldn't take any pleasure from your... nature again"
Titas kept the crossbow aimed at her,
"let's get to the point" she rose up onto her feet, dusting her palms together, closing the distance between them, Until the arrowhead rested between her breasts. "I know you still have connections. I want them at my disposal"
"You cannot demand me to-" Titas froze, looking down when he felt the pressed of a dagger's tip against his trousers, above his groin. Titas raised his head to meet her gaze. It was the Seductress he found staring back at him.
"Take my actions from two years ago and see them as a promise to what will happen if you don't help me" if she had to blackmail to get access to the resources she needed, then so be it.
Titas scoffed, lifting a bushy dark eyebrow, "Playing the dirty game now, are we? How the tables have changed"
Brielle clamped her slicking hand around the hilt of the dagger, "Nice of you to finally catch up and get into the big league with the rest of us"
Titas smiled down, a chuckle plaguing his lips, there was a roar outside that shook the house through to its very foundations the floor beneath them vibrating. The Wyvern pushed into the doors arch, the noise of its heaving body ploughing into the stone and brickwork. Acker's expression dropped.
"Isn't it lovely of you to bring such company to my door" his greased black hair reminded Brielle of a drowned rat, it shone in the overhead light pouring through the skylight window.
"Well, I wouldn't expect you to know what company I prefer to keep"
"I know of the male company you like to keep, as I used to think I could be in that category"
"Careful Acker, my male company wouldn't think kindly to being associated with you"
"The White Wolf going to cut out my tongue?" the image sparked to life in her head, her mate. Mighty as he is in the stories that clouded his reputation. If he knew of the exact words Titas had whispered to her two years ago Fenrys would've come through rain and storm to do more than just rip out Titas's tongue.
"Nothing as bad as to what I might do if you keep talking"
He dropped the crossbow, lowering it to his side, while Acker shook his head he began to laugh, the sound caused the hair around the nape of her neck to stand on edge. The bang against the stone rang harshly through the air, despite the beast breathing down upon them Titas didn't glance twice at the entrance, confident it could withhold against the might of the Wyvern.
"It's all threats with you Fae Women" his tone lowered, eyes darkening
That comment could have been taken as an insult but belonging to a species that was almost wiped to extinction in this continent Brielle had grown a thicker skin, dealing with the harsh words of the land's residents. Her jaw did however twitch at the use of the word 'women'
"Count yourself lucky then, our males just strike and threat later"
Brielle did like to think of herself as one of Maeve's more levelheaded warriors, despite being one of the youngest. The whole room shook once more as the Wyvern tackled its body into the stone. Brielle saw the confidence in Titas eyes, like a candles flame in the darkness of night, saw how it wavered and flickered when the stone shifted, dust clouding in the air around them.
The noise of splitting glass cracked above them and both Brielle and Titas has seconds to shield themselves as the skylight window above them spiderwebbed and caved in.
Alexi landed without so much of a sound, dropping into a crouch, Brielle looked up to find him smiling and dusting the shards of glass off his shoulders, then straightening the lapels of his undercoat. When Alexi fell through the skylight, Titas had shoved away from her to cover himself, he lay sprawled on the floor gaping in panic at Alexi who had a pair of elongated bloody blades in his hands.
Alexi glanced down to them both, he frowned at Titas' expression before he smirked, "I get that look a lot, I know I'm flawless for my age" he whirled the blade in his right hand, holding it up so he was looking at his own reflection.
Brielle had risen now, clearing her throat, Alexi looked away from himself, "Commander" he nodded, "Hate to interrupt but having that beast outside is like ringing a tea bell to all the Witches"
A second dark shadow landed into the marble floor beside Alexi, Colden swept back his dark sweat slicked hair to look at them. Unlike Alexi he had already mounted his broad blade onto his back, Titas made a sound akin to a whimper at the sight of the male, warranting himself the stare of Colden. His golden eyes analysed the Rifthold Merchant for a silent second before he looked up to his commander.
"We best be on the move; more Witches will show up when they catch wind of the blood spilt"
"They don't seem like the type to have afternoon tea" Alexi added, wiping his blades off on the cloth of his thigh, Colden squinted his eyes at him, "Why would they want afternoon tea?"
Alexi huffed in defeat, waving Colden off, "You are always late to conversations" Colden was still frowning when he looked around to Brielle and Titas for further elaboration, but no such explanations came.
The Wyvern slammed into the stone once more, the metal work of the entrance crying out under the pressure, everyone in the first room looked on as the dirty hook that tipped the Wyverns wing clawed through a gap in the wall.
Slipping the dagger that was held against Acker's groin back into its place at her hip Brielle tuned to her two sentinels, "We move."
Only looks were passed while they silently gathered themselves with tuned in efficiency. The Wyvern at the front was joined by another, the shadow of its body darkening the front room when it flew above the shattered in skylight.
Titas scrambled for purchase against the once polished floor, "You can't just leave" he ran for them, grabbing hold of Brielle's elbow, yanking her whole body to a halt. He had a dagger at his throat a second after, Colden was so close his own breath mingled with Titas's sweaty scent. The Demi-Fae tucked the knife close, pushing into the skin of the merchant's neck. A bead of sweat pearled down Acker's brow.
Brielle had a smile slide into place on her lips, Titas let go and stepped away from the Lioness, but Colden didn't lower his blade. "Suddenly, I'm sure you were happier with my threats"
"My resources and men are yours to command" he gaped out, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air above water,
"You will await a letter from one of my sentinels"
Titas's hand twitched as if he was going to grab for her once more, but his eyes flicked down to glare at the dagger against his throat, to the Demi-Fae holding it there, something close to childish fear vacated his expression "You're not taking me with you?"
No one answered him, but Colden smirked when he shook his head, golden eyes dancing with wild excitement that only seemed to be inhabited by the Fae.
"We will lead the Wyverns away, then I expect you to get a safe distance away from the city and prepare yourself and your people"
Alexi groaned from ahead of Brielle, tilting his head back.
"What is it I'm preparing for exactly?" Titas asked, Alexi straightened up and even Colden glanced over his shoulder to listen in closely to his commander reply.
The Heart of the Lioness plummeted into the pit of her stomach at the question. She hadn't spoken her thoughts aloud but now she had to come to terms with them.
Remembering ever promise, oath, bargain, price and life which had been sacrificed to obtain the future they all wished for. The future that Aelin Galathynius was promising. For the future life spent in that house with Fenrys, for their kids. For all those who had been lost and will be lost. The Lioness would and could not allow them to be caged or forgotten the way she had, in the mine field of battles their lives bargained for by selfish unrighteous rulers.
Swallowing her own heart Brielle spoke through the chokehold it had on her.
"The fight of our lives"