Duel At Grimwood Creek (Book 2) Read online

  “Sure, Chukshene,” she called back. “You’re the better part of two and a half men.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Fenis.

  Torak. Neckless.

  The Twins.

  Spirik.

  Six of the Bloody Nine were already dead. Four to her blade. But none had died with any real satisfaction. None had put up a fight. And it was the fight she craved. The bloody pummelling of their bodies. The thrill of cutting them to ribbons while spitting her hate in their faces. Revenge, she knew, wasn’t meant to be easy.

  She needed Raste.

  Needed him dead.

  But she was close now. So close she could almost smell him.

  A Flaw in the Glass and Entrance Exam in her fists, the elf’s face was twisted in fury as she sprinted down the street. There were three steps leading up the porch. There might as well have been none.

  Her shoulder blades rippled as something felt like it walked over the skin, but the hate screaming in her veins kept her mind firmly focussed on the heavy doors barring her way.

  With a shriek of rage, she smashed her boot hard into the door. The vibration thundered up her heel and leg as the lock shattered and door cracked as it exploded inward. The kick had perhaps been overkill, and she found herself losing her footing as she tumbled through the doorway into the open bar.

  It was nicely decked out, she thought. Warm. Inviting.

  A large barrel on tap behind the immaculately polished bar.

  Small tables.

  Plenty of stools.

  The kind of place she could get comfortably drunk in.

  And a quick casual count gave about twenty Grey Jackets.

  Each soldier wore the same expression of surprise and fanaticism. An expression that froze her in place, A Flaw in the Glass burning venomously in her hand.

  Ugly bastards, she thought ruefully. The lot of them. Their strange short ears looked out of place. Worse, even, than Chukshene’s. And their crazed religious beliefs regarding the cleanliness of their souls hadn’t quite carried through to the cleanliness of their bodies. She wondered how Rule put up with it as the sour stink of their unwashed bodies made her draw her lips back into a mirthless smile of disgust.

  She figured they’d assembled here to escape the rampaging demon outside.

  Made a quick recount of around thirty and suddenly felt a little less sure of herself.

  Nothing moved.

  No one blinked.

  Didn’t even breathe.

  The silence in the room was so thick she figured with a flick of her wrist she could cut it.

  Turned the corner of her mouth up into a cruel curl and spun Entrance Exam into a reverse grip as the soldiers just as slowly drew an impressive assortment of daggers, swords and hatchets from their belts.

  “Looking for a few fellers,” she announced, injecting more confidence into her voice than she felt. “Red-haired cunt. About my height. Looks like a troll’s asshole? Goes by the name of Raste. Two fuckers probably sucking on his balls. One with more hairs in his nose than on his nuts and the other with an axe too big for him. Any of you short-eared motherfuckers gonna tell me where they’re at? Or we have do this the hard way?”

  “Abomination,” spat someone from the back. “Tainted blood.”

  “Hard way it is, then.” She scratched the palm of her hand. Swept her gaze over the cautious men. “So. Who’s it gonna be? Who’s gonna be the first to die? You? Or you? Come on. Who’s got the biggest balls in the room?”

  No one answered.

  One looked nervously at his friend for support, twitching as her eyes skipped over him.

  A few shared looks of surprise. Confusion. Then outrage began to bubble to the surface as her words penetrated their surprise.

  But before they could make the first move, patience slid from her grasp like a thrashing eel. “Ah, fuck it.”

  And she sprang at them, blades flicking out. Entrance Exam shot from her grasp to drill through eye, bone, then brain as the closest soldier dropped screaming in front of her. She was already drawing Go With My Blessing by the time A Flaw in the Glass was slashing the throat of the next.

  To many thugs who clawed a living on the streets of Lostlight, knife fighting was an art form. Often, they fought duels to first blood. Second blood. Death, sometimes.

  The greatest duelists were feared and revered at the same time. Poems were written about them. She’d grown up with those poems in her ears and the occasional glimpse of them duelling in the dark. She felt those memories streak through her mind like lightning flashes.

  The fluidity of their movements as they seemed to glide into each other. Their strikes so elegant and graceful. Their years of practise showing in every subtle parry and thrust.

  They were beautiful warriors of the street. And she’d been in awe of them.

  It was only as she knelt in a filthy ally, bloody hand fisted around a makeshift shiv, that she realised something that rocked her to her core. That everything they were, with their delicate forms methodically executed in grim tranquillity, was bullshit.

  Fuck forms.

  And fuck the relentless practise against shadow warriors.

  The way she saw it, the one who survived was simply the one who wanted to survive the most. The one who would do anything to live.

  So she taught herself to be brutal. And then she’d been trained to be more brutal than that.

  To cut. Slash. Little stabs to bleed out the enemy. No need to rush in for the kill. Let them die drowning in their own blood. Close your ears to their screams. To their whimpers. Or relish them, if you’re that kind. A quick three thrusts in the arms, the chest, or the neck, and your enemy goes down. Bleeds out.

  Dies.

  The crooked grin on her face practically glowed with cruelty.

  She moved like a blur, cackling insanely as the pure thrill of being so close to death washed through her brain and pushed her body to its extreme edge. She kicked. Punched. Stabbed and slashed.

  Smashed one soldier’s face with her forehead.

  Cut her path through them toward the bar, ignoring the screaming barmaid beyond. Slapped a hand on the top of the shining bar as though marking time. Left a bloody hand print as she spun around. Cut through them again.

  Spat in as many faces as she could even though her mouth was dry. It didn’t matter. Soon her spit was red with blood as she took as many hits to the face as she dealt out.

  She should’ve fallen over.

  Should have been swamped by them.

  Should have collapsed in an exhausted heap.

  But hate fuelled her. Pumped through the spiderweb of veins like gasoline.

  A sword nicked her shoulder.

  Heavily notched hatchet ripped into the bracer, cutting another strap and taking its toll of skin. Clubs battered her ribs and she felt one crack with an awkward crunch. A punch landed on her cheek, sending her head snapping back.

  More fists.

  A few kicks. Someone had metal-capped boots.

  Sharp pain in her mouth. The smell of sweat.

  Blood.

  Piss.

  She spat a thick string of blood. Was that a tooth? Couldn’t tell. Everything hurt. The world swayed drunkenly around her. But the pain quickly steadied everything. She could use more pain, she told herself. Grinned madly at the horrified soldiers.

  Pain didn’t kill you.

  She willed herself onward, determined to stop only when Death himself was pawing at her face. And even then, she’d stab his bony skull. Keep going.

  Her vision blurred. Then refocussed in time to see a chair swinging at her head.

  Threw herself down and forward so the soldier directly behind took the chair with his head and doubled over. A Flaw in the Glass screamed as it ripped into the thigh of the man who’d swung at her. Then he screamed again as Go With My Blessing streaked up to thud into his guts.

  It was a shame, she reflected as she rippe
d her blades free. She’d been aiming lower.

  Caught another savage kick to her head.

  Wrenched herself around and spat again into a youthful face. Like the others, he jerked back, fingers scrubbing his cheek. She pounced, and buried A Flaw in the Glass up to its hilt in the kid’s throat. Tore it free and brought it down again into his chest.

  Anarchy ruled as the suddenly desperate survivors relied on numbers to press her into a corner. Though surprised by her presence, they’d expected the fight to have gone their way. As blood quickly covered the floor, they skidded and slid as they surrounded her, barking at each other like dogs trying to coordinate somehow around the tornado of blades that was the elf.

  But she wouldn’t be contained.

  She roared and howled as blood gushed from wounds she inflicted. The sobbing wails of men dying filled her ears and served to keep her moving. Keep away from the walls. Stop them from cornering her like a rat. She danced across a small table. Kicked a face. Exploded into a bundle of shocked soldiers.

  Never stop, she told herself. Never stop.

  And it became a mantra in her head.

  Her breath coming in scorched gasps. Sweat sprayed from her skin as she spun into the arms of a barrel-chested soldier with biceps as thick as her legs. Aware of her knives, he reacted like a man who’d just been thrown a snake. Tried to kick, claw, and push her off even as she rammed A Flaw in the Glass up under his chin. Felt the satisfying crunch as it slammed home. Tore it free as a short sword sheared into her shoulder from behind. Glanced off bone, but she howled as the meat of her back tore beneath the blow.

  Shuddering free, feeling the blade slide away.

  Her arm was encased in numbness, but she ignored it. Lashed out with her boot. Smashed a kneecap with a crunch that made her want to laugh. Cut short the giggle forming in the back of her throat and followed with a punch to the dazed head of the last surviving Grey Jacket which sent him sprawling across a table.

  Her violet eyes studied him critically as he tried to curl up on his side. Blood formed a wet trail from one of his ears.

  She stole a breath.

  He looked up, a glimmer of hope sparkling in his eyes. “Please…?”

  “Sure, feller. If you insist,” she grunted. Brought Go With My Blessing down to pierce his chest and drill into his heart.

  He cried out. Twitched. Stopped moving.

  Silence.

  The elf snapped her head toward the bar and showed a mirthless grin to the barmaid trembling behind the counter with a heavy club in both hands.

  “Drop it,” Nysta hissed. Her mouth felt fucked up. Could taste blood. She guessed someone had split her lip. Pushed the thought away as hate smouldered in her chest. She still wasn’t done.

  Raste was here. Somewhere.

  The barmaid dropped the club.

  “Where are they?”

  The frightened girl looked up toward the ceiling.

  “Obliged,” the elf said. Casually drew and sent Cross Bones Style into the barmaid’s throat and turned away before it hit. Heard the body land with a thump but gave it no more thought other than to consider the value of retrieving her dagger.

  Moving quickly, she recovered her blades before heading up the stairs two at a time.

  And nearly lost her head as Doket’s sword arced through the air as she made the top.

  He’d been waiting, curled in the shadows.

  “Bitch,” he cursed, throwing her a look filled with venom.

  “You’re in my way, boy,” she growled, returning his look with one so hard it made the young elf drag his tongue slowly across his dry upper lip. “I’m looking for Raste.”

  “Name’s Doket,” he sneered. Inched toward her, sword held low in a reasonable facsimile of skill. Not enough to fool her, and she felt a mild flash of pity. He’d obviously joined the murderous group only recently. “Not boy.”

  “Really?” She raised an eyebrow and dropped her arms as she feigned surprise. “No kidding? You’re Doket?”

  That stopped him. “What?”

  It was rare for her to throw A Flaw in the Glass. The blade was heavy and not made for it. Its balance made for a clumsy and unreliable projectile. But he was close enough for none of that to count. The enchanted blade glowed brightly in the air before sticking out through the back of his neck as it sheathed itself in his throat.

  He dropped.

  Red squirted from his neck, spraying across the wall. Eyes wide and confused, Doket dragged his fingers down the wall as he dropped, trying to claw hard to the remaining threads of his life. She thought briefly of a hunted animal surprised by an arrow to its throat, but any pity she felt for him was stripped from her heart by the memory of digging Talek’s grave.

  A burst of rage ignited within her as she leapt the last remaining stair and skidded to his side. Knelt. Without hesitation, wrapped her first around the cold hilt. “You killed my husband.”

  “Wasn’t me,” he managed as blood bubbled over his lips.

  “You were there,” she said. Pulled the knife free. He flopped like a dead fish. But it wasn’t enough. To be sure, she rolled him over. Looked at his youthful face. And stabbed him once in the chest. A cold strike that did nothing to ease the hatred still burning in her blood.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” The loud voice boomed in the dimly lit hallway. The large elf, Tubal, stood at the end of the corridor, leaning out from a doorway which led to his room. His face screwed up in disbelief. But she remembered that face. From Spikewrist. Could remember the look of eagerness on it when he’d seen her.

  “Me?” Her lip twisted into a sardonic grin. “Checking to see if the kid bought it. By looks of you, though, it looks like we got an exchange situation. Might’ve been able to do something about it, but I don’t reckon you’ve still got your Doket, do you?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  He blinked, confused by her words. Then rushed forward, axe steady in both hands.

  Instantly, she recognised in him the cold eyes of a killer, and knew this fight wouldn’t be so easy. Where the kid had been inexperienced and impulsive, this one wouldn’t be easily tricked. The others, too, had mostly been wounded or distracted. But this one was something else. He was like her. He had the experience of a soldier with enough violence under his belt to keep his head.

  Brute strength was in his favour. And, as he moved, she realised he also had the speed to match.

  Fear twitched in her belly as she sent Go With My Blessing spinning toward his face. He batted it aside with the axehead. Hardly even slowed as he swung the ghastly weapon through the air.

  The heavy blade chopped down hard, splintering the floorboards where she’d been crouched only milliseconds before. With professional instinct, he didn’t pause long enough for her to counter his attack. Tore the blade free and swung it backhand. The heavy flat edge of the blade glanced off the side of her head.

  She saw stars and staggered backward. Felt her legs dream of buckling but fought it and managed to skip aside as his next strike chewed a massive hole in the wall beside her arm. Chips of plaster and wood sprayed like broken glass.

  He rounded on her with frightening speed, lashing out with his boot. It connected hard into her hip. Sent her sprawling backward, arms wheeling as she once more had to battle to keep upright.

  No Means No spat through the air from her fingers. The large elf gave a shout and jerked away from the glittering blade. It shaved along his neck, leaving only the slightest scratch. Plunged quivering into the wall behind him.

  His hand snapped to the wound and he grunted as his fingertips came away with a few small spots of red.

  Suppressing disappointment, Nysta staggered away, bouncing off the wall as she tried to clear her brain of the shock from the blow to her head. Fresh blood ran freely down her forehead. Pain was like an audience, screaming at her from all sides.

  “F
uck,” she spat another mouthful of blood onto the wall. It rolled thickly down the plaster.

  Watching her back away, he lowered the axe slightly in disappointment of his own. Wiped his wrist across his mouth. “You ain’t much of a raghead, are you? Guess Raste was right,” he said. “You’re just some dumb fucking whore pretending to be something you ain’t. Shame, really. I was looking forward to killing you. Our training with the Jukkala was hard. They really fuck with your mind. Wasn’t a good time for me. Reckon they didn’t know what they were turning me into, though. Didn’t bet on me realising the truth about everything.”

  For all his dismissive words, he kept his guard as he inched closer. She took a few shuffled steps back, aware there wasn’t anywhere else to go.

  The hall felt too tight. Too narrow to evade the axe. Most fighters wouldn’t choose an axe as a weapon to fight with in such a narrow hallway. They’d need room to swing. But he was obviously comfortable with the narrow confines. And she figured he was trained for it. The elegance with which he held the weapon made her stomach churn.

  She shifted her feet slightly, looking for a way past him. Back down the stairs.

  But his eyes followed hers and he chuckled as realisation dawned in her eyes. “You ain’t going nowhere, you Tainted bitch. Except to the Shadowed Halls. Be a cold place with no god to welcome you.” He lowered the head of the massive blade, angling it downward. “And that’s the truth, raghead. Ain’t nothing waiting for you. So why don’t you be a good girl. Drop your knives. Get down on your knees. It ain’t your fault, raghead. I’m the best there is. I fought at Logan’s Run. Worse places, even. Reckon I’m better than Raste. On account I don’t have his yellow streak. He hides it, but it’s there. Me? I’m a fucking stone cold killer. It’s what the Lord of Light likes about me, I guess. I can teach the rest of the Forgiven how to grow balls of their own. See, I got Musa training. And the Jukkala taught me more, so I know all your tricks. Know what you’re thinking before you even think it.”

  She said nothing. The cold ball of fear in her belly was frozen solid now. Too cold against her spine as his voice rippled in the air. He kept his axe moving now, slow gentle movements that followed her. Traced her pattern.