KYMALIN IARO cannot give up. With her brother running out of time and their mother powerless, Kymalin embarks on a journey to find a cure. So when a powerful organization becomes her only hope, she has to prove she belongs to it, even if it means ge...
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"Raena, wait!" Kymalin screamed, her entire frame sliding back with every strike she parried from the Magistrate. Raena appeared to not hear anything as she struck again and again in a fluid succession. "Why are you doing this?"
Raena lashed out, swiping her leg below Kymalin's knees. Kymalin parried the swift blade surging towards her face, hopping away before Raena's limb could send her toppling down. A growl gurgled in the Magistrate's throat, the bright, smiling person she once was lost in the harsh expression she wore now. When she lunged again, Kymalin twisted her sword in her hand, ducking under Raena's right-hand blow, and slamming the pommel of her blade into Raena's gut.
A gasp flitted out of Raena's lips as she stumbled back, clutching her stomach. The guarded expression didn't fade even as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Kymalin's chest heaved. There had been too many close-calls during that brief scuffle she shared with Raena. It's all thanks to her that Kymalin could still stand and even managed to push her back. With what Kymalin set out to do, it wouldn't be enough, though.
"Why are you doing this?" Kymalin hissed her question for the second time. "Why would you betray Cardovia? The Heiress? What have they done to you except help you?"
Raena smirked—that infuriating thing has come back to haunt her features. "I suppose you still have a lot to learn, Kym," she said, putting an emphasis on a name she knew would irk Kymalin. Then, she spat to the ground in disgust. "Cardovia is not what it seems. They are evil and I refuse to continue enabling them."
"What about your wish?" Kymalin countered. "Are you going to trade that for...for whatever it is you are doing? Is it worth it? You've come this far. Don't waste it."
Raena didn't look convinced. "Wish?" she scoffed. "I never said I need the Heiress to fulfill it. In fact, I need her gone to make it come true."
It made sense, then. Kymalin cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. She shouldn't have gotten herself involved with all of this.
"You still have a chance to save yourself now," Raena continued, driving back Kymalin's attention back to her. "Join us. We can escape this place together and proceed with our plan to bring the Heiress down outside."
Kymalin knitted her eyebrows. "So there's more of you?"
Raena's eyes twinkled with malice she didn't expect. The Magistrate lowered herself to a stance, forcing Kymalin to do the same. "Don't you think you've milked enough information from me?" she said. "I suppose we should get to the killing part now."
The muscles in Kymalin's arms vibrated as Raena's crossed twin swords slammed into the flat blade of her sword. Kymalin gritted her teeth as she pressed her palm into it to fight Raena's strength. It wouldn't budge. Finally, Kymalin mustered enough strength and will to drive her foot down on Raena's, forcing her to loosen her grip and divide her attention. Kymalin took that opening, driving the Magistrate back with a scream.
