When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

AERYN'S POV

Eowyn's straight, blonde ponytail whipped around as she brandished a sword and spun in a circle, slashing the blade at the shards of ice shooting at her from every direction. Preoccupied with the task of knocking the ice away, the summoner's fierce blue eyes concentrated only on the projectiles.

The blue glow from Zoran's palm engulfed his entire hand and a small orb of frost floated above his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball at Eowyn's back, striking her shoulder blade. Her entire arm jolted with a spasm and the sword fell from her hand. She dropped to the ground and performed a somersault as the icicles imbedded themselves in the spot she'd just been standing.

She completed the roll at the base of Zoran's feet and leapt up, bringing her fist up with her. She nearly matched his height and her eyes almost rose to the same level as his, and she landed a solid punch under his chin. His head snapped back and before he could recover, she withdrew two knives and swept her long leg out in a low arc, hooking a foot around his ankle. Zoran's back smacked against the mat and the blue light on his palm flickered. 

Eowyn sprung on his large, fallen form and straddled his hips with one knife cinched between her teeth while holding the other blade against his throat. The two familiar-looking topaz knives each had a vial of silver liquid in the hilt with channels of the substance flowing up the blade. Zoran's eyes concentrated on the droxin-infused blade between her lips and his hips bucked, easily tossing her over his head.

Racquel's knives. She must have swiped them off the floor either during or after the demon attack.

She flew across the mat and landed hard on the edge of the it, her body's momentum propelling her onto the wooden ground. The knife escaped from her teeth with a groan, and she blew at the silk strands of her hair strewn across her face. Zoran was on her in a second, yanking her up by the collar of her standard black vest.

"You got me," he said, using his free hand to drag a thumb across the line of blood on his throat as he pulled her up. The light on his hand dimmed as the droxin mixed with his blood, infiltrating his veins with the power-numbing substance.

Eowyn's light eyebrows drew together as he released her and took a step back, beckoning her forward with one of the knives in his hand.

"Here, I'll give you another chance," he said, flipping the handle out to her, "This time, try to actually land a hit."

Eowyn glared at him, and her lips thinned as she leaned back on one leg and raised her other in a high arc, whacking Zoran's wrist with a strong kick. The knife flung out of his hand and skidded across the wooden planks, coming to a rest against the adjacent mat.

"Or not," he uttered with a shrug. "That's the last time I try to be nice."

Eowyn unsheathed another topaz knife from her thigh, saying, "You're the one who needs to use an Insignia to fight me."

She drew her arm back and threw Racquel's third blade at Zoran who lifted his hand, covering the tip of the blade with ice. The blue hue on his hand snuffed out and the ice cracked, falling off the blade as it flew at him.

The knife lodged itself in his thigh and the silver liquid drained into the muscle. Zoran hissed, baring his fangs as only the hilt was visible.

The assault looked painful as Zoran wrapped his hand around the handle, but I cheered for Eowyn in the silence of my mind as she closed the distance between them and brought her leg up in another high kick at his side. Her booted foot connected just below his ribcage, and he doubled over, the breath whooshing out of his mouth as he forgot about removing the knife. Eowyn grabbed his face between her hands as he remained buckled over trying to catch his breath, and slammed his face down onto her knee, jamming it onto his nose.