Staggering to my feet, I crouched into a warrior’s stance and grinned. “Powerless duel?” I taunted him.
Titus rolled his fingers into fists and readied himself, all signs of his embers dying in the wind along with my water. “You want a beating?” He shrugged his shoulders. “All right.”
He came at me, fast and without mercy, blow after blow landing, but I got in a few of my own.
“That all you got?” he taunted.
“I could do this all night,” I replied, meaning it.
I dodged and then blocked, taking the hit hard on my forearm before connecting my elbow with his jaw. Titus’s entire body jerked up against the blow. It would have left any other fae reeling, but he recovered with impressive speed. My admiration for him grew by the second.
His eyes glowed with embers, but he didn’t use his fire on me. Instead, he took the next hit in the gut, his core clenching hard to absorb the blow, and used the opening to wrap his fingers around my throat, twisting me so that my back arched and put me off balance.
“Having fun yet?” he growled, his rage palpable.
Whether it was from the fight, or at me, I didn’t know. Likely both.
It didn’t take a genius to understand his fury. I’d mated with Claire, and in his mind, I didn’t deserve her.
And maybe he was right.
But I couldn’t change what happened, nor would I want to.
I clawed at his fingers and spat, then crashed my arm down hard against his wrist and broke his hold. He cursed when I retaliated and swept behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck and putting him in a chokehold of my own. It would be so easy to call for his defeat as I weakened his airway.
Alas, I needed him to win.
So I said something I knew would set him off.
“You realize I only mated with Claire to save Exos, right?” I spoke the words without any emotion, needing him to believe them. And I infused the knowledge that I had considered that tactic several times into my expression. “Seems I’ve won.”
Titus roared, his fury snapping at the reins as his fire ignited, forcing me to release him. His elbow connected with my rib cage and sent all my air rushing out of me. I stumbled back and fell right along with Titus as he launched over me, knee on my chest and hand on my throat again. “Submit,” he demanded. “Or I’ll end you.”
Not bad, I thought. And as his fist nailed my jaw, igniting a series of lights behind my eyes, I decided this was good enough.
Conceding to him served so many benefits.
Including enhancing our elemental circle, something Claire badly needed.
And so, for her, I smiled. “I submit.” The words triggered the arena’s magic and froze us both in place, signaling the end of the battle.
Titus’s gaze narrowed, his palm releasing my throat. “You goaded me. Again.”
“Did I?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Bastard.”
I lifted a shoulder. Or tried to, anyway. The Fire Fae was big and on top of me.
“You let me win,” he added, a hint of respect coloring his features.
“Why would I do that?” I infused a bit of innocence into my tone, but it really came out as more of a rasp.
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He shook his head, amused. “Next time, don’t hold back.”
“Next time?” I wasn’t sure I wanted another public duel. But sparring, I could do.