Page 72 of Heart of the Cursed
Not that Arun needed to be told. He called his favourite sword to him. It appeared in his hand at the same time as Agnarr’s did. Taking their positions, they waited for the light to turn red.
“May the best male win,” Agnarr said a second before it changed.
Arun planned on it, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything. As soon as the light turned red, his brother leapt into action. He lunged forward with his sword out in front of him, forcing Arun to jump back or get skewered.
Arun moved out of the way just in time, but he wasn’t given a reprieve. His brother followed him step for step, swinging wildly with his sword.
The aggression coming off Agnarr was palpable, but it was also going to be his downfall. While he was expelling energy by taking the offensive, Arun was doing the opposite. He held back, taking the defensive position. Like a cobra, he waited until the time was right to strike.
Aiming for Arun’s head, Agnarr brought his sword down hard. Arun’s sword met his in mid-air, stopping it from slicing through his skull.
The clang of metal on metal echoed all around them as Agnarr continued his violently attacked. The longer the fight went on, the more frustrated his brother became. If he thought Arun would be an easy opponent, he was sorely mistaken. He wasn’t a young Fae that could be kicked around anymore. He was a warrior in his own right, standing on his own two feet. He didn’t rely on the rest of the family or paid henchmen to fight his battles for him, like Agnarr did.
That was the biggest difference between them. As soon as Arun was old enough, he’d left the family. Whereas, Agnarr still cowered behind them.
“Just fucking die, already,” his brother spat as sweat dripped down his face and neck.
Arun grinned at the annoyance he heard in his brother’s tone.
“You thought this was going to be easy?” Arun taunted, as he blocked Agnarr’s sword again.
Instead of answering, Agnarr growled, and doubled his efforts. But it still wasn’t enough to get the upper hand. Arun easily outmanoeuvred his brother, blocking each strike of the blade.
Agnarr raised his sword above his head, leaving himself open for Arun to make his move. As quick as lightning, Arun lunged forward. Agnarr tried to move out the way, but he wasn’t fast enough. Arun’s sword sliced across his chest.
Agnarr let out a roar as hatred contorted his features. Arun knew it would only be a matter of time before his brother gave up on the rules and started attacking with magic, and he was right. He launched the sword at Arun, which Arun easily knocked out of the way, but it was enough of a distraction for Agnarr to gather magic into a ball between his hands and throw it.
Arun barely managed to duck out of the way of the first ball, but the second hit him in the side. Searing pain exploded where the ball of magic hit him. He heard Selene scream, but he couldn’t look her way because his brother hadn’t finished with him. He had to trust that Taredd would take care of her until it was all over.
Until then, he needed to keep his head in the game and his eyes on his brother.
