Page 158 of Commanding Flame and Shield
“The victor wields The Great Commander.” His eyes flashed to me but steadied on Alvara. I recoiled. I would die before I served this monster.
She considered for a moment before saying, “Level field. August’s family and friends will not be harmed. They will be freed immediately, regardless of the victor.”
“Should you show up for our battle of wills and your hierarchy fights, August's family will be released, unharmed, regardless of the victor. They will be released immediately upon your victory. Or when I deem it safe, in the case of mine.”
I snarled, but Adrastos kept his eyes on Alvara, flicking between the poniard in her fingers, and her cold eyes. He inclined his head, gaze unfocused.
“No guns,” he scoffed. It must have been a detail in her mind. “Blunt and tasteless request,Your Majesty. If we’re dueling for dominance over a weapon…” Adrastos looked me from head to toe, sneering. “We do it as we used to. Blades, archers, fists, and feet.”
“If we’re fighting with archaic weapons, so too shall we take the form of battle lines.” At first the request struck as odd, but with a pang, the faces of Grayshell flashed in my vision. Every single Grayshellian warrior had once fought in them—knew them well. But were the Renown so different? I reached for that connection, cursing when it remained silent.
The Renown King's lips pulled upwards. “Ahhh—it’s been too long. So, we go back, little cousin, to fighting as we first did, side by side those many lifetimes ago.”
Whether she understood the life he referred to, or not, she didn’t let on. Alvara’s face stayed a serene mask, and she took a long breath. “August and I walk away from this meeting, unharmed. And we want proof of life for the hostages.”
Adrastos considered, one arm crossed over his torso, the other resting upon it to rub his jaw.
“You and August walk away today, unharmed. I’ll even heal you, since we're leveling the field. You gather your team. Five hundred, max—”
“Your host is twice that size.”
“So, you do occasionally pay attention to the visions hurled at you.”
“You don’t get to choose how many we bring.” As she jerked her chin up at him defiantly, I wondered how many we had on hand.
“But you’ll bring five hundred. I've already seen it. Stop being difficult.”
“We want to see August’s family.”
“As I said, the hostages are not here, as I’m sure you sensed before my brother arrived. But proof will be provided tonight, at the time and location of my choosing. And should I win, you willbothserveme—no murder by suicide.” He glanced between us. I kept my mouth closed.Trust her. Trust her until the very end.
She repeated the first few terms back to him, adding, “Should you win, and we are both alive and functioning, we will both serve you in stopping the horsemen—”
Adrastos caught her wording and cut her off with another sneer, “Should I win, you will both serve me indefinitely, for whatever my bidding may be."
Alvara shrugged as if to say, ‘it was worth a try’, before continuing, “Should we win, you can choose between death, or servingus. If Aren leaves any piece of your host alive, they will be at our disposal as well.” Madness, this game of hers. Absolute madness. A dark smile spread across Adrastos’ face.
“I’ll never get Agamemnon to agree. These were his men you executed so swiftly.”
“Funny,” she grinned, and in that moment, I saw Alec’s cold swagger, and Aren’s amusement wash over her. It was a striking, strategic mask. “That sounds like it’s not my Goddamned problem.”
Adrastos narrowed his eyes but stared her down. “If either of you have been dealt a lethal blow, the duel will cease, and your lives will be forfeit.” When she said nothing, he continued, “Fine. You’ve struck your bargain. Now get that thing away from your chest.”
She didn’t smile. Didn’t change her expression, but kept it schooled in cool indifference. Arrogance settled in the subtle arch of her brows. Her dagger found its sheath. Adrastos let out a sigh of relief. He stepped closer to her, and I bit my tongue to keep from speaking as he closed the gap and set his hand on her face. She didn’t flinch as the light glowed around her. As the wound sealed, and the welt, bruises and swelling vanished. Had seen this coming, I realized, as our basest gifts had trickled back into our veins. Still as a cat, Alvara didn’t shift as he healed her arm, her leg. He bade me forward. I didn't move, and with a roll of his eyes, Adrastos crossed the gap and healed the wounds across my ribs, neck, and leg. I recoiled from the closeness, this strange alliance between the monster and my mate. Recoiled from the way he smiled as he did it. He turned to walk across the field, but the thing brewing in my gut could no longer be contained. A way out. I had to give her—them—a way out.
“Adrastos.” He paused, and Alvara’s sharp eyes flicked to me, seething with warning. “This is between you and me. It should have been fought that way.”
Adrastos’ dark eyes landed on Ally as he pressed his tongue to his cheek, his hands slid casually into his pockets. “You know little of your mate if you truly believe she would have stood down and watched you get dragged away half dead. Besides, as I told your defective magic eight ball, my brother would honor no such arrangement should it—by some highly unlikely turn of fate—fall your direction.”
“You could have just taken us now—”
A cruel leer twisted his features before he purred, “But where's the fun in that?”
“Do you not care about the men you’ll lose? You know Ally will cut them down—magic, or no. Aren will crush their bones to dust for threatening his callings. Why duel?”
Adrastos ran his tongue over his teeth as anger roiled in his eyes. Suddenly, he vanished into the shadows, reappearing inches from my face. “Honor," he ground out. “Because I’m a man of honor—and your family deserves thechanceof returning home.” Adrastos smirked at my repulsed scoff. He turned to leave, and anger boiled in my veins. I lunged forward, grabbing his arm. He whirled as my fist flew, but before it could strike, he vanished into smoke. His corporeal form reappeared a few feet away.
“Time for that later, princeling.”
