Page 105 of To Kill a King

The Inquisitor bared his teeth in a vicious grin as his ribs heaved. “Why does the wolf pack obey their alpha?”

“Just because he’s the strongest brute around doesn’t make him the best leader.” Elessan’s blood rushed past his ears as his lungs sucked in deep breaths.

“He also lets me kill as many knife-ears as I can.” Brooks circled, twirling his blades in a show of keeping his wrists limber. “Though I think I’ll enjoy killing you most of all. The last mountain elf.”

Elessan pressed his lips into a thin line. He wasn’t the only one left, but he had no plans to disabuse the human of his assumption. “What did we do to you to make you hate us so much?” Beyond the two hundred years’ of constant fighting, the hatred in his eyes was too keen to be anything other than personal.

“You murdered my wife.” Brooks dragged a forearm across his forehead, leaving a muddy trail behind.

Personally? Elessan furrowed his brow. It was possible—he’d killed a lot of humans in his time.

The Arcane Inquisitor barked a sharp laugh. “You’re not even going to try to deny it?”

Shrugging, he took a step to the side to counter Brooks’ rotation. “I don’t have any idea who your wife was, or where I would’ve met her.”

He risked a glance at Zadé. She still hadn’t moved. He might be on his own saving Aliya after all. Raising one sword above his head, he chopped downward.

Brooks yelled as he rammed his weapon into Elessan’s, forcing it harmlessly aside. With a spinning leap, he slashed at Elesssan with all his strength. “The Spring Festival outside Farnfoss three years ago.”

Bringing his elbow to his face, Elessan held his blade overhead, parrying the blow. He riposted, shoving forward. Frowning, he shook his head. “That wasn’t me. I was in Troutdale then, on the far side of the realm.”

Stepping sideways, Brooks pinned Elessan’s blade between his ribs and upper arm. “Liar!” Twirling his wrist around the weapon, he wrenched Elessan’s sword from his grip and kicked him in the chest—further opening the slice along his collarbone.

Elessan grunted as he slammed face-first into the ground and fire ripped across his torso as his wound pressed into the dirt. The air exploded from his lungs as his vision went white.

Brooks flung the elven blade away. His footsteps pounded into the earth, coming closer.

Elessan shook his head to clear his eyesight.

A flash of silver flickered in the corner of his eyes as Brooks stabbed toward his throat.

Contracting his ab muscles against the screaming pain of his chest, Elessan kicked the sword from Brooks’ grip. Spinning on his hip, he brought his other leg around, catching the human by the ankles and dropping him prone.

“Why would I lie? Do you honestly think I’m the only elven agent in your realm? The only one who could’ve killed your wife?” Three years ago, he’d been one of five. Now, he was the only spy still active. The humans had gotten better at ferreting them out.

Pushing to his feet, he stood over the Inquisitor. Bending over, he reached for the man’s neck.

Brooks planted both heels in Elessan’s gut and threw him into a somersault over his head and into the grass.

Elessan’s lungs heaved, trying to reclaim as much oxygen as they could while he hauled himself up. He blinked, fighting to keep his vision from going double.

The inquisitor lunged, punching him across the jaw. “I’ll kill each and every one of you as vengeance.”

The force of the blow drove Elessan to his knees.

Brooks grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling his face up before brutally driving his knee into Elessan’s face.

The bone crunched as his nose exploded. A thousand burning needles jammed into his brain. His eyes teared, blinding him as blood poured down his chin. He opened his mouth to gasp for air as he pushed himself to all fours. His stomach roiled with nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.

No! He couldn’t die…not now. Not until he found Aliya and made sure she was safe.

The human rammed his elbow into the joint between Elessan’s shoulder and his ribcage. “Stay down and die, knife-ears!”

Pain exploded through his arm and across his back. He coughed up blood as he rolled over.

I’m sorry, Aliya. I failed both our kingdoms.

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about him dying if she didn’t complete her Irrevocable Vow.