by Todd, E. L.
Aleco smiled at her. “You’re right. That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.” Aleco withdrew his blade and stepped forward. “Are you sure this is what you want, Accacia? I may be angry with you but I have no desire to hurt you.”
“I will not hold back, Aleco, and I suggest you don’t either.” She began to circle around him and he watched her move. “The battle will end quickly if you do.”
“Do we need a witness? I want no argument over the recognition of the victor.”
Accacia shook her head. “There will be no room for misinterpretation. Do I have your word, Aleco? You will step down if I win this battle?”
Aleco nodded. “You have mine as long as I have yours. But I know how worthless that is—your promises mean nothing.”
Accacia ignored the insult. “You have my word.”
Aleco spun his blade in his hand, making it whirl in a flash from the sunlight. He felt the Lorunien Tree coursing through him, aiding him with energy. “What are the conditions?”
“There are none.”
“Anything goes?”
“Yes,” she said. “The only exception is death.”
“Let’s begin.”
Aleco stood still for a moment and his blade hung idly at his side. He surveyed her body through the fabric of her dress, assessing for any weak areas. Aleco noticed how tone and firm her body was. She was indeed stronger than she was when she left these shores, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. Aleco would prevail in this battle. There was no doubt. She smiled at him and he felt his heart quicken in his chest. Aleco ignored the effect it had on him. He was slightly amused by her confidence in battle. It was almost comical.
Accacia ran to him and raised her sword, aiming her blade for his shoulder. She changed the course of her blade at the last second and went for the exposed area on the side of the ribs, but she never landed the blow. Aleco parried the assault with little effort and aimed his blade to strike her but she was already gone. She moved away from him with lightning speed and his blade sliced through the air, missing its mark. Accacia grabbed his wrist then punched him directly in the face. Aleco’s head flew back, confused by her sudden appearance, and he recovered from the impact instantly, tripping her feet from under her. She rolled away and was on her feet immediately. Aleco stared at her for a moment. He had to admit her skills had improved.
Aleco ran to her and aimed his blade for her forearm, preparing to slice open the skin, but she moved away from him and nailed him in the stomach, causing the wind to leave his lungs. He didn’t react to the pain and continued to assault her. He finally landed a blow on her wrist, drawing a line of blood. Accacia seemed unaffected by the cut. She engaged him again, kicking him in the stomach while she sliced her blade across his thigh, severing the skin through his trousers. Aleco grabbed her by the throat before she could pull away and threw her into the grass. She rolled into the fall and rose to her feet, but Aleco tripped her again, causing her to fall to the ground. Her heart tightened in fear. She couldn’t lose this battle. She had to beat Aleco in this fight otherwise she would never be able to kill Drake with her own hands. Aleco jumped on top of her and gripped her throat, squeezing her windpipe under the force of his grasp. He didn’t loosen his hold, waiting for her to surrender. Accacia refused to give up. She tried to roll him away from her but he was too heavy. Her skills as an Asquithian couldn’t aid in her in this situation. His brute strength outweighed her speed and agility. Accacia had only one option at her disposal. It was a cheap trick but they agreed there were no conditions. Everything was fair. Accacia grabbed his face and pulled his lips to hers, kissing him gently. He melted at her touch and released his hold, feeling his longing for her bubble to the surface. She took advantage of his abandoned defenses and pushed him off her, climbing to her feet and arming herself with her sword. Aleco stared at her with a look of shock. He couldn’t believe she had taken advantage of his love and vulnerability as a ploy to escape.
Aleco raised his sword at her, ready to kill her. It was the final betrayal she would commit against him. He wouldn’t put up with her actions any longer. She claimed she loved him, but clearly she didn’t. She had broken his heart and she continued to do it. “I’m done with you, Accacia.” He charged her and swept his sword around and it danced in the light of the sun as it whirled around his body like a flash. Accacia blocked every attempt he made and returned with strikes of her own. She knew he wasn’t holding back. Accacia memorized the sporadic move her father made in the battle session against Zyle and she launched it at Aleco. Aleco was cut along the shoulder, unable to block the speed of her blade. Accacia pushed him back, about to cut him along the neck, the winning blow, when her sword flew from her grasp.
Aleco held his hand aloft and pushed the wind against her, blowing her back a few feet. Aleco directed her blade through the force of the wind, tossing it across the field away from Accacia’s reach. There was no way she could grab the blade and evade Aleco’s pursuit at the same time. Aleco smiled at her with a triumphant look on his face. “You wanted to play dirty, Accacia.”
He ran to her and she rolled out of the way. He slashed his sword at her but she continued to move out of reach, dancing like a flower in the wind. Aleco grew frustrated with her speed. She had lost the battle and she knew it. He was aware of the people who were approaching the base of the tree. He could feel Zyle and the other Asquithians, along with a few of his own Naturalists. They stared at the battle in shock. Zyle ran to Accacia’s aid, unaware of the non-lethal sparring match. Aleco flicked his wrist and the air swirled around them, keeping the spectators back.
Aleco stared at Accacia. “Surrender, Accacia. You have lost this battle.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t over yet.”
“So be it.” He dashed to her across the grass and raised his sword and she moved out of the way. Despite his brewing anger he admired her skill in battle. She was losing, but her skills were impressive. He whirled his blade around, trying to land his blow but he missed every attempt. Accacia grabbed him by the wrist and slammed it into her thigh, causing his blade to drop to the ground. Accacia grabbed the guild sword and threw it across the grass and it landed alongside her warrior blade.
“Now we are even.” Accacia could have used his sword against him but she didn’t. She was trying to make up for her unfair attack on him. When her lips met his, he had lost all thought. Accacia held her fists to her chest, ready to directly engage him in a physical battle.
Aleco shook his head. “You have no chance to prevail. You need to surrender, Accacia. I am about to hurt you.”
Accacia didn’t respond verbally, but physically. She punched him in the nose then moved away, avoiding the fist that was moving toward her skull. She evaded his next attempt and kicked him in the knee. Aleco chased her as if he wasn’t affected by the blows she had landed on him. Accacia darted out of the way again but he managed to grab both of her arms, and he slammed his head into hers, knocking her backwards. Her eyes became glazed for a moment but she recovered from the trauma and aimed her shoulder into his stomach. When her arms were outstretched he grabbed them and pulled her closer to him. He squeezed her wrist painfully and he could see her eyes water under the force of his strength. The significance of his actions was not lost on her—she knew he was trying to hurt her emotionally. He spun her around and aggressively pulled her arms behind her back then kicked her knees from under her, making her body buckle to the ground. Accacia was compromised with both of her hands behind her back and Aleco smiled in victory. “Are you going to kiss me again?” he asked into her ear.
“No.” Accacia flipped her body with the strength of her arms alone and kicked Aleco in the face. He released his hold, shocked that she had the agility to move her body in such a way. Aleco fell back and Accacia pursued him without mercy. She punched him in the face twice then tripped his feet from under him. He fell to the ground and Accacia grabbed both of his hands and pressed her thigh into his throat, completely restricting
his access for air. Aleco tried to move from her grasp but his lack of oxygen was making him feel weak. Accacia saw his eyes flutter and she knew he was losing consciousness. “Now we are finished.” She released her hold and stared at him.
Aleco gasped for air and sat up. Accacia rubbed his back and ran her hands through his hair, trying to comfort him after she had hurt him. Aleco closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her caress for a moment but then his anger flushed to the surface. He pushed her away and rose to his feet without looking at her.
Accacia grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Are you alright?”
He jerked his hand away. “Piss off, Accacia.”
“I told you I wasn’t defenseless.” She walked over to him and stood directly before him, looking into his blue eyes. “You will honor your word, Aleco. I won this battle.”
Aleco shook his head. “You are unbelievable. The only reason why you won was because you took advantage of my feelings for you. We said there were no conditions, but that was low—even for you.”
“I survived the use of your powers, disarmed you, and still beat you without a weapon. Do not try to avoid this Aleco—I won.”
“I’m not denying your victory, Accacia. I will keep my word to you. I just hope you realize you lost a lot more than you won today.” He stared at her for a moment before he walked away. “Congratulations.”
The Lorunien Tree
17
“Accacia, are you alright?” Zyle grabbed her arms and examined her body, checking for wounds or bruises. “I’ll kill him if he hurt you.” She saw the anger in his eyes and she knew he meant it. He kissed her forehead and pulled away. “What just happened? We heard that the Nature Priest and the Queen of the Asquithians were fighting to the death. I came right away.”
“I’m sorry to frighten you, Zyle.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, assuring him she was okay. “Aleco and I were trying to resolve a dispute.”
“By trying to kill each other?”
Accacia shook her head. “No,” she said. “None of our attacks were lethal.”
“Well, did you work out your differences?”
Accacia looked away. She had gotten what she wanted; Aleco’s cooperation. Now she didn’t have to worry about his opposition to her fighting in the battle, but she regretted what she had done. She shouldn’t have kissed him. Aleco was right; it was wrong. Accacia hated how she had damaged him. She saw the light leave Aleco’s eyes and knew she had broken him permanently. “I think I made things worse.”
Zyle stared at her. “Well, that was productive.”
Accacia sighed. “I challenged Aleco in a fight to prove that I was able to defend myself, that I was a warrior worthy of battle. He promised he wouldn’t object to my decisions if I was the victor in the match.”
“Then you got what you wanted, Accacia.”
Accacia shrugged. “I suppose.”
“You aren’t telling me something.” Zyle’s words were strung with power. His voice always adapted an aggressive tone when he felt he was being betrayed or doubted. Accacia knew he was growing angry for being left in the dark.
“I took advantage of Aleco’s feelings during the battle—I would have lost if I hadn’t done so.”
“So you don’t feel like you earned the victory?”
“Yes and no,” she said. “I feel like I proved that I could defend myself. That was the only point I wanted to make. But I know I hurt Aleco with my actions—he feels cheated.”
“I understand his position,” Zyle said with a nod. “However, he used his elemental powers against you along with the weight of his strength. I think you are still the better warrior—he must realize that.”
Accacia shook her head. She didn’t know what to say. “I need to talk to him.”
Zyle sighed. He had felt distant from his life partner since they arrived here. They hadn’t been on the shores for a very long but it seemed like they were never together, and whenever they were Aleco was always on her mind. Zyle was growing impatient. He had expected these difficulties to arise but he didn’t realize how excessive they were going to be. If Aleco weren’t the Nature Priest, it would have been easier. They wouldn’t have to see Aleco every day and he could depart from the forest, leaving them in peace. “Very well,” he said with a sigh. “But I expect you to return to me immediately. I haven’t spent any time with you today.”
Accacia kissed him. “I know,” she agreed. “And I’m sorry for that. I doubt it will take me long. Aleco will probably refuse to see me anyway.”
Zyle hoped he did. He wasn’t nervous about his life partner being alone with her former lover. Now that Aleco vowed he wouldn’t press his advantage on her, and he couldn’t lie, he wasn’t worried about their love rekindling. He knew Accacia wouldn’t betray him. He trusted her. “I’ll see you soon.” Zyle kissed her then walked over to Laura. Together, they left the grounds and headed back to the ship. Accacia assured everyone she was alright, that she needed no aid or healing. Aleco had disappeared from the grounds and she assumed he returned to his home of Asylinth House. Lydia and Penelope were still sitting on the grass. They knew Aleco wanted to be alone. Accacia felt a pinch of jealousy for Aleco’s closeness to the woman named Penelope. It was obvious the woman loved him with great affection. She had insulted the queen of an entire race in his defense. Accacia wasn’t angry for what the woman had said. She knew Penelope was just concerned about Aleco. Accacia was happy he had someone to care for him.
Accacia headed through the forest and approached the house on the back side, where the secret doorway was hidden. She decided to use this entryway because Aleco probably wouldn’t allow her to enter the house through the main entrance. She opened the door and entered the study. What she saw caused her skin to prickle.
Aleco was standing in front of Roxian and they were very close to each other—too close. When Aleco heard the door open, he stepped away from her slightly, but Accacia had caught the movement. Aleco stared at Accacia. “Well, that’s rude. Please use the main entryway, Accacia.” He leaned against the desk. “That doorway was constructed for me alone.”
Accacia fixed her gaze on Roxian. The blonde Asquithian met her gaze with a smile. “Why are you here, Roxian?”
“I’m here to visit Father Rhonian. He gave us permission to venture into his lands. I’m not committing any crime by conversing with him, nor am I violating the conditions you set out for me.”
Accacia stared at her. She felt her heart race in her chest at the sight of them together. They weren’t touching each other but Accacia felt a warning in her heart. She felt like she was missing something. “What were you discussing?”
Roxian opened her mouth to speak but Aleco spoke first. “That is none of your concern, Accacia. We were not discussing anything related to the plans we have made or your government system so we aren’t required to tell you anything.” Accacia stared at him in surprise. He was growing crueler every day. “Tell me why you are here, Accacia. That is something I am entitled to ask.”
“I want to speak with you.”
“As I already said, I have no desire to talk to you, Accacia.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How many times must I repeat this? I have made my wishes very clear.”
Accacia looked Roxian. “Leave us, Roxian.”
Roxian nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.” She walked to the door of the study and left the room.
Aleco fixed his glare on her. “You may be the queen of your people but I’m the ruler of this house and you have no authority under it. I will excuse my guests when I’m ready.”
“She is my subject.”
“Not when she’s here.”
Accacia returned his stare. She felt her heart turn cold at the possibility that Roxian was more to him than he was letting on. She couldn’t imagine the betrayal. Aleco would never do that to her. She knew he wouldn’t. “Why was she here?”
Aleco shook his head. “I don’t have to answer your question.”
“Are you
hiding something from me?”
“I have nothing to hide from someone I have no connection with—you are practically a stranger, Accacia. The events and people in my life are none of your business. I have never concerned myself with your personal affairs.”
Accacia took a seat in front of him. “I’m sorry about earlier,” she said.
“I truly don’t care, Accacia,” he said. “Let’s move on. You are free to do whatever you wish. Your safety rests in the hands of your husband.”
“No,” she said. “It rests in my own hands.”
Aleco looked away and said nothing.
“I think what I did was unfair and I want to forfeit the match. If I hadn’t taken advantage of your vulnerability I never would have won—you’re right. You’re the victor, Aleco. I will hold up my end of the bargain.”
“It doesn’t change what you did, Accacia.”
“I know,” she said. “But I hope this makes up for it. I know how important this is to you.”
“If you really cared for my feelings, then the challenge never would have happened to begin with. You can’t take it back, Accacia.”
“I’m trying to make amends, Aleco. Meet me halfway.”
“No,” he said as he shook his head. “Do whatever you want, Accacia. If you want to risk your life and immortality, then I won’t stop you. I’m moving on, Accacia. I have no hold over you and you have none over me.”
“Nature Priests aren’t allowed to lie.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not.”
Accacia felt the blood drain from her face. Aleco was pushing her farther way. He was barely hanging on by a thread. A few days ago he was in love with her and now he was on the verge of hating her. “Please don’t hate me, Aleco.”
“Then don’t give me a reason to.”
