Chapter 31 | Grim

Chapter 31

Grim

THIS WAS RAVINICA'S moment. For months now, she'd known this fight against me was coming. I knew she had prepared for it, though not much with me, strangely.

Maybe she didn't want me to know her secret battle tactics. I respected that.

I wanted nothing more than to go easy on her. But everyone was watching, they knew how I fought, and I couldn't just switch it off. I was too competitive.

Plus, Ravinica wouldn't want me to go easy on her. I knew and loved that about her.

When she stepped into the Sticks, there was fire in her golden eyes. Pure focus, watching me intently with a slight scowl. Her slightly tapered ears twitched, all the muscles of her beautiful face tensing. Eyes darting, taking in my stance with my shield and sword lifted.

The crowd around us went silent. Nearly all the initiates of her class were present, watching. Many of them likely hoped I would humiliate her.

I suspected that wouldn't happen. She was fierce—not someone to underestimate.

This was her moment to prove herself to all of them. That she belonged beside them. Once and for all.

I'd noticed over the past few weeks the slurs and sneers of "bog-blood" and "half-breed" had simmered. With Astrid's death, the locking of the academy gates, and her disappearance with the Ljosalfar elves, Ravinica had developed a sort of mythical status.

It was almost like people feared her now, rather than hated her. I fucking loved it. I wanted people to be frightened of what she could do, and the power she held.

Osfen said, "Begin," and so we did.

I marched right at her, as I'd done with both Randi and Magnus. My sword and shield were leveled equidistant from one another, creating a nearly impenetrable wall of defense.

My strategy had been to wear out my younger, quicker opponents. Use my experience and trust my blade and shield. It worked more often than not.

Of course, my plan had faltered after Magnus had cheated and used his bloodrending to outplay me. I respected him for that, because he showed he would do whatever it took to win.

There was no cheating in battle.

This was not a test of brute strength. Otherwise, everyone here would be fucked against me. My berserker strength was well-known, and it was in exactly this situation last year that I'd accidentally killed Anders because of my curse.

Granted, he had poisoned me, to guarantee I'd lose my duel. All it had done was work against him, and incite my inner rage.

Now, I was calm. Collected. Determined.

I descended on Ravinica and she slipped under the path of my swinging arm.

Quickly spinning before she got behind me, I smashed into her board, sending wood chips flying—preventing her from getting a strike off at my weak side.

She danced then, feet moving, and it made me smile wickedly. She was showing off, when she didn't need to.

Ravinica was a very capable fighter. Better than both Randi and Magnus. She swung high and low, gauging my defenses, finding them stalwart. She wasn't aiming at my body yet, because she had too much wood to get through first.

Any time I got too close, she would step back, sidestepping when she felt the outline of the Sticks creeping up behind her.

I admired her tenacity, though I knew she would tire if she kept up this charade.

So I went on the attack.

For the first time that morning, I didn't react to my opponent, I acted first.

My little sneak was surprised when my knees bent and I charged forward with a full head of steam. Her dancing had given me distance, which was dangerous for her.

Eyes widening, she planted her feet and waited for impact.

That was her mistake.

I barreled into her shield-first, launching her off her feet.

Ravinica flew backward, arms pinwheeling to try and land—

Outside the Sticks. On her ass.

Breathless gasps rose from the crowd.

I lowered my shield and sword, frowning at her.

"You're outside the lines, initiate. You just got flung off a cliff. Bout, Grim." Osfen's voice was emotionless as he proclaimed my victory.

Ravinica flared her nostrils at me from her back.

The look I gave her rang in my head. You're better than that, love. On your feet now. Fight me and beat me!

She sprang up from her palms, dusted them off, and grabbed her sword and shield without a word.

We stepped into the Sticks.

She charged at me this time, arms wheeling. She moved swiftly. I kept up with my swinging shield, getting lucky a few times by sliding her sword off the center boss of my board.

Being lucky was just as good as being skilled, in my mind. It all led to the same place: Victory.

Our eyes met, swords moving in a rhythm, thudding off one another with wooden clashes. She pushed forward, I swung to the side. She followed my step, wheeling, and met my blade before I could swing it over her delectable ass.

Ravinica met me swing for swing. She didn't show any signs of letting up or tiring, which surprised me. It was like Magnus with his bloody abilities.

And that was when I suspected she was trying to emulate his strategy, after seeing him succeed.

I punched my shield left, at her face—

Already moving with a feint of my right hand, sword arcing down as her attention diverted to my shield.

I watched her eyes swivel, and knew I had her again.

Then pain lanced through my middle.

I grunted, stepping back.

Ravinica was down on one knee, in the same place I'd left her, with her eyes focused off to the side. But her sword was sticking up like a pigsticker, away from her, and I'd run right into it with my downward attack.

I smiled. She'd tricked me masterfully—pretending she was distracted by my shield-feint, eyes in that direction, and then hiding the upward trajectory of her blade with my shield.

By the time I'd been halfway cocked with my arm, stepping into her guard to finish the bout, she had been two steps ahead and already "impaled" me.

"Bout, Ravinica," Osfen said with some life in his voice. "You just ran yourself through on her blade, Grim."

Some students grumbled. Others clapped—Randi loudest of all. Despite the little lass losing her bouts, she was there to cheer on her friend.

I lowered my arms, the smile widening on my face as Ravinica stood to her full height. There was a reason I called her by the nickname I'd chosen. "Congratulations, little sn—"

"Again," she announced, loudly. Face solemn, focused.

Creases formed in my forehead. Students who had been meandering off stopped, looking over their shoulders at her with surprise.

"You've passed," I said. "There's no need for a—"

"There are three bouts, yes?" This, to Hersir Osfen.

The professor pulled at his beard, as confused as I was. With a shrug, he said, "Erm, I suppose. It's not best of three. You've already scored a point. You passed. A third bout is not necess—"

"I challenge you regardless, Kollbjorn," she interrupted.

My confused expression flattened, taking in the severity of her claim. This is her moment . . . and she knows it.

Slowly, my lips upturned with a crooked smile. "Challenge accepted, little sneak."

We stepped back into our spots, opposite ends of the Sticks. The audience returned, confounded and whispering to each other, wondering what in Hel was going on.

I finally understood what she was doing.

She doesn't just want to pass the final. She wants total victory.

Ravinica wants to be the best, and for everyone to see it, so there can be no talk of her getting lucky or fortunate I had misplaced my step.

In that moment, I fell in love with her even harder. The fire and grit she showed amazed me, stirred me with lust and heat of my own.

"Fuck it," Hersir Osfen drawled. "Begin."

He stepped further back, throwing up his arms—showing that he wasn't going to officiate this bout. It was all on us.

Ravinica came at me hard. She ran , closing the gap.

When she was five paces away, she leapt to the side, arcing her sword like a spear to strike right at my face.

My eyes flashed wide and I hid my head behind my shield at the last second, feeling the jar of my bones rattle from her intense strike.

Students' voices rose. A few of them hollered—yelling and cheering, clearly loving the extra brawl.

Growling, I came out of my crouch, swinging both sword and shield outward, sending her skittering back.

She came at me again. I met her this time, blade to blade.

I was the stronger, and I quickly had her bending back, gritting her teeth as we stared in each other's eyes while our swords crossed. My biceps bulged, grinding down on her.

Feeling that she was losing the battle of strength, she flung herself back at the last second.

My momentum carried me forward, and I continued hacking to keep her from doing anything sneaky.

She swiftly danced out of the way, then brought her sword to my side to try and end it.

I lashed out with my shield, catching her sword, nearly striking her wrist. The strength of my hit caught her by surprise and spun her in a half-circle.

Then I was righted, coming at her, showing no quarter.

Ravinica raised her shield at the last second—

As I feinted low, bending my knees to move faster than my large body should have let me.

More gasps from the crowd as they saw the end coming.

Ravinica read my sleight of hand and ignored it, striking high to counteract my maneuver.

It brought both of us off-balance—me lifting my shield to protect my face from her attack, and she backpedaling to prevent her legs from getting swept out from under her.

I lunged again, and she sidestepped and spun in the same way Magnus had, trying to get behind me.

I wheeled in a violent arc, side-winding, sure I would either meet her body or her flesh once I was turned around.

But all I saw was my sword swing over her shield.

Confusion rattled me—she was not behind me anymore. She had stuffed the rim of her shield into the soil, right-side up, rather than take a swing at my exposed weak side.

And she was already circling in front of me.

So I closed my guard up, bringing my sword and shield close to my body, expecting her to waylay into me with both hands on her sword, now that she had discarded her shield.

Instead, she shocked me again—

Her arms came out and pushed into my shield, against my chest. The shove was not enough to topple me, of course, because I was much too large.

But I stumbled back a step, and with an admiring flash, I recognized what was happening—

Too late.

My stumble brought me up against her shield stuck in the ground, behind me. It tangled in my legs. I tried to level out my foundation to stand straight, but she shoved a second time, and this time I did topple—

Up and over the shield, used as an obstacle to trip me. I landed hard on my back, air forced from my lungs.

It worked flawlessly, and the audience actually laughed as I flopped, knocking the shield down in the process.

Grunting, recovering swiftly, I lifted my shield up as she charged. My sword came up to stab at her stomach.

Yet she curled around my body like a snake, slithering across me, all but straddling herself under my stab and then rolling up my body over my shield like it was a ramp.

She was barehanded now, and my body reacted as her strong thighs straddled my sides. Her face came inches from mine, a devious smirk on her lips—

And her fist was across my throat, lengthwise, before I could react—

As if she was holding an invisible dagger, blade against my neck.

"Bout, Ravinica," she whispered deviously.

I stared at her with wide eyes, stunned.

Everyone fell silent for a split second, and in that silence I lived a lifetime, peering into her smoldering sunfire eyes.

Cheers erupted. Much louder than the second bout.

"Impressive," Hersir Osfen said from the side. "Never seen a tricky move like that, initiate. Where did you learn it?"

Ravinica pushed herself off my body, and I had to rearrange myself and stay on my back for a moment so my swelling cock wouldn't become obvious.

"The elves," she told the Hersir. "One in particular showed me a few things. Humans could learn a lot from the way they fight, sir."

Axel's nostrils flared reflexively. Shaking his head and grumbling, his voice came out gruffly. "Is that so? Hmph. It would never work in real combat. Perfect for this, though."

Then he turned around to inspect other duels, clearly much more impressed with her maneuver than he was with where she'd learned it.

The elves were a most hated foe, after all.

Ravinica put her hand down and I smiled up at her, reaching for it so she could help me up.

"Gods, you're heavy," she grunted as I nearly pulled her down with me.

I couldn't stop grinning like a simpleton once I was standing, her body close to mine. "Osfen is right. That was brilliant, love."

She winked at me. "Thanks. Sorry. Didn't mean to embarrass you."

I shook my head. "Are you kidding? I'm the furthest thing from embarrassed, little sneak. I'm proud."

Her face lit up, and it was everything.

I wanted her to conquer and devour and find herself, and that was exactly what she'd done. Who gave a shit if I was the poor target of that conquering? I surely didn't.

"Woods tonight?" I asked. The fire inside me couldn't be dimmed. It had been much too long—I hoped she would want to work off some steam after passing her finals.

"Want to take a stroll with me, do you? Like old times?" Her voice was all mischievous and smirking.

My eyes darkened. "I want to do much more than stroll with you, Ravinica."

Her cheeks flushed with pink. She looked away, abashed as she understood me clear as day. "Tomorrow," she said.

My brow furrowed. "Tomorrow is the full moon."

"And a time to celebrate." Another roguish, smug smirk, like she understood me better than I understood myself.

"It will be dangerous, Rav. I'll be—"

"I know." She pulled up close to me, neck craned, eyes drilling into my soul, breasts pressed against my middle. "That's why I want it to be tomorrow."

Realization dawned, yet it didn't make things much clearer. "You daredevil, you."

She cupped my cheek, batting her lashes. "I'm the only one who can calm your raging . . . heart. You know it's true."

She tugged on my short beard, went on her tiptoes, and kissed me.

When we separated, I took her chin with my thumb and forefinger, holding her there so we could gaze into each other's eyes for another moment before the rush of everything around us hit—students, yelling, noisy bouts.

It all drowned away as I studied her wheatfield eyes.

I sighed low. Needy. "One of these days, I'm going to fuck you when I'm in my right mind, not my wrong one," I murmured against the shell of her ear.

She smiled, goosebumps breaking out on her perfect nape. "Both minds are right for me, big boy. Because they're both you. Pieces of the whole man."

A low growl rolled up from deep in my belly, filling me with white-hot lust. "You play a dangerous game, sneak."

"I know. Days like today, I want the best of you, Grim Kollbjorn." Her eyes flashed with desire. "Other days . . . I want the worst of you."