The Consort (Tellaran Series) by Ariel MacArran Read Free Book Online

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    Kyndan blinked rapidly, the arena spinning around him.
    Okay, I get it now. He’s taking the time to humiliate me before he kills me.
    Kyndan suddenly wondered if Aidar would act like this and decided that his brother-in-law wouldn’t.
    This guy’s supposed to be the very best but an honorable warrior wouldn’t do what he’s doing.
    Jazan threw a narrow, gloating look up at Alari. Under the bright light tears shimmered in her velvety eyes.
    Gods, this isn’t about humiliating me at all. This is about humiliating her ! He wants her to suffer.
    The numbness was gone far too quickly. His jaw felt like it had been hit with a tarasteel block. His lip throbbed fiercely and he had a hell of a time getting back on his feet. His legs were shaky and he had to use the sword as a lever to get up at all.
    He doesn’t love her. All he cares about is being consort. But he can have that without hurting her. 
    What am I missing here?
    He was filthy now. Between the sweat and dirt and blood he was a mess. His leg was throbbing but Kyndan guessed Jazan had deliberately missed the artery so he wouldn’t bleed out.
    Now he just needed to survive long enough so he could enjoy worrying about his wounds getting infected.
    “The palace seems nice.” Kyndan limped toward Jazan. He was shaking with fatigue and pain, his leg bleeding freely as he hefted the sword again. “Good place for Alari and me to raise a family.”
    “I could cut out your tongue but I would have her hear you beg to end it, Tellaran,” Jazan spat.
    “Hey, I’m happy to end it right now,” Kyndan said amiably. “Put down your sword and I’ll let you walk out.”
    “You are an unworthy opponent,” Jazan growled. “I will have not even a scar for this.”
    A scar? He hasn’t even broken a godsdamned sweat!
    “Giving up?” Kyndan got out through his throbbing lip. “I knew you were a coward.”
    “ Coward? ” Something showed for an instant in the Az-kye’s gaze then Jazan’s face hardened. “I will enjoy killing you slowly.”
    Fucking hell, that’s it! You did something you know a warrior shouldn’ t do. And so now you’re not bothering to act like a warrior at all.
    The look in Alari’s eyes when they met Jazan’s—
    “Only a coward hurts a woman,” Kyndan hissed, pitching his voice so only Jazan should hear. “Like you hurt her.”
    Suddenly there was fear in Jazan’s eyes. There was shame.
    It didn’t matter that Kyndan didn’t know exactly what the warrior had done to Alari; he could guess. More importantly Jazan knew what he’d done.
    Kyndan’s teeth bared in disgust. “That you dare call yourself a warrior after what you did tells me that your honor isn’t—and never was—worth a damn .”
    Jazan’s face spasmed.
    “It doesn’t matter who walks out of here. You’ve already lost,” Kyndan taunted.  “Because I still have my honor while you have none !”
    Jazan roared and rushed him, swinging his sword to deliver a blow that would cut a man in half.
    An Az-kye warrior would stand tall and accept the end of his life, knowing it the honorable way to die. 
    But Kyndan wasn’t an Az-kye.
    At the last instant he sidestepped and dropped. Pain shot through his leg like fire at the movement and he threw all his focus onto bringing the sword across his body. Taken off guard, Jazan tried to stop short and Kyndan swung outward just as the warrior came parallel. And—while it was as clumsy swordsmanship as likely ever seen in any Circle—a cut that deep through the tendons at the back of the ankle would cripple even a huge, hulking beast of an Az-kye.
    And did.
    Howling, Jazan stumbled then fell face first into the dirt.
    Kyndan pushed the tip of his sword into the dirt to heave himself up. He was on his feet in the next moment, heavily favoring his left leg but at least he could hobble. Jazan’s leg was deformed where the bulky calf muscle jumped up behind his knee. He was also losing a lot of blood.
    Jazan arched, his