Entwined Realms Volume One(145)

Concentrate, study, no shields. Skin, skin, something in the skin, concentrate, what is it, what is…he?

No, it. There weren’t different sexes among the Skin Dwellers.

Skin Dweller. Shit.

Not necromantic magic, but dark enough. She dug through memories of the training she’d received on the various races, so numerous most of them had disappeared days after she’d learned of them.

Their skin could harden until it was more akin to armor. Also, it was poisonous, enough a normal human could only endure two or three contacts before beginning to fall ill. Esh wasn’t normal, but how long before it was too much for his system?

Their weakness, they did have one, but…what was it…base of the spine. Yes. A couple hits there started the process of weakening the skin, turning it back to normal, which led to other punches hurting them. Once the cycle started, as long as the poison didn’t kill you, the Skin Dweller could be defeated.

Now, how to tell Esh? There were no rounds. They fought until one collapsed, and the one left standing was the winner. She couldn’t go up and say she had to speak to him. They’d kick her out if she tried to interfere.

Somehow Esh had to come to her…

Nalah glanced around and zeroed in on the man on her right. He was already drunk and had propositioned her as soon as she sat down, though he did back off after she told him she was with one of the fighters. Still, she’d gotten a familiar vibe from him, one that had her leaning as far away as possible.

Please let him be as much of a jackass as I think he is. Nalah stood up at the next hit to Esh, a not-entirely-feigned gasp of shock pouring from her mouth, and put her ass in front of his face.

The vibe was right. He didn’t go for her ass, his hand went straight for between her legs, and a completely not-feigned shout of outrage left her mouth as she turned. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing touching me, asshole?”

It took only moments before she was lifted out of the way, Esh beside her and trying to go after the guy.

Never let it be said she didn’t know her man.

As nice as watching the prick get beaten might have been, there were more important matters. Nalah wrapped her arms around Esh’s neck, trying to make it look like she was burying herself in his grasp for comfort as she spoke in his ear, his blood seeping against her mouth and flavoring her words. “Your opponent is a Skin Dweller. Skin is poisonous and like armor. Kick him instead of hitting him, keep skin contact minimal. Base of his spine, hit it enough and the armor goes away. You can beat on him then.”

Hands gripped at Esh and dragged him back, shouts of outrage that he left the ring. Esh was yelling at the ref, up towards Beylor, gesturing at her, and the guy who touched her was dragged out. Hope that she was correct on how to beat the Skin Dweller, that Esh had heard her message and would act on it, curled in her stomach and lay heavy there.

After a few tense moments Beylor nodded, and the fight was resumed. The fighters once again circled each other, and this time, when the Skin Dweller lunged forward, Esh twisted so he had a clear shot at the back of the man and kicked hard into the base of the spine. The Skin Dweller crumpled, and when he righted himself and stood, surprised fear was plain for all to see.

Esh had heard and she was right, and Nalah breathed for the first time since that flare of magic, because it was going to be fine.

Esh would never lose a fight.

After the initial blow, the Skin Dweller faded in quick order. Esh owned him, and at the end Esh used his hands several times to deliver the final, body-dropping blows, but didn’t seem susceptible to the poison.

The Skin Dweller fell and didn’t rise, and Esh was proclaimed winner. Without thought or intent, Nalah ran to the ring and threw her arms around him, light-headed and happy, pressing kisses over his face.

He stopped the small kisses and captured her lips in a deep, drugging kiss, and the catcalls and rude remarks faded from her ears, and all Nalah knew was Esh, alive and whole and victorious.

And then he pulled his head away and turned, growling at something. Nalah followed his gaze, and there was Lian, his hand on Esh’s arm and a cruel smile on his lips. “Beylor wants to see you both.”





Chapter Thirteen





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This must be how being called to the principal’s office felt.

Not that she’d know firsthand since she’d never stepped foot in a school, but there was a vague sense of dread compounded by exasperation she was put in this place to begin with.

Beylor was in full-on rant, which he’d been doing for several minutes and still looked nowhere near done. “…and I’ll have you know a fighter has never stopped and stepped from the ring! Where the fuck was your mind? I should kick your ass out for that.”