Page 62 of Dark Elf's Good Girl
His smile drops when he sees a grin across Aiken’s face.
“I’ve already started.”
“What do you… Wait a minute… Those contracts, did you?...”
Aiken steps forward, his grin stretching. Calix glances at me.
“Bastard… I know why you’re after her now. This is all about taking her away from me permanently, isn’t it?”
“The contracts, the broken carriages,” snickers Aiken. “Everything that has gone wrong for you has all been because of me.”
Calix’s scowl slowly turns into a smile as he rises to his feet. Aiken tenses and clenches his fists.
“I’ve got to give to you baby brother, I didn’t think you had it in you to be so cunning.”
Aiken’s brows cross in confusion.
“Either way, you have a choice to make. I can forgive you for everything and not tell our dear father a word of your sins. All you have to do is pledge loyalty to me and the family, or…”
Calix points the dagger my way, keeping his gaze fixated on his brother.
“You can choose this bitch here and say goodbye to your life as is. The choice is yours but if you are even half the elf that the family expects you to be, it should be obvious…”
A look comes over Aiken’s face, one of suspense and dread. I try again to call out to him but my throat has gone dry. All that comes out is a small whimper that no one hears.
I glance at Calix as he continuously tosses the knife in the air, glaring at his brother. Aiken’s eyes look down, seemingly thinking for a moment.
But when I notice he’s looking down at the rug upon which Calix stands, I realize he has made the choice long ago. His gaze meets mine, temporarily causing the pain to subside. We share a smile but it’s interrupted by the sigh of Calix.
“So that’s the way it’s going to be then…”
He tosses the knife in the air and catches it one last time. As soon as it lands in his grip, he lunges forward but Aiken is too quick for him. He stoops down and pulls the rig from beneath his brother’s feet.
Calix tumbles back, grunting as his head hits the floor. Aiken throws the thick rug aside with force. He pounces forth, landing on his brother. With one hand, he holds down the dagger, still gripped in Calix’s arm.
I muster all the strength I can, squirming around in the restraints but to no avail. My body is left with barely any vigor, and all I can do is watch on as Aiken brawls with his brother.
Aiken rains down blow after blow on Calix but lands none of them. Calix reaches up, catching a fist before kicking his attacker off of him. Aiken stumbles back, catching himself on a window ledge just as his brother scrambles to his feet.
“You traitor!” yells Calix, lunging once more for his brother.
They lock up, wrestling in an effort to take each other down.
“How could you?” hisses Calix. “You would throw away everything for this bitch?”
“I have nothing with you or with the family!”
Aiken uses Calix's momentum to sidestep and throw him against the window, shattering it to pieces. Calix presses his foot against the wall and uses it as a leaping pad, shoving his brother back with force. He throws Aiken into the nearby closet, breaking the wooden doors.
“There’s no coming back from this!” hisses Calix. “When you lose, I’ll bring you back to Father in chains, but not before I make you watch me have my way with Isla first.”
Aiken’s eyes redden as he pushes back unexpectedly. Calix rips his dagger-equipped hand away and slashes at him, each attack successfully dodged by his brother. He swipes again, this time catching Calix’s wrist.
He twists it with all of his strength, causing a loud snap to bounce between the cabin’s walls. Unleashing a bloodcurdling scream, Calix’s hand loosens, the dagger falling from his grip. It hits the floor, landing close to me.
I reach out to it but it’s just inches away from the tips of my fingers. Calix headbutts Aiken. They separate for a moment, gathering themselves before fighting again.
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