She moved, stopping a handful of feet from me. “I know what you are,” she stated, her voice low. “So how dare you stand there and lecture me on what is right and wrong? You’re the halfling. You’re going to be screwing the prince soon enough.”

I shot forward, getting right up in her face. “First off, I’m not going to be screwing the prince, because I actually have taste in men. And secondly, I didn’t choose to be this, Val. I didn’t wake up one moment and decide to be a fucking coward and betray every person who trusts me, because that’s basically what you are. A fucking coward who fucks everyone while fucking them over—”

Val swung on me, and that flipped my oh-hell-no switch. I dipped and then shot back up. Cocking my arm, I threw a punch. I didn’t miss. My knuckles connected with her jaw, snapping her head back.

She stumbled a step and then her head whipped in my direction. She worked her jaw. “Bitch.”

“Really? You deserve that and more.”

Her chest rose. “You know I can’t kill you, and I know you won’t kill—”

Swinging again, I punched her in the face. Pain spread across my knuckles, but this time she didn’t back off. Val launched herself at me like a damn tiger. I went down, landing flat on my back, the air knocked out of me.

“Hitting isn’t nice, Ivy.” She gripped my shoulders and started to lift me up.

That wasn’t going to happen. Rocking my hips, I wrapped my legs around her and flipped her faster than she could blink. Stalling her, I planted a hand on her chest, holding her in place. “You know you can’t beat me in a fight, Val.”

“I don’t know if I want to when you’re grabbing my boob like that,” she said.

“I’m not grabbing—”

She threw a punch at my jaw. I rolled to the side as I saw stars for a second. Holy crap, she could hit.

Val sprang to her feet. “That was almost too easy.”

“Really?” Planting my hands, I shifted my weight and kicked out, sweeping her legs right out from underneath her. “How about that, bitch?”

She shrieked as she went down, and I jumped to my feet. Val was only down for a second. She rose and rushed me like a damn linebacker, shoving me backward. We slammed into an air unit and the ancient thing rattled.

I lifted my leg, going for her very active lady parts, but she anticipated my move, and I caught her in the side, which earned me a nice sucker punch in the stomach. I doubled over with a grunt as I stumbled away from the unit.

Val grabbed me from behind, wrapping one arm around my neck. “This is getting really old. Why don’t you chill the fuck out and—”

Twisting in her grasp, I used her weight against her as I grabbed her arm. I flipped her over my shoulder, and she hit the floor with a satisfying yelp. Breathing hard, I stood over her. “I can’t believe you, Val. You know I can’t just let you walk away from here.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked from her prone position. “I know you’re not going to kill me. You don’t have it in you. So you’re going to try to take me in, and yeah, I’m not into that. I just need to delay this.”

“For what—?”

Val leaped to her feet like a damn ninja and coldcocked me. Blood leaked out of my nose as the pain exploded. I spun, kicking out with my legs. Val darted and then lurched forward, grabbing huge handfuls of my hair. I shrieked as fire spread across my scalp.

“You’re going to pull my hair?” I gritted out, grabbing her arm. “That is low, Val.”

“That’s the lowest thing you think I’ve done?”

“Oh, I know there’s more.” Digging my fingers into her wrist, I put the pressure on her until she yelped and let go. Springing backward, I spun and kicked out again. Val tried to dodge my legs, but they caught her in the hip. She went down on one knee. “You’re pretty much wallowing in—”

An icy wind whipped across the roof, stinging the sore spots on my face. Val stiffened and then slowly pushed to her feet. She stepped back, giving me a wide berth. I opened my mouth, but a large, winged bird landed on the ledge of the roof.

It was a raven.

The thing was huge and glossy black, and totally not a normal bird.

My heartbeat stuttered, and all I could think was, not again as the air rippled around the raven, and a second later the prince was crouched in its place.

Chapter Thirteen

The prince was still for a moment, and sort of reminded me of the statues perched on rooftops, made of marble and consisting of no warmth or life. Only his midnight-colored hair moved in the breeze, playing across his chiseled features.

Instinct forced me to take a step back, and it was in that moment when I realized I had no weapons in my hands. I’d been fighting Val, and not once had I pulled a weapon. Her earlier taunts rang true. I couldn’t kill her.

But right now that wasn’t the most pressing issue to focus on.

The prince was back, and something else Val said had surfaced. I just need to delay this. She knew he’d come. “Bitch,” I hissed.

“I knew he’d come,” she confirmed in a low voice.

Anger bubbled up like lava. “I want to punch you again.”

“Girls,” the prince murmured as he straightened to his full, impressive height. “What do humans say? Why fight when you can make love?”

“That is incredibly cliché,” I said, widening my stance.

A smirk formed on the prince’s near-perfect lips as he stepped off the ledge. He was dressed much like yesterday. Wind tousled his shirt, pushing it back against his hard stomach and chest. “And your hair is still obnoxiously bright, even at night.”