Maya moved into the middle of the clearing and spoke. “We are here to witness the duels between Jacqueline Crawford and Antoine DuLac and then Garrett Cuvier and Eleanor Howard. The duels will be fought in accordance with vampiric law. There is no time limit and torture is allowed. Only one fighter will leave the ring alive.” At this point the crowd had become completely silent, the serious nature of the night’s events sinking in.
“Each fighter may bring one weapon into the ring with him, but it must first be presented to our judge for approval. If a weapon is enchanted, it must have been created that way and not altered unnaturally for the purpose of the duel. This includes poison. Our judge will determine whether a weapon is acceptable or not.
"No one outside of the ring may interfere in any way on pain of death. This includes the use of mental powers.” As she spoke she looked at everyone, so there’d be no doubt as to the seriousness of her words.
“The duels will be judged by an outside neutral party. Kennet, Fae Lord of Cascade, has agreed to take on this task.” I looked toward the woods and saw a tall, slender man with a glowing golden aura emerge. It was hard for any of us to look at him at first because his aura was so bright that his facial features were unclear. Many of the people who'd come to support us took a step back, obviously afraid. When he reached the center of the clearing, his glowing aura dimmed and he greeted Maya with a small nod of his head. His hair was long and very light in color, a platinum blonde that bordered on white. He had sharp features, thin lips and deep purple eyes which moved from Eleanor and Antoine to Garrett and me, reflecting only mild curiosity.
As Maya left the ring, he turned to look at the crowd and spoke in a rich melodic voice, free of any accent. “Jacqueline Crawford and Antoine DuLac, come into the ring with your weapons.”
Antoine moved quickly to the center of the ring, pulling out his knife and handing it hilt first to the fae Lord. Kennet examined it and gave it back to Antoine who then returned to Eleanor, kneeling in front of her as if he were a knight asking for his Queen’s favor. I moved hesitantly into the center and handed Lord Kennet Liam’s blade. His eyes met mine and instantly he was past my wall and in my head.
“Who gave you this?”
“I borrowed it from a friend.”
“A powerful friend?” He arched an eyebrow and smirked.
“Yes.“ My mouth felt dry. He was every bit as frightening as Antoine.
“Tell me his name.” I felt a strong nudge pushing me to tell him. I strengthened my wall in response, but instantly realized how stupid I was being, since he'd already breached it so easily.
“No, I can’t. I promised.”
His eyes narrowed and yet I felt him withdraw, making the decision not to push harder. He could have forced me to tell him, or he could have just taken the information without my permission. “You can, but you choose not to betray your source. I will not weaken you before a battle by forcing you to tell me. Did he offer it freely?”
“Yes. I wasn't planning on using a weapon."
“Then why did you take it?”
“I took it because he advised me to take it and I've learned to listen to his advice.” My answer seemed to amuse him because he smiled at me, at least, I think he was smiling. He seemed more alien even then Liam, his movements and expressions felt off. An icy chill rolled down my spine as I took in a whiff of his scent and tapped into the lines, focusing it to see him more clearly. Kennet's core energy, the magic that surrounded and flowed within him, made Eleanor and Antoine's look like a couple of triple A batteries.
“To wield this blade, one must be powerful indeed. I will watch your duel with great interest, Jacqueline Crawford.” Lord Kennet returned the fae knife with a nod and I spun and walked quickly to Garrett, still shivering slightly. I wrapped my arms around him and shut my eyes. Note to self: avoid fae lords whenever possible.
“In one minute the duel will begin.” Kennet spoke loudly so all would hear.
Garrett sent, “Francois is here. He’ll heal you if you need help when the duel is over. You may have to drink his blood, but you can trust him completely.” I nodded against his chest.
He lifted my face. “Je t’aime, mon ange.”
“Je t’aime.” I managed a smile as I turned away, allowing my hand to run down his arm until only our fingertips were touching. With one last step I was on my own, moving into the clearing where Antoine waited, his lips curled in a vicious sneer.
We circled each other, glaring and waiting for the battle to start. I pulled in a slow breath, allowing a deathly calm to replace the fear in my heart. I thought about Carly’s violent murder and allowed my anger to build inside of me. Antoine hissed and moved his knife back and forth between his hands, but I left my enchanted blade in its sheath where Liam had placed it. Magic pooled around my feet so I drew it into my center and shaped it to my will. The sounds of the crowd died away, as all of my mental focus, energy and magic was held in readiness, aimed toward Antoine's destruction.
“The duel will begin now!” Lord Kennet’s voice rang out.
He was on me before I took another breath, biting viciously into my shoulder and ripping off a chunk of flesh. I avoided his knife by striking his wrist with a brick of energy, but the pain from his bite was excruciating. I managed to jab him near the heart with another sharpened shaft of power and he backed off, looking surprised but pleased. Yes Antoine, I’m going to give you a good fight. He rushed me, attempting to smash his fist into my face. I turned away at the last second so he only grazed the side of my mouth, splitting my lip. I responded with a flat wave of energy which sent him flying across the clearing where he crashed into a tree. Unfortunately, he was on his feet immediately, wiping the blood off of his mouth and smiling.
He rushed forward again, using his vamp speed this time, so I slashed out immediately with a mental slice across his neck, causing him to growl, but not slow down. Although I tried to avoid him, he hacked at me, ripping through my pants and leaving a long gash in my thigh. I tripped him at the last second and pushed out another wave of energy sending him rolling once more to the far side of the clearing where he got back to his feet quickly. He touched his wounded neck and then lifted his bloody fingers to his mouth where he licked them and rubbed his saliva on his injury, sneering at me. I watched the blood stop and the wound close and disappear.
I was bleeding from three places now and I knew I didn’t have much time left if I was going to have the strength to kill him. The steady blood loss would eventually weaken me so much that I’d be unable to defend myself, let alone attack, but I didn’t want to use up my strength healing myself just yet.
We began to circle once again. “So, Cheetah, you use the lines well. It won’t mean a fucking thing in the end when I rip you apart piece by piece and drain you in front of your lover and your friends.” His voice was harsh and throaty. “Carly begged me to stop. Please stop...please." He imitated a woman's voice in a cruel way. "Then she just screamed.”
His laughter burned a hole in my gut as I dug my nails into my palms to pull in my focus. He'd made a deadly mistake, because now I was seething with rage. Liam’s knife vibrated against my hip, responding to my anger, so I took it out of its sheath. It felt pleasantly warm in my hand as its energy merged with mine with almost a sentient desire for blood. My eyes narrowed; glaring at my enemy in anticipation of avenging my friend, accepting the unique magic that the fae blade offered up.
Antoine raced toward me in a blur, his fangs extended and his knife slashing through the air. I raced behind him in my own blur of motion, surprising him and jabbing him in the kidneys with Liam’s fae blade, then raising my hand to strike again. He stumbled and threw himself away from my intended strike, roaring with fury and pain.
I’d been fighting for only ten minutes and I was tired and bleeding badly from the wound on my thigh. I was using a great deal of energy and I needed to play it smarter and conserve my strength until the right time came to strike the killing blow. Magic co
ntinued to wrap around me, so I used it to darken my aura, allowing my anger to suck energy from Antoine the way he’d sucked blood and strength from Carly. I saw the first flicker of fear in his eyes as I grew stronger and he weakened.
Knowing he was in trouble, Antoine barreled into me, knocking me down and making Liam’s blade fly across the clearing. My head bounced off the ground, stunning me and causing my vision to blur. When it cleared a few seconds later, Antoine loomed above me, hissing with fury, his lip curled into an angry snarl. He lifted his foot and stomped down on my left hand with his boot. I cried out as I felt bones shatter and muscles tear. Excruciating pain took away my ability to focus and therefore defend myself as I watched him pull back his heavy boot once more. He kicked me solidly in the ribs and I went flying across the clearing, landing in a heap not too far from the fae knife.
In the throes of my wretched agony, I heard it call to me. The blade craved more of Antoine’s blood, demanding that I draw on the power it offered up and use it to kill him. Finding strength in desperation, I pulled more magic into my center and promised it Antoine’s life. My right hand closed around the cool stone handle that had abruptly materialized in my palm, as a sudden burst of energy gave me a more focused confidence. I kept my eyes on my enemy who was slowly sauntering toward me, grinning maliciously. Blood was dripping from my mouth, leg, shoulder and hand as I raised myself to a kneeling position facing him.
I’d have only one chance, so I hid the knife by my side and waited for my prey to come closer.
“Antoine,” I rasped. “I ….” I coughed, then spit out blood and groaned. Although his kick must have broken a rib or two, I forced myself to ignore my body’s protests and clutched the blade more tightly. He didn’t see it there, because his entire focus was on my anguished expression. I was sure he thought the blade still lay where it had landed before. I realized at that moment that his arrogance would kill him.
I kept my agonized mask in place as I opened myself to the darkest part of my psyche and felt only bloodlust, the darkness drinking in my pain and fear like it was a magical tonic, making me stronger than ever.
He leaned over me and snarled. “What is it cheetah? You want mercy?” He crouched down to grab my crushed hand and squeezed it hard, making me scream. Antoine laughed deeply and then hissed, “You can beg for it now.” He bit down savagely on the inside of my elbow and starting to drink, still squeezing my injured hand. Groaning and sobbing from the horrible pain, my inner darkness was smiling as I called upon my rage to pull as much of the ley line magic into my center as I could bear to hold.
I smelled his rotten breath and thought of him beating and draining my friend, Carly. The fae blade melded with me, becoming an extension of my dark desires and we both began to pulse with power as my healer stepped aside and my warrior self took charge.
“Antoine,” I sobbed again for effect. He laughed between the gulps, looking smug and in control. My focus narrowed as I sent my heated rage into the blade, commanding it to do my will and kill him. It was so eager to do exactly that. I leaned closer to his ear and whispered. “For Carly.”
Faster than I thought possible, I swung the knife up between us, stabbing him low in the stomach. He let go of my arm and roared with pain as I twisted and viciously ripped a gash from belly to sternum, pulling it out again. The blade had burned a trail through his body, his insides smoking and bleeding, as if it were the devil’s own weapon.
As dark blood gushed out of his jagged wound, covering us both, his silver eyes rose to meet mine and widened slightly in surprise.
"Your eyes, cheetah..." He croaked.
Our faces were so close that the orange glow reflected in his eyes startled me, at least until I noticed that his skin had begun to burn. Still there was no fear in his face, only a brief flash of an emotion that struck at me hard. He must have seen my own surprise because he sneered at me right before I gathered my strength again and sliced through his thickly tattooed neck with one smooth stroke. His head fell and rolled several feet before turning to dust. His body collapsed on top of mine. I groaned and cried out from the heat and the weight putting pressure on my injuries. A moment later the fire was out and he was only a powdery ash that began to disappear with the steady wind that came off of the sea.
“Jacqueline Crawford is declared the winner,” rang out Lord Kennet’s voice. Most of the audience cheered, but I didn't have the strength to even smile. As I laid there in pain, covered in our blood, a darker, unfamiliar part of me felt pleased and sated. I clung to that blackness with all my strength, because I knew that when it was gone, I'd have to face my healer self again.
Thinking back to Antoine's last moments, I'd recognized relief in his eyes, and the thought that he might have looked forward to death hit me hard. Even a monster like Antoine had once been human, had possessed a soul. What was he before Eleanor, an even crueler monster, had turned him? I shuddered and locked away those thoughts, only dredging up the strength to close my eyes.
I was suddenly lifted up and taken into the tent. Garrett was there along with Francois. He held my shattered hand gently in his own, turning it carefully to see the damage. I whimpered as Garrett tried to soothe me with sweet words and gentle kisses. Francois turned to him and spoke in French then translated for me. “You’ll need my blood. Garrett cannot give you his before he meets Eleanor.”
"I can heal myself, at least I think I can." I tried to pull my hand away, but the pain was too much.
Garrett pleaded. “Please Jackie. You're exhausted. Francois' blood will heal you quickly. I won’t be worrying about you while I’m fighting her.”
“I’m sorry; of course it’s ok. I’m an…idiot.” I managed to gasp out.
“You are the most amazingly brave, beautiful, perfect female.” He kissed me again, this time with passion.
Francois was smiling. “I hate to interrupt, but Kennet is going to call you into the ring in exactly three minutes and you have to ready yourself.”
“Go, Garrett. I love you.”
“Je t’aime.” He disappeared through the tent flap just as Lord Kennet announced that he and Eleanor should bring their weapons into the ring in two minutes for his approval.
Francois sat quietly holding my hand in his. A few stray tears trickled down my cheek from the pain and the tension. “You’re going to have to drink my blood in order to heal properly.” I nodded. He bit into his wrist and held it to my mouth. I steadied it there with my uninjured hand and began to drink, noticing that his blood tasted slightly sweeter than Garrett’s.
He watched me carefully, measuring exactly when I'd had enough. Almost instantly, my shoulder, elbow, thigh and hand stopped bleeding, the jagged cuts closing up quickly. The pain from my cracked rib lessened as well. He took away his wrist and licked it clean. Garrett's was high octane, but Francois' blood was like rocket fuel. When I tried to stand, he put a hand out to stop me.
“Not yet. You need another minute. May I prevent scarring by licking your wounds?” I nodded and watched as he bent down to lick the top of my thigh, my shoulder and very carefully, the inside of my left elbow. My hand had improved, but was not completely back to normal so he suggested, “If you shift your hand to your animal form, it will heal faster.” I pulled on the lines and shifted both hands, not sure that I could do just the one. Francois was still holding the left one and seemed completely enthralled by my fur, claws and markings. He stroked it gently.
“Of course, you’re a cheetah. Charmant! Does it feel better?”
“Yes, Francois, thank you.” I smiled at him gratefully as I transitioned my hands back to human, pleased to see that I could wiggle my fingers and form a fist with just a little stiffness. I kept glancing at the entrance to the tent, wondering what was happening.
“Garrett has a few more minutes. Your lip was cut also and we don't want anything to mar your lovely face.” He kept his eyes on mine as he took his finger and put it in his mouth and then rubbed it slowly on my healing lip. He put his f
inger back in his mouth and sucked off the blood, then smiled his very sexy smile. “You are quite delicious.” He winked. “Come, Madame Cuvier. Garrett will need to see you before the duel.”
“Thank you, Francois.” I managed to hold in my laughter at his unashamed flirting, but wasn't quite as successful at hiding the smile. After quickly replacing Liam's knife in the sheath on my belt, I took Francois’ proffered arm and we left the tent together.
Chapter Forty-five
Garrett had just come back after showing Kennet his weapon. When he saw me healed and smiling, he picked me up and spun me around as our supporters in the crowd all cheered. “I’ll destroy her and then our lives will be perfect.”
“Mine is perfect already.” I kissed him quickly and then pressed my forehead against his, locking gazes and washing him with my energy. HIs confidence soared and I forced myself to let go of my fear. Tonight, he'd free himself of this bitch forever.
I felt him switch to ‘vamp mode’ as he turned and gracefully swayed into the ring, fangs out, lips pulled back in a snarl that raised the hairs on my arms. She matched him step for step glowering and hissing. Her sexy demeanor had completely disappeared, replaced by a violent beast; her true colors for all of us to see. Antoine’s death had surprised but not unbalanced her, at least not that I could see. I felt her tremendous power charging the air, tendrils reaching out toward her nest.
My team were suddenly standing beside me in support, so I took Ethan's hand as he put an arm around Sinc who was already clutching Kyle's hand. We all knew that something was up when Eleanor's nest became unnaturally still. Lily, Sasha and the rest began to sink to the ground and weaken before our eyes. She was draining them of their life force so that she could beat Garrett. As she grew more powerful, her black aura cleared and her eyes turned a solid swirling silver, sharper in tone than Garrett's.
To distract her, Garrett held up his wrist and showed her the mark of our mating. Her eyes widened and she whipped her head around to glare at me, so I held up mine, along with one prominent finger. Her lip curled back in a snarl and she hissed out her rage.
Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series) Page 27