He was in fine form mock fighting his human opponents with a wooden sword. He easily bested everyone they paired him with. I couldn’t help but feel pride in each of his wins. I applauded a little too loudly after each one.
He caught my eye after one win, and I smiled the smallest smile I could. I wanted to grin and wave, like an idiot, but I knew he wouldn’t respond well to that. He didn’t smile back which was no surprise, but he did offer a curt nod. It was enough, enough to keep me from throwing my champagne glass at him in jilted frustration.
“So,” Jimmy’s elbow slipped over the back of his chair and looked at me. “What are you going to be competing in? Your friend is obviously going to place tonight.” Jimmy nodded to August who had also bested her last three opponents. I felt a tinge of guilt for watching Garrett instead of her. “That will be three out of four. What about you?”
I opened my mouth to say that I had no intention of competing, but Devin put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. Rather painfully, in fact. “Lenore is going to compete in the archery tournament.”
“Oh, really?” Jimmy said with genuine surprise, though I wasn’t sure why. Perhaps my cleavage was making my brain look small. I smiled and nodded shyly about the admission. “I look forward to it.” Jimmy smiled glancing at my chest.
I looked away uncomfortable by his gaze, innocent as it was. That was the problem with dressing to please your man. It also pleased other men.
I caught the eye of Adrian Dorn in the mayor’s box to my left. There was an entry point to the arena between us, but no other obstructions. He nodded at me with a flirtatious smile. He apparently approved of my outfit as well. I nodded back, but couldn’t manage a smile.
He looked back at his company and nodded up the stadium. He stood wiping down his bland sweater. I looked back at Devin. He was distracted by August and Garrett mock fighting. Neither of them appeared to be letting up, but since they knew each other so well, the fight looked like a dance more than a match.
“I have to go do something.” I said before stepping past him. I thought that would be the end of it, but he pulled me back onto his lap.
“Where?” He said not taking his eyes off the fight.
“I’ll be within eyeshot.” I didn’t let him continue his investigation and he seemed to know that I wasn’t interested in him joining me. He let me go and I stepped out of the box.
I met Adrian over the entry way between our two boxes. He was taller then I remembered, but I was standing on stairs the last time I met him. I did however remember how his touch made me feel.
This time his hands were tucked in the pockets on his pants. The only physical movement he made toward me was a slight bow. “Hello.” He smiled and rocked back on his feet. He at least appeared to be nervous.
“Hi.” I said trying even now to figure out why I had come to meet him. Instincts were fine and dandy, but until I learned how to drive them, they were going to get me into some serious accidents.
“You look nice.” He said pointedly looking away after he said it. This man was not shy, but he was pretending to be.
“Thank you. I was going for sexy, but I guess nice will do.” I leaned my hip against the railing in front of us and crossed my arms. I realized that it was only exasperating my cleavage and put my arms down again.
“Your body is sexy,” he smirked leaning his elbows on the railing beside me, so he was facing the tournament. “You’ve just decorated it nicely.”
I couldn’t quite muster a smile for his efforts. “I want to apologize for August’s behavior last time we were here.” He looked out at August. I followed his gaze and saw that she was watching us. Garrett was taking interest in our meeting as well. I didn’t have much time. “She’s very protective.”
“I can see that,” he sounded annoyed.
“She doesn’t usually like my friends.” I huffed as if I too was frustrated.
“I’m not sure we’ve known each other long enough to be friends, Lenore.” He smirked at me.
“What, haven’t you heard of friends at first sight?” I asked finally finding a smile for him.
“I believe the phrase is love at first sight.”
“A misnomer don’t you think?” I flipped my hair back out of my face, even though it wasn’t really in my way. “Love at first sight. I mean let’s face it, two people drawn to each other across a room…they aren’t really thinking about touching each other’s hearts, are they?”
His smile brightened and he stood up. I did the same licking my lips as I did. “What do you suppose then, Lenore? Should it be lust at first sight?”
“Definitely,” I winked. I trailed my finger down his sleeve toward his hand. He smiled glancing down at my innocuous flirtation. Even without contact, his proximity made me uncomfortable. I fought on and reached for his hand. It took everything I had to grip his fingers.
At first I didn’t feel anything, but the warmth of his hand, but then it felt wrong. So very, very wrong.
“What to hell are you doing?” Devin ripped me away from Adrian.
Shit, too soon.
“Excuse us, Mr. Dorn.” Devin fumed before he yanked me along behind him. I offered Adrian an apologetic shrug on the way. He didn’t look happy at my sudden exit. Neither was I, but for completely different reasons.
-Interogatous Interruptous-
“Let go.” I hissed as Devin pulled me onto my seat by my lassoed wrist.
“Are you trying to get yourself hurt? August has made it perfectly clear that he is bad news. Why won’t you listen to her?”
“I know and I agree with her, but I need to know more.”
“What more is there to know?” He let go of my wrist.
“Adrian is bad, is not a complete statement for me. Why is he bad? What does he want? Is he the mayor’s lackey? Or is the mayor his? I need more information, Devin.”
“You’re not getting it that way.” He clenched his jaw tightly and narrowed his eyes daring me to defy him.
It took me a moment to realize what my flirtation must have looked like from his perspective. I couldn’t expect him to understand what I myself didn’t understand. I just needed to touch Adrian again. I needed to read him just as I had the old murdering rapist. I needed to see how black his heart was. At the same time I was trying to keep him on my good side in case he was as evil as I suspected. I didn’t need my enemies knowing that they were my enemies.
-I Need A Hero-
By the second round, I was having trouble staying in my seat. It could have been from any number of things: The electric energy in the crowd as they cheered for their favorite competitor. The nervous prideful energy I felt watching my mentor battle grim after grim. Or perhaps it was just the fact that in place of cheerleaders, the mayor had secured strippers to dance for the box seats.
Unfortunately, I knew it was none of the above. Something was wrong. The instincts, that everyone insisted I use, were alight like a forest fire, but I couldn’t translate them. It was all fine and dandy to have a woman’s intuition, but a hell of a lot of good it did with the brain of a nit wit behind it.
I must have looked antsy, because Devin put his hand on my knee and gave me an enquiring look. I leaned over to speak over the cheering crowd. “I don’t like this.” I said trying to articulate the only thing I was sure of.
“I hope not. I’m still holding out hope you’ll give in someday.” He winked at me and squeezed my knee before returning his attentions to his girly dancers. It took until then for me to realize he thought I was referring to them.
I looked to Haden for some counsel, but she was in the middle of an interview with two very attractive male reporters.
I glanced between dancing girls to catch a glimpse of Garrett. He was taking the brunt of eight grim at once. I wasn’t entirely sure why they were bombarding him so much when there were six other competitors available. August was trying to get to him to help, but one of her three grim was particularly dexterous and was managing to avoid all
of her strikes. The other two were keeping her wary, but they weren’t attacking.
I could feel myself rise as I watched the scene, but I still couldn’t see the danger. August could win this tournament with one hand tied behind her back. Why did I want to run to aid her so bad? What was wrong? What was I missing?
I felt a tingle on the back of my neck as if someone was watching me. I glanced at Adrian Dorn, but he wasn’t watching me. He was watching August. He looked upward to the ceiling and nodded at someone.
I looked up and saw the gunmen prepared to save the day as the mayor had instructed them. They looked ready and willing to shoot any grim that got out of line. Aside from them, there were two new additions, but they weren’t gunmen. They handled the spotlights.
My instincts as primal as they were, were screaming at me. I stopped questioning them and let them take over even before I understood what I needed to do.
My hands gripped the railing beside me and I flipped over it. My shoes skidded down the cement wall, easing the sting on my feet when I landed on the concrete below. I could hear Devin above asking me what the hell I was doing, but I was already in motion again. Slow motion, though I knew I was pushing harder than I’ve ever pushed before.
Fucking legs move. I’m too stupid to do this damn job. Please God no! Not AGAIN!
Despite the violation of rules, the crowd was loving my impromptu rush onto the field and they cheered all the louder. Had I had the forethought to simply warn August, she still wouldn’t have heard it.
The grim spotted me right away and swarmed. I had no weapons. The first one I just barreled through with the momentum of my run. The second one grabbed me and I twisted his arm flipping him over to his back and wrenching away. The third’s face shattered before me when my fist went at him full force. I didn’t even feel the three fingers I broke in the process.
Garrett saw me coming through, but he couldn’t get away from his grim. They were on him heavy because they knew he would help August if she got in trouble. It was all a distraction. Haden’s interviews, Devin’s girly dancers, it was all to keep them from noticing August was in trouble.
Adrian hadn’t anticipated me. He didn’t know I was still a threat to his plan. The lights above weaved in and out of the battle and settled on August. The blinding light forced her to back away from her agile opponent—back right into her lingering herders.
“No!” I screamed coming up fast. I didn’t know if I was fast enough.
The shivs were clear glass. They were concealed so well, I don’t imagine the handlers would have even suspected they were there, even if they were looking right at them. The attack would go unnoticed by the gunmen above. Two well-placed stab wounds would be enough to kill August. It would go down as a tragic accident, and the mayor would ruefully promise to do a better job to safe guard his future contestants. All the while he would demand that we continue with the tournaments to rid our state of every last wicked grim.
Why did they want them exterminated so badly?
I pushed as hard as I could. One infuriating step at a time.
Move fucking legs! MOVE!
I could see it playing out yards, feet, and inches from reach. I realized that I was right all along. My greatest fear was about to come to life and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was going to fail, just as I thought I would.
August recovered from the glaring light and sensed more than saw the danger. She spun cutting off the hand of one of her grim attackers. The other was a hair from eviscerating her while her defenses were occupied.
He lunged. I leapt. The glass shard scraped her stomach as he tumbled over with me on top of him. We were immediately tangled in a wrestling stalemate. He wanted to gouge my eyes out, and I just wanted to get off him and check on August.
I looked back. August’s eyes and mouth were wide with surprise. Her weapon hung impotently at her side. The crowd almost immediately hushed in reverence of the moment. I heard the screams, but still didn’t see.
Haden and Devin were running toward us. Garrett was frantically trying to fend off his last grim. August’s third grim appeared from his ducked position behind her. He eyed me with a growl and grinned. His teeth should have been sharpened to fine points, and dripping blood, but they weren’t. He was just the body of somebody I never knew.
August fell to her hands and knees bleeding from the cut across her belly and the wound, the glass shiv now protruding from her back, had made.
-Sixteen Seconds-
At some point, the gunfire started and every last grim was dispatched with the precision of military discipline, including the one under me. I scrambled to August’s side searching for something to do. Even as I searched, she shook her head at me.
“August,” my eyes looked onto hers stinging with the knowledge that we didn’t have much time. “I’m sorry.”
She shushed me. “You have to take care of them.” She whispered.
“I will. I promise.”
“You have to take my place.”
“I could never replace you.” My eyes welled over with tears.
“You have to lead them, promise me.” She looked over me insistently.
“I promise. August, please, don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you.”
“You are so much more than you know. You have to believe that.”
I didn’t, but I nodded.
Haden and Devin arrived falling next to August. They went through the same motions I just had, searching for something to do, but quickly realizing there was nothing. There was just enough time for them to grip her hands and match her gaze before her eyes turned vacant and her head lolled back.
A set of stifled whimpered and stuttered sniffles were all that we could manage to do at the moment. It was Garrett who offered a solemn howl of agony. He was standing behind me. I hadn’t even known he was there. I wanted to leap up to console him, but when his emotional roil was over he offered me a scorching heart breaking glare.
When I looked back at my beloved August, Haden and Devin looked at me with a less scathing expression, but none the less, I could see the disappointment in their eyes.
This was what my training was about. I was supposed to be there to save her and I wasn’t. I had failed her. I had failed my team. I had failed myself. And yet somehow through all that, I had to find a way to keep my promise to August and take her place.
Sneak Peek
Cow Tipping After the apocalypse
I would like to say I offered him a lady-like derisive slap, but my intent was not to discipline him for his errant behavior. My intent was to hurt him the way his supposed death hurt me. Up until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him. Seeing him reminded me that I should have mourned him, but didn’t because I was selfishly engrossed in trying to keep my team from abandoning me.
My fist grazed his cheekbone in a solid backhand. It wasn’t enough to give him a black eye, but it would make it hurt to chew for a while. He cradled his face and stared back at me in shock. I wanted to hit him again, and I even stepped forward to do so, but Garrett and Devin pulled me back.
Priest and I were locked in a silent battle. My eyes were starting to water, and his were returning to their former expression of sympathy. I sniffled trying to decide if I was crying for him, for August, or for everyone who hated me right now.
I broke down and sobbed. I didn’t care if I was supposed to be a strong leader. I just wanted people to stop leaving me. I let my body go slack and I was prepared to drop to the ground and freeze my face to the snow with my tears, but Devin hoisted me up into his arms.
There was a short discussion, before Devin slipped into the back of the SUV with me still cradled on his lap. I felt ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop crying and I didn’t foresee a future that I would be able to stop.
THANK YOU!
I hope you have enjoyed the book and will continue on to book 2:
Cow Tipping After the Apocalypse.
Please leave a re
view. Your opinion not only influences other potential readers, but it helps me know what you like, or dislike about my books, so I can continue to entertain you.
If you are interested in more of my work, please look up “The Warden: Successors” on kindle. An urban fantasy series about a top-secret prison that contains supernatural beings.
Here’s an excerpt:
The Warden: Successors
The guards gruffly tossed Cori and Ethan into the darkened house. The door slammed behind them and a something clicked from the outside. Cori immediately checked the door, but she already knew the answer.
Locked.
She combed the walls for a light switch. After turning off the porch light, she found the main switch. To her left lamps in the living room illuminated the home. The conjoined living room, dining room, and kitchen had the style of an American log cabin. The living room had a huge fireplace, a plush tan couch and two brown leather chairs surrounding a glass coffee table. Taxidermy animals adorned the fireplace, and the illuminating wood lamps rested on slate end tables that flanked the couch.
To her right the dining room table sat to one side of the kitchen island. The table and chairs were hand carved from logs and varnished with a glossy red mahogany stain. The wrought iron faux candle chandelier was centered above the table.
The kitchen counters made an L against the wall squaring off with the L shaped island. The stainless steel industrial sized fridge/freezer opposed the end of the island, while the apron sink on the long counter offered easy back and forth work with the stove inset into the island. The short leg of the island served as a breakfast bar seating that overlooked the kitchen.
Cori wasn’t sure what she expected to see when the lights turned on, but a bachelor pad straight from a design magazine wasn’t what she had in mind. After a moment of looking over the room she rushed over to the fireplace to get a fire going.
Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse (Part 1) Page 20