Death Bringer sj-2

by Kate Pearce

“You are an empath. Your work will bring you to Otherworld.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’ll endeavor not to come near any Fae of your Royal bloodline. I never have in the past. How does that sound?”

  He held out his hand, and she shook it.

  “Good luck, Soul Sucker.”

  “Thanks.” She took her backpack from his outstretched hand. He damn well knew that if Vadim died so early in their relationship, she was unlikely to survive. He was quite happy to let her walk away and die. Her resolve to bring him down hardened. She gave him her best smile. “But I don’t think I’ll need it.”

  The king walked to the opposite end of the row of chairs, where the Dark Lord’s emissary sat, and engaged him in conversation. Ella stared down at her backpack and struggled to control her emotions. She’d never understand the Fae and their cavalier attitude to life. If it made you that ruthless, maybe being immortal wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

  “Good day, Ms. Walsh.”

  She looked up to see Vadim’s diminutive mother taking the seat beside hers. She, at least, hadn’t changed her clothes, but her leaf-green silk gown was worthy of any occasion. Despite everything, Ella took a moment to covet it.

  “It’s vintage Dior.”

  “Not magical elves? Damn. Don’t tell me you can read my thoughts, as well?”

  “I didn’t need to. Your face gave you away.” The queen smiled and smoothed the silk. “As you are mated to my son, I can access your thoughts, but it isn’t easy. Your shields are excellent and most unlike the average human’s.”

  “That’s empaths for you. We’re tricky.” Ella returned her gaze to the scene below them. “How exactly will this battle work?”

  “Usually, it is a series of magical tests combined with physical strength.”

  “And is it usual to have one man against four?”

  The queen sighed. “No, but my son is very powerful. I believe he will overcome his opponents.”

  “You do?” Ella looked hard at the queen, but her beautiful face gave nothing away. “You’re the only person who thinks so.”

  “Even you doubt him, Ms. Walsh?”

  “I have no idea what to think.”

  “But you intend to aid him.”

  It was a statement rather than a question, and one she felt confident not answering.

  “How do they stop other people adding their magic to the fight?”

  “They put up a barrier, but it doesn’t always work. I suspect anyone who wished to influence the outcome of the contest could get involved, if she or he had the means.” The queen lowered her voice. “Like a bonded mate linked with one of the combatants, for example.”

  Ella glanced at her sideways. Wow, she was being remarkably helpful for someone who was supposed to be alienated from her son. She’d basically given Ella the go-ahead to help Vadim anyway she could.

  Below them, a trumpet sounded, and three males bearing silken banners advanced from the rear of the hall, reminding her strikingly of Vegas again, although even she didn’t think she could stand having to eat a medieval banquet right now. After the men came three leashed black dragons, their fanged tongues flicking out over strong white teeth, their red eyes gleaming. The four sect dudes came next. She glanced around the hall. Apart from her, the Dark Lord’s emissary, a dozen guards and the Royal family, there didn’t appear to be any other spectators, which suited her fine.

  Vadim walked out and she almost forgot to breathe. He was also armed with a sword, but had no other armor. He towered over the other Fae, his expression chillingly remote and focused, his black-feathered wings folded tight against his spine. For a second, his gaze appeared to alight on Ella and the queen, but he offered no sign of acknowledgment. She gripped her backpack hard and concentrated on simultaneously keeping her shields high and searching for a way through to Vadim’s mind.

  Ah, there he was. She breathed a little easier, only to almost squawk in annoyance as some kind of shield came up around the arena, weakening her link to a trickle. Would it be enough to maintain their connection? If she increased her power, someone might detect it. Hopefully, once the battle began and interest turned to that, she could increase the voltage.

  “Is Morosov supposed to fight them all at the same time? It seems a bit one-sided.”

  “I assume there is more to it than that.” The queen’s pale beringed fingers were twisted tightly together in her lap.

  The trumpets sounded again. Adam the asshole stepped forward, his voice carrying down the entire length of the hall.

  “The contest between Death Bringer and the sect is to the death.”

  “Hopefully, your death,” Ella muttered.

  “Let us begin.” He clapped his hands and the four sect members dispersed to God knows where, leaving Vadim alone at the far end of the hall. Ella focused her awareness of her mate and began to pray.

  * * *

  Vadim caught sight of Ella in her pink jeans, sitting next to his mother at the far end of the hall. A more incongruous pair he could hardly imagine, but they appeared to be talking to each other. Ella’s mind brushed his like a butterfly’s wings. He almost smiled, and just remembered to turn it into a glare instead. He felt the hum of magical power as a shield enclosed the hall and the wavering of his mate’s presence in his head. Before he could panic, she was back, a little weaker but definitely there.

  Adam started shouting something about the battle being on, and then the four members of the sect promptly disappeared, leaving Vadim standing by himself in the center of the floor. Wasn’t anyone going to tell him the rules? Perhaps there were none. His smile was savage and his fangs elongated, scraping past his lip. Not that he needed any rules. He was quite prepared to kill and maim as necessary to win his and Ella’s freedom.

  And when Ella was free, they’d be having a conversation she would never forget...

  The tiled floor beneath his feet started to shake as if they were having an earthquake. When the dust settled, a strange array of rocks and ruined buildings covered the floor space, reminding him of the ruins of a classical city, or an overturned chessboard. Some of the buildings were high and some quite low. Presumably they were meant to provide cover for the sect as they took turns to try and fuck him up.

  A flicker of movement on his right held his attention, and he turned as another massive bolder with the icy sheen of an iceberg shot up through the floor, cracking the tile. On top of it was one of the sect, his dagger poised to throw.

  Vadim ducked to the side and held his hand palm up to deflect the passage of the blade. At the last moment, he realized the dagger was magically primed to find his heart, and had to increase his own power to repel it. The tip of the blade grazed his outstretched thumb and pain shot through him. With a roar, he sent the weapon spinning like a boomerang right back at the red-haired man who’d thrown it. The metal gleamed in the sunlight as it sliced through the male’s silk shirt, drawing a corresponding line of stark red and a shout of rage.

  The smell of his own blood and that of his opponent mingled in the air, making Vadim lick his lips in anticipation.

  “Watch out behind you!”

  He spun around as Adam appeared to his right, backed against an ancient-looking Roman arch, an arrow notched and ready to fly from his small Fae bow. Where the hell had that come from? Hadn’t they agreed no weapons but daggers beforehand?

  “That’s not allowed!” Vadim shouted.

  “Says who?” Adam loosed the arrow.

  “Me.” Vadim flicked his finger and set the arrow alight, scattering the charcoal ashes and then blowing them back in his opponent’s face. Adam disappeared, coughing in a cloud of black ash. Vadim turned back to the rock face only to see it vanish again into the floor. The bald sect member sent a blast of magic across the divide, and Vadim retaliated.

  Could he create his own obstacles for the sect? He tried a quick spell, but nothing happened. Things were definitely weighted against him. Dammit, he hated being so out in the open. He ran for cove
r. Another blast followed the first, and he dodged that one too.

  “He’s not as confident as the other three, Morosov. He fears you. Get in his face.”

  Ella was obviously intent on giving him an in-depth analysis of his enemy’s thoughts. Not that he was complaining. From her position at the other end of the hall, sometimes she could see his opponents even more clearly than he could. And he was man enough to realize that in this situation, he needed all the help he could get. Instead of backing off, he ran straight toward the male, leaping the crater where the rock had stood and blasting magic from both hands. The bald one started to retreat, his terrified gaze on Vadim, his thoughts shouting out to his comrades for help.

  He’d forgotten he had Ella’s empath talents. They might come in handy for tracking when his opponents intended to attack. Vadim kept going, then brought the man down beneath him. He kicked out wildly, screaming like a stuck pig. Vadim forced his head back, baring his throat.

  “Tell me how to get my mate’s face back.”

  “No!”

  “Tell me.”

  “Morosov, Red’s almost on you.”

  Vadim sent a surge of power through his captive and the man went limp. He wasn’t dead yet, but he was definitely out of the fight for a while. He dropped the body to the ground and went to stand, only to be sent crashing to his knees again by the force of a magical blow. His left shoulder hurt like fuck, and his feathers were smoldering, never a good smell at the best of times.

  And now he was pissed.

  He gathered himself and ran for the next-largest obstacle, a three-foot-high wall, and threw himself over the top of it. Unfortunately, Adam wasn’t on the other side, which would’ve made things nice and easy. Vadim took a second to check out the condition of his shoulder, where a tunnel of flesh had been gouged out. There was very little bleeding. For some reason, his thumb was far worse. He sucked it into his mouth and healed it. Because of his opponent’s power, his shoulder would have to wait for some more serious magical healing. It was a nuisance, but any major wounds he inflicted on the sect would have the same longevity.

  “Dude, where are you?”

  Behind the laconic question, Ella’s voice was tinged with a hint of anxiety.

  “I’m fine. The bald one is out cold.” He hesitated. “Why do you care?”

  “Of course I care!”

  “After that performance yesterday?”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Morosov, lighten up! I’m trying to save your ass here!”

  “And why is that?”

  The silence seemed to go on forever.

  “Because after that comment, I want to be the one to kill you myself?”

  “I’m up for that.”

  “Awesome. By the way, Red’s devious, Blondie is worse, and impatient with it, and you already know Adam will do anything to win. I don’t think they’re strong enough to take you individually, although I’m not sure what will happen if they work in pairs.”

  “Thanks.”

  She sounded pissed but remarkably professional. At this point, he’d take it. He took a peep around the edge of the wall. There was no sign of anyone among the ruins, only the acrid scent of burning. Where had the bald guy’s body gone? He should’ve tried to secure it in some way.

  “You should’ve killed him outright.” Her voice was hard. “None of them will give you a break, remember that.”

  “You said he was the weakest. I thought to keep him alive and make him talk.”

  “If you insist on having a confession, it’ll have to come from Adam. No one else will be believed.”

  “At this point, I’ll take whatever I can get.”

  He opened all his senses and caught a hint of movement and heat to his right. A flame flicked out from among the rubble, followed by an unearthly growl. As the elongated form of a black dragon slithered around the corner, Vadim’s hand closed around a large chunk of fallen stone. Glistening red eyes fastened on his, and the dragon took off, heading straight for his face. Bringing back his arm, Vadim launched his missile, imbuing it with deathly magic that made it glow like burning sulphur.

  With a horrific screech the dragon fell backward, his wing and chest caved in by the force of the blow. Vadim didn’t stop to watch the creature come to ground. It was still capable of damaging him with its sharp teeth. He doubted anyone was going to bind up his hurts as they’d done for Ella. He sized up a half-fallen tower about forty feet away and ran toward that, aware of Ella in his mind, sharing his ordeal and lending her aid.

  As magic crackled around him, setting the air on fire, he leaped the last few feet into the tower and hurriedly climbed the stairs to the top. It didn’t give him much advantage, but at least he’d have a wider view of the field.

  “Why do they keep saving me?”

  Ella’s voice was in his head. He leaned against the curved wall, breathing hard, and surveyed his surroundings. Down below, the dragon lay unmoving, a blackened shape draped over a low marble base.

  “Does it really matter right now?”

  “If I’m dead, you’d stop fighting.”

  “Like hell I would.” He registered the glint of a sword tip behind the pillar directly in front of the tower. “Can we talk about this afterward? I’m rather busy.”

  “But I have a feeling it’s important.”

  “Well, let me know how that goes for you. Can you see anyone near the half-ruined leaning tower?”

  “Only you at the top. Wait. Red’s opposite you at ground level.”

  “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Baldy’s still out cold, and Blondie is advancing toward the opposite side of the tower.”

  Vadim shifted his stance and looked backward. There was no sign of the blond male, but he didn’t doubt Ella’s words. “And Adam?”

  “Just hanging back, waiting to see if the others can kill you, I guess.”

  “Reassuring as ever.”

  “Hey, I’m doing my best!”

  He didn’t reply, as Red had broken cover and was moving steadily in a zigzag pattern toward the bottom of the tower. Vadim waited for as long as he dared and then sent off a bolt of magic, bringing a teetering column down, hopefully on the male’s head. Unfortunately, when the dust cleared, Red was still advancing. A flash of blond hair behind him made Vadim aim a similar strike at his other opponent, who was also creeping closer.

  “Be careful, Morosov, they’re psychically linked.”

  “I got that.”

  “That means they can join their magical power together, right?”

  “Right.”

  Vadim drew his sword. Should he descend or stay put? He’d be in a far better position if they came up individually, but he didn’t believe they were going to make it that easy for him. Malevolent magic enfolded the tower from either side and closed over his head, the two powers merging and pressing down on him like an enormous weight.

  With a roar, he channeled his powers into resisting the invaders, aware even as he fought them off that the stones beneath his feet were growing warmer by the second.

  “They’ve set the tower on fire!”

  He didn’t bother to reply as he sheathed his sword, raised both hands over his head and punched his way through the shield like a diver launching himself from the high board. Inside his head, the two men screamed as if he’d physically assaulted them while they tried to gather the shreds of their powers and re-form the trap. But it was too late. Vadim opened his wings and flew low over the burning tower, spied Red and sent another lash of power into the man’s body.

  Behind him, the tower disappeared below the surface of the checkerboard; the flames extinguished. Only a cloud of smoke was left marring the perfection of the painted ceiling. He alighted on a large rock and looked back at where the tower had been. There was movement in the rubble. Neither of the males was dead yet, but he had significantly reduced their powers.

  “Dammit, Baldy’s awake again. That’s what Adam was doing.”

  Vadim rubbed a han
d over his smoke-rimmed eyes and spotted the gleam of a domed head running toward the spot where he’d located the other two males.

  “If two didn’t work, he’s going to want to try three.”

  “Agreed.”

  There was a pause. “Do you think you can handle it?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t need me?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I wonder if that’s why they kept me alive, because they know I can’t do anything to affect the outcome and can only distract you.”

  “You’re not distracting me.”

  “Sure I am.”

  “You’re helping me, Soul Sucker.” He took the opportunity to breathe deeply before the next assault came. “Your ability to read their minds and predict their movements is invaluable. And I might still need your magical power.”

  “Don’t they suspect I can help you?”

  “I doubt they ever imagined that their Death Bringer would be mated to an empath. Who the hell knows what will happen?”

  An arrow sizzled past his ear, and he ducked just in time, crouching low on the exposed surface of the rock. This wasn’t a good place to defend himself. His gaze fastened on a series of ruins farther up the hall, and he took off, his wings opening to help him glide across the vast space. Ella would have a clearer view of him now, which would also be useful. He had a sense that he was being driven toward the end of the arena where the spectators were sitting. It would be just like Adam to want a big finale in front of those who hated and loved Death Bringer the most. His overconfidence astounded Vadim. What weapon did Adam think he had that could match his and Ella’s combined power? Whatever it was, he would soon find out.

  * * *

  Ella stared as Vadim swooped low over the arena, alighted near a ruined templelike structure and promptly disappeared. Considering Adam had designed a series of structures that were all of pale stone or rock, Vadim was doing an amazing job of not standing out. The golds and silvers of his opponents blended in far better.

  “Duh.” Ella muttered to herself.

  “What, my dear?”

  The queen mother, who was seated on Ella’s left, looked up.