by Leia Shaw
Jesus Christ!
“See the white flag hooked to their belts? Pull that off and it signals your surrender. But I have a feeling the referees don’t pay close attention and most of the defeated die here.”
Her stomach dropped. Everything faded out except the beating of her heart.
Geo went on about the multiple tiers of prizes and something about semi-finals and finals. She stared ahead where the two men began to fight, but she couldn’t focus.
Most of the defeated die here.
It was kill or be killed. No second chances. No wonder Geo wanted her in a protection circle. This wouldn’t be like training with her brothers. What had she gotten herself into?
She squeezed her eyes shut. For Nikki. For Nikki. Hot tears filled her eyes but she wouldn’t let them fall. Not here, not now. She’d do a lot for her sister, but would she die for her?
An arm wrapped around her shoulders, hauling her against a warm body. Geo didn’t say anything as she got herself under control. He just held her tight, giving her the strength she needed to pull herself together.
After a few moments, she drew in a deep breath, straightened her spine, and set her focus back on the fight only a few yards away. By the looks of things, the shaman was winning. The doll now had several pins in it and Trench Coat Guy was limping and holding his stomach.
What is he? He looked so human.
Then he ran toward the shaman and leapt up in the air with beyond human agility. He landed in a crouch just behind him and placed a thin tube at his lips, pointed at the shaman’s back. But the shaman was quick and bent the doll’s arm backward before his opponent could shoot him. A strangled shout tore out of his throat as his arm twisted in an unnatural way.
Sam cringed in sympathy.
“I’m going to get some water,” Geo whispered in her ear.
She nodded, distracted, and he slipped away.
Secretly, she rooted for Trench Coat Guy though she had no idea why. Maybe she had a thing for dangerous-looking underdogs. With a sickening crunch, he forced his arm back into place. Definitely not human.
He pulled a throwing knife from his pocket. Again, the shaman was quicker. Trench Coat Guy went soaring, flung by some invisible force, all the way across the ring and over the small divider. He landed, hard, at her feet.
He looked up at her, his face bloodied and bruised. “I know the lass you’re looking for,” he said in a thick Irish accent. “Help me and I’ll tell you.”
The referee yelled something in another language, the crowd hushed, waiting for him to get up. She had less than a second to decide.
For Nikki. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a handful of Concealer – an invisibility powder. She’d been saving it for an emergency. Payment for information was good too. Pretending to motion him to get up, she dusted him with the powder.
Then she whispered, “Find me or I’ll sic my demon on you.”
The mysterious man nodded then jumped up and hobbled back into the ring. Someone grabbed her wrist from behind. Her stomach dropped, thinking she’d been caught.
“What do you think you’re doing?” came a familiar voice in her ear.
Geo released her hand and she wiped it on her pants. “Nothing.”
He gave her a wary look then thrust a canteen into her hands. “Drink.”
Obediently, she did. He nudged her and she made room for him to sit. They shifted their attention to the fight. But there was only one contestant. The trench coat guy had disappeared. The crowd murmured restlessly while the shaman spun around, looking for his opponent.
Samantha smiled inside.
Suddenly, the shaman cried out. Blood gushed from his neck where a throwing knife was lodged. He sputtered and tried to grasp the knife, but his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to his knees, gasped one more time then did a face plant on the ground.
The crowd roared and Samantha clapped excitedly. Geo gave her a puzzled look and she stopped herself, tucking her hands under her thighs.
A gong rang out. The jumpsuit guy wrote on the board and the giant dragged the limp Shaman out of the ring.
“Will he live?” she asked Geo.
“No. Shamans are mortal.”
Like witches – the words hung in the air unsaid.
The Concealer would only last an hour or so. She couldn’t hunt down the mysterious man until then so she sat tight and watched the next few fights with morbid fascination. Geo talked in her ear the whole time, pointing out what contestants did right or wrong, and giving suggestions on strategy.
A couple hours later, after a sorcerer defeated a vampire with balls of light thrown from his hands, Geo stood up and stretched.
He looked her over then commanded, “Lunch. No arguments.”
She wasn’t planning to argue. Her stomach growled despite watching the violence unfold around her.
“We’ll go outside to eat,” he added.
After picking out a bowl of rice with what looked like chicken on top, they walked out of the corridor and into the hot Underworld air. She looked up at the red sky and then out to the desolate desert. It had only been a day since leaving that world but it felt like a lifetime ago. She never thought she’d miss the desert, but compared to the bloodbath and evil stench in the mountain, this was paradise.
They were limited by the blood oath in how far they could travel outside the mountain. Only a few other people had gone outside for the fresh air – if she could call it fresh. Fresher than the sweaty underground arena at least. They walked between the gate and the mountain until they found a semi-secluded flat spot of dirt then sat down.
She scooped up a bite of lunch. It didn’t taste much different than the take-out Chinese place near Selene’s house in Salem. They sat in silence, each of them eating ravenously, lost in their own thoughts.
A pair of black boots appeared in front of her. She looked up. Two muscular legs were encased in black leather. A black T-shirt stretched across a wide chest and shoulders. The stranger’s scruffy beard gave him a rough edge. Dark brown hair framed his face, hanging just below his ears. The slightly disheveled appearance made him look bad-ass but the amused expression on his face gave him a bit of charm.
It was Trench Coat Guy – without the trench coat. In his hands, he held a container of steaming food and a fork.
Geo jumped up and glared at him.
Ignoring him, the stranger’s lips formed a small smile as he fixed his gaze on her. Feeling tiny and insecure with two large men towering over her, she rose to her feet and dusted off her butt with her free hand.
“Thanks for your help back there,” the visitor said to Sam.
Geo turned and raised his brows in question.
“Uhhh,” she said by brilliant explanation. “He said he’s seen Nikki.”
“Sure he has,” Geo muttered.
Undeterred by Geo’s unfriendliness, the man stuck out his hand. “I’m Aedan.”
She shook it. “Sam. And this is Geo.”
Geo made a show of looking the stranger over. Samantha rolled her eyes. If this turned into a pissing contest, she was going to warm up her sword arm on some male flesh.
“Pointed ears, small fangs,” Geo said. “You’re fae.”
“Aye. Prince of the Dark Fae,” he answered in his Irish brogue.
She shivered. Sexy. “You’re a prince? What are you doing here?”
Aedan spoke around mouthfuls of food. “I tried to usurp the Unseelie throne,” he said unapologetically. “I’m down here learning my lesson. Repenting. All that shit.”
“Hm.” She nodded.
Geo remained quiet.
Aedan stopped eating then looked between them, eyebrows raised. “I said I’m a dark fae. Tried to usurp the throne.”
Sam shrugged. “I’m a merc. He’s a demon. If you’re expecting a lesson on morality, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
Aedan stared for a moment then looked at Geo. “I like this one.” He pointed at her with his fork.
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Geo slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her roughly into his body. She scowled up at him.
Aedan smiled. “Be at ease. I’m not looking to steal your lass.”
“Oh, he’s not my…” She tried to pull away but Geo held firm. “Er…I’m not his. What I mean to say is, we’re not together.”
Aedan just grinned.
“What is it you want?” Geo snapped.
“Me?” Aedan shoveled more food in his mouth. “Nothing. I promised the lass I’d tell her about the girl.”
Her heart jumped. “My sister. You’ve seen her?” She pulled away from Geo and he let her go this time.
“Aye.” He looked back and forth between them. “Sister, eh? You’re not going to like this, lass, but…she’s one of the prizes.”
Chapter 13
Her sister was a prize?
What kind of sick, twisted person made a fifteen year old a prize in a bloodthirsty game for creatures straight out of a nightmare?
The answer came easily. Shade. Her father’s debt collector. The overseer of the Games. A winged incubus with a wicked streak. Wicked in more ways than one. Over five hundred years old, he was a notorious womanizer. Well, most incubi were. They got their power from sex. They needed it to live. Other than that, they had no weakness. Immortal, like much of the supernatural world, they could only be killed by beheading. But good luck getting through their thick skin. Shade, from what she’d heard, was devastatingly handsome. All the easier to lure women in. The incubi didn’t need to kill their victim to get the burst of power, they only had to pleasure them, which made the incubi popular bed conquests.
Shade had a reputation for being a generous lover, but a ruthless villain when it came to the business of making money. And violence made a hell of a lot of money.
Samantha looked at Aedan. “Are you trying to win her?” she demanded.
He flinched. “Fuck, no. What would I do with a child?” He scooped more food in his mouth. “No, I’m here for a talisman. The dragon promised I could leave if I won it for him. I just want to go home.”
“Seems to be a recurring theme around here,” she murmured. After a deep breath she turned to Geo. “So that’s it then. That’s how we get my sister. We win her.”
Geo’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth.
Aedan cut him off. “You’re going to let her fight in the Games?”
He nodded. Aedan shook his head disapprovingly.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” Geo said in her defense.
She blinked in surprise then grinned up at him.
Aedan shrugged. “Suit yerself. She’s your woman.”
Geo, seeming to relax a little, smirked. “She walks the line between courage and stupidity very closely.”
Her grin faded.
“I’d imagine so,” Aedan said. “Takes a little of both to be here in the first place.”
“Besides.” Geo crossed his arms and stared down at her. “She’ll be in a protection circle the whole time. Won’t you?” He gave a look that dared her to defy him.
She smiled sweetly. “Except in dire emergency.”
His eyes tightened. “Maybe we ought to define emergency.”
They stared each other down, fire burning in their eyes. It was silent for a few tense moments. She could see Aedan shift uncomfortably from her peripheral vision.
“Well, I’ve been here a while,” he said brightly. “I’ll help you.”
Geo broke eye contact to glare at Aedan. “Why?”
“I owe the lass.” He smiled at her. “She may have won me that fight.”
“I did win you that fight,” she muttered.
Aedan chuckled. “Maybe so.”
Geo gave him a wary look, but surely he wouldn’t refuse free help? And for some reason, she trusted him. He had an ease about him – he hid nothing, was ashamed of nothing, wore everything out in the open. Either he was trustworthy or a damn good actor.
“You fight today?” he asked.
They nodded.
“Who are you up against?”
Geo inhaled a deep breath then released it. “Don’t know yet.”
Aedan finished up the last few bites of food, looking pensive. “Could be fae. The O’Malley twins haven’t been up in a while.” As a second thought he added, “Or the Shadowfolk. Better hope it’s not them.”
“Why?” Sam asked.
Aedan gave a humorless chuckle, but Geo spoke first. “The Shadowfolk are nearly invisible.”
“Nearly invisible?”
“They can only be seen in your peripheral vision,” Aedan added.
Well shit. How the hell would they fight something they could barely see?
Please be the fae, please be the fae.
Geo gave her a small smile. “Shall we go see if the list is up?”
She gathered her courage and nodded.
They walked back to the arena, Aedan following behind, rambling to Geo about the different contenders. She couldn’t focus. The strangled screams of a dying contestant were almost drowned by the cheering crowd. Though she’d watched such a fight less than an hour ago, she felt like throwing up. The Underworld’s version of greasy Chinese food wasn’t helping.
Staring down at the ground, she prayed to Gaia. Maybe she’d finally hear her. This was life or death after all.
Geo stopped under the large blackboard and looked up. Aedan froze. She followed their gaze.
Geo and The Red Phoenix vs. The Shadow Dyad.
“Huh,” Aedan so eloquently exclaimed. “Well, that’s some shit luck.”
“Son of a sorcerer’s whore!” she cursed. Why does the world hate me?
Geo wrapped his arm around her shoulders, but he didn’t give her any bullshit promises or words of reassurance. Maybe he was as scared as she was – a frightening thought.
Aedan’s brows descended and he rubbed his chin, looking her over. “Right. A witch. How powerful are you?”
She dropped her gaze and her cheeks heated.
“The good thing is,” he continued as if he didn’t notice her hesitation, “the Shadowfolk have no special abilities. They can be skewered with your little stick,” – he gestured to the sword on her back – “and they bleed just like the rest of us.”
“No special abilities?” she scoffed. “Other than being nearly invisible.”
He shrugged. “Not a problem if you can trap them. Keep them from moving out of your peripheral vision.”
Trap them? Why was he sizing her up like she had anything to do with that?
“You could raise the ground around them like a cage.” Aedan motioned with his hands.
Geo finally looked down at her. “Not a bad plan. Can you manage that?”
Likely not. She stepped away and perched a hand on her hip. “I told you my strength and you ignored it.”
“Kill things with your mighty sword,” he said drily. “I remember.”
Aedan, watching them, chimed in. “Sword skill will only get you so far. You need some kind of magic.”
Sam jerked a thumb at Geo. “It’s all he has. A sword and magic that doesn’t work. He can’t control minds in here.”
“Let me worry about that,” Geo said. “You do as you’re told.”
She glared daggers at him. He glared right back.
Aedan looked between them then smiled. “This should be interesting.”
***
Interesting was too bland a word for this cluster-fuck. Geo kept himself calm with the knowledge that Samantha would be protected. But that left him to incapacitate two Shadowfolk by himself with nothing but his physical prowess and trusty sword to aid him.
Oh, and a defiant witch’s temperamental magic.
He inhaled a deep breath and rubbed his horns, shifting his feet on the dusty ground.
“I have some spells I can try,” Samantha said, digging in the satchel at her hip. She pulled out the Grimoire and flipped through the pages. “Um. There’s a curse that gives a victim stomach pain.”
Aedan exhaled a laugh. “Brilliant, lass. You make them shit themselves and the demon will run them through with his sword.”
Ignoring his sarcasm, she stuffed the Grimoire back into her bag. “I also have a potion that can make them fall in love.”
Geo sighed. Mental note: no more strategic sessions with the witch. “Make them fall in love? How in Zeus’ name could that help us?”
“Easy. I’ll make them fall in love with the pointy end of our swords.”
Aedan chuckled. “Even if that worked, how will you get them to take it? Offer them a refreshing beverage in the spirit of sportsmanship?”
“Here we go!” She pulled out a small purple pouch and held it up like a valuable jewel. “Vervain and cedar oil. Makes your victim blind. Then the Shadowfolk won’t know how to stay out of our peripheral vision.”
Geo reached for the pouch but she pulled it away. “How do you administer it?” he asked.
“I just have to get close enough to throw it in their eyes.”
That was too damn close. “Absolutely not.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, calm down, Mr. Overprotective. I can do it from the stinkin’ circle.”
He inhaled, held his breath then slowly released it. “So your abilities include an induced belly ache, romantic feelings for a sword, and possible blindness?” They were going to die today.
“And my sword,” she added.
“Sure. Feel free to poke it around from inside the circle.”
“Ciach ort!” Aedan swore. “Raise the ground, lass. It’s your best chance.”
Aedan had no idea what he was asking. Samantha appeared too ashamed to tell him about her powers – or lack thereof. Geo would keep that secret as well. Not that it would stay secret for long.
A gong echoed across the space. The match was over. Fate was upon them, smiling down like the evil bitch she was.
Samantha asked Aedan, “What do you think our chances are?”
He stared at the ground for a few seconds then shrugged. “I’d say seventy thirty.”
She looked up at Geo with a shaky smile. “Seventy isn’t so bad.”
“Oh, no,” Aedan stated. “Seventy in their favor.” He nodded toward the ring where two faceless, gray shapes floated like specters of death.