Swallowing Fire

by ERIN BEDFORD

  Firestar gave me a disbelieving look, but he didn’t out me to the others. I slipped into the thick pants and long-sleeved shirt Jack had provided me. The boots he brought were different than my usual. The insides were lined with fur and would keep me warm during the hunt but didn’t have much room for my dagger to hide.

  I held the dagger in my hand, trying to figure out where to put it when Firestar stepped forward. He bent down, his hands grinding around my thigh and making me think was trying to start something. Before I could protest one way or the other, he stood back up. In the place of his hands was a snug strap with a sheath for the dagger.

  Sliding the dagger into it, I was ready. Physically that was. Mentally I just wanted to crawl back into bed. Why did I fight to do this again?

  “Now, how about breakfast?” Raiden suggested, leading us to the bedroom door. “You want to have as much strength as possible for today. You can’t take much of anything else with you.”

  “Why not?” I cocked my head to the side. “This is a hunt. Usually, people bring provisions.”

  “Ah, but this is also a race,” Jack reminded me. “If you ever hope to win, you won’t have much time to stop and eat or rest.”

  “Explain to me again why we are hunting a piece of metal instead of a deer or something?” I asked as we made our way to the kitchens.

  “Because that wouldn’t be fair to the deer, for one,” Jack explained with great care. “For another, it is easier to know for sure who won without much cheating when hunting an object and not something living.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t be alive at the end of it,” I chuckled, but they didn’t laugh with me. Bunch of stiffs.

  We didn’t stop to eat with the rest of the visitors but went straight to the kitchen. The lovely cook, Carl, had a care package ready for us, letting me know the guys had already thought ahead.

  “Come.” Firestar held out his hand to me, the basket in the other hand. “We want to have a meal with you that doesn’t end in an argument for once.”

  “Fat chance of that happening.” I snorted and rolled my eyes. I ignored the eyes on us as we left the dining room. Gretchen and her crew were still upset with me. I just hoped they weren’t planning to compete as well.

  Pushing her from my mind, I followed the men to a small balcony. It was covered in glass so that while the sky was visible, the cold couldn’t get through. Outside, the sun had only just come over the horizon, and the mixture of colors was so dazzling that I was lost for a moment.

  “Pretty,” I murmured as I sat down at the small table with the other three. They handed out plates and raspberry tarts as well as a hot pot of chamomile tea.

  I glanced up from my cup, a question on my tongue, but Firestar answered before I could ask it. “Carl suggested you might like some to settle your stomach.”

  Nodding at that, I continued to sip from my cup as I enjoyed the sunrise. It had to be one of the first moments in a while that I could just enjoy my meal with all my men around me. No drama. No fighting. Just pure happiness.

  Far too soon, we finished our meals and couldn’t delay any longer. The hunt would start soon, and if I still wished to participate, I would need to be in place.

  “Are you sure you still want to do this?” Raiden asked as the guys ushered me toward the gathering spot.

  The group waiting was quite a bit bigger than I expected. It seemed like everyone who had come, whether they participated in the first two games or not, was going to try their luck at this one. Sadly, that included Jack’s ex-lover, Gretchen.

  Her pale hair was plaited into two braids but noticeably lacking any decorations. Her brown pants clung to her hips and thighs, far more muscular than my own. I really should start training more seriously. Though now that I was pregnant, I doubted my keepers would let me.

  Wrinkling my nose at the woman who had once held my Jack’s heart, I turned back to Raiden with an arched brow. “Why are there so many people here? I didn’t expect so much competition.”

  “I can answer that.” Jack cleared his throat and stepped closer to me, clearly uncomfortable. My gaze shot back to Gretchen who had spotted us, a tortured look on her face that I knew well. She still loved him. That much was clear. It only made her even more dangerous.

  “The item we are hunting down isn’t just some trophy declaring the winner. It’s also made of pure gold.” His eyes flickered to me as if expecting me to be surprised, but I only stared at him, waiting. “It might not seem like a big deal to you, but there are plenty of people here who would kill for that kind of treasure.”

  I didn’t doubt that. Human or dragon alike, when it came to money, morals usually went out the window. Suddenly, Gretchen wasn’t my only threat in this hunt.

  Turning my attention away from Jack and back to the other competitors, I saw that there were more men than women. Maybe it was a hint I shouldn’t be there, but then again, I’d never been one to take a hint. The intimidating looks being shot my way told me that the other competitors didn’t know that.

  Ignoring them, I adjusted my thigh strap, so it wasn’t cutting off the blood to my center, not that I really needed it right now. Sex was the last thing on my mind right, but apparently, I was one of the only ones.

  Those who weren’t trying to get me to drop out had something else entirely on their minds. The eyes boring into me were not those of someone taking in the competition. One look at some of the males around me made me grimace. There were far too many interested eyes on me, and the leers I received weren’t completely about sex either. Something told me the rumors about me had indeed reached the far north.

  “So, a pure gold what?” I asked, shrugging off the varied looks coming my way. “A stag? Or maybe even a dragon egg?” I snorted with a roll of my eyes. Like dragons laid eggs. I couldn’t imagine squatting one of those out. Talk about ouch.

  “Actually,” Jack drew out, sliding a hand around my waist and pulling me flush against his side, his voice by my ear, “it’s a dragon.” He pushed my braid to one side, his lips brushing my neck. I let out a shiver, not understanding the sudden closeness but not complaining either.

  “Why a dragon?” I murmured, slowly turning around to meet Jack’s gaze. With a hint of a smile, I placed a hand on his chest, loving the feel of him beneath my palm. “Isn’t that a bit cliché?”

  Jack leaned forward until his lips caressed mine. “Not when it could feed your village for a year.” He captured my mouth with his in a searing kiss, but before I could sink into it, I was jerked away from him and into Firestar’s arms.

  “Hey!” I cried out, smacking him on the arm. “What’s the big idea?”

  The fury on Firestar’s face confused me. Our conversation couldn’t have elicited such a reaction. Even the public display of affection wouldn’t cause his annoyance, not unless Firestar had a change of heart he hadn’t let me know about.

  “Ask him.” Firestar glared at Jack.

  My gaze shot back to Jack who had a guilty expression his face. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and my stomach sank through my butt. My eyes locked on to Gretchen who watched us with a hurt in her face. Now, I was the one who was hurt.

  “I can’t believe you,” I growled, stepping toward Jack. “I forgave you for your deception, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with you using me to get Gretchen off your case.” Jack’s shoulders rose up to his ears at my accusation. Good. He should feel bad. “If you want people to stop seeing you as an ice king, maybe you should stop acting like you don’t have a heart.”

  “Maya,” Jack started, pain in his voice.

  I held my hands up, stopping him as I shook my head. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to do this on my own.” Firestar and Raiden tried to interrupt me, but I stopped them. “No, don’t even.”

  With a huff, I stomped away from them as Raiden snarled at Jack, “Not cool, man.”

  Stopping at a less dense part of the group, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited. I could feel the eyes on me, but I refused t
o let them bother me. I was tired of being the weak link in our group, tired of being used by everyone who thought I was their meal ticket to greater power. I wanted to be the one who came out on top for once.

  My hand went to my stomach, and I closed my eyes. I tried to hear the heartbeat Trina had revealed to me before, but no matter how hard I strained, I couldn’t hear it. I sighed heavily, tensing as a presence stopped beside me.

  “What do you want?” I said wearily, not even bothering to look at my visitor. The hunt hadn’t even started, and I was already tired, not a good omen for my chances of winning.

  “He’ll never stay, you know.” Gretchen apparently didn’t notice my lack of gusto or just didn’t care. “You’re just a blip in his rise to power, and once he has it, he’ll toss you aside like the worthless slut you are.”

  Usually, those words would cause some sort of fiery anger or even annoyance to rise in me, but I was all out of feelings for the day. I only had one thing on my mind, and that was winning this hunt and showing everyone that I didn’t need protecting, that I could stand on my own.

  “Is that all?” I rolled my eyes, a bored tone to my voice.

  Gretchen scoffed, clearly not expecting my reaction. “You have no shame, do you?”

  I turned my head, finally looking at her, a nasty grin on my lips. “Why should I be ashamed? I’ve done nothing wrong. As far as I’m concerned, you are the only one who should be ashamed. Jack left you for someone better, and you don’t have the brains to know when you should bow out.”

  “I’m not the one stringing along three men.” Gretchen’s voice rose a pitch, drawing some attention toward us. “Some dragons might be okay with that kind of thing, but I believe in love with one true mate. But look at you, taking all three when you couldn’t even get one without your father behind you.”

  “Which is it, Gretchen?” I sighed, shifting my body around to face her. “Am I a slut or undesirable? Because the two don’t really go together.”

  My words caused a growl to rumble from Gretchen, and my hand went straight for the hilt of my dagger. Gretchen’s eyes locked onto it and her lips curled into a wicked grin.

  “Enjoy my dagger while you can because I will be getting it back from you soon.” Her spittle splashed on my face, and I resisted the urge to wipe it away. Instead, I took a step closer to her.

  “The only way you are getting this dagger back is when I shove it through your frigid heart.”

  The glow of magic in her eyes was the only warning I had before she came at me, a roar ripping from her throat. Her hands barely touched my shoulders when another voice boomed louder than Gretchen’s outraged cry.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final game of this season,” Lord Fafnir announced, freezing our fight in its tracks.

  With a snarl, Gretchen shoved me away from her and headed back toward her group, her attention temporarily off of me. For how long that would last, I didn’t know. I did know she wouldn’t give up, not with love on the line.

  16

  I didn’t need to turn to know my guys were watching me. They’d stayed away from me for now, but I wouldn’t bet they’d stay away when the hunt started. With the way Gretchen had it in for me, it was probably a good thing.

  “I want you all to know how proud I am to have so many participants this year. You have honored us with your presence.” Lord Fafnir smiled and nodded around the group. His eyes eventually landed on Jack and warmed. “I am especially over-joyed that my favorite nephew has rejoined us for this season, along with his lovely mate.”

  Everyone’s eyes fell on Jack, whose smile seemed more like an attempt not to throw up. I noticed a few mutters and confused eyes cast my way, but I refused to acknowledge them. It was none of their business why I was standing over here and Jack over there, or why they were letting their pregnant mate enter the hunt by herself. It was nobody’s business but ours. Right?

  Lord Fafnir seemed to notice I was standing away from Jack and the others because his expression wilted for a moment before it came back. He gave me a curious look but said nothing more before he went back to his speech. “The hunt will last until someone finds the trophy. Whether it be one hour or one week, we will have our champion!”

  The crowd lifted up in a roar of agreement, their feet pounding, and hands raised above their heads. The tip of my lips curved up, unable to keep a frown with all of the excitement around me. The fight between Jack and me fell to the back of my mind as the need for the hunt raced through my veins. I hadn’t been this ecstatic for something since Ryan and I first learned that our bosses had accepted the proposal for the Waesigar video game. Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to get my feet off the ground.

  “On my mark.” Lord Fafnir raised a hand in the air, and the bodies around me tensed, everyone lining up together in preparation to run. I found myself shifting my weight, my hands clenched into fists at my sides as I readied to propel myself forward. My line of sight locked on the trees before us, but out of my eye, I watched and waited for Lord Fafnir’s hand to fall. As if in slow motion, it fell to his side, and he called out, “Begin!”

  My feet raced across the ground, my arms pumping at my sides. A horde of us bolted for the trees, most of us not paying any mind to the others, everyone too focused on the hunt. Still, there were a few that were more interested in taking out the competition than winning fairly.

  One, a man with a wicked scar down one side of his face, came at me. I dodged to the right as he dove for me, missing me by an inch. I didn’t look back to see if he was coming for me again. I kept my eyes on the trees only a few feet away from me.

  Something flew past me, the wind of it catching my hair and I glanced back briefly to see the man on the ground with a familiar redhead beating him to a pulp. I should have stopped and yelled at Firestar, but I didn’t. My feet kept moving beneath me though I had no idea where I was going or where to even start.

  I didn’t know this land, and the white snow that covered the ground made it impossible to pick up any kind of scent. The other competitors, those from the north, didn’t seem as lost as I was and quickly dispersed into the belly of the woods. I fumbled around for about half an hour, not really knowing where I was heading. I’d broken away from the main part of the group but still saw one or two people every few minutes. Catching my breath, I slowed to a walk, moving along an iced-over river.

  It was actually really nice out here once you got used to the freezing temperature and the mush beneath your feet. The green pine trees were tall, and their boughs were full of snow. I didn’t understand it, really. You’d think with how cold it was that nothing could stand to live in it. It was no wonder that those who lived in it became just as cold as their surroundings.

  Irritation filled me as Jack’s face came to my mind. Really, what was he thinking? How would he ever think that in the realm of all that was decent that using me to hurt his ex would ever be okay? I mean, yeah, if I wanted to get back at my ex, I might rub my hot new guy in their face, but the way that Gretchen and Jack made it sound, he was the one who dumped her. If anyone should be trying to hurt the other, it should be her.

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” I scoffed and shook my head.

  “Talking to yourself now? You might want to get that checked out.”

  My eyes shot from the river to follow the voice of Gretchen, who stood like the alpha bitch she thought she was, smirking at her own joke. The dagger was in my hand before I even thought about it, the point glinting in the sunlight.

  “What do you want now?” I growled, my fingers tightening on the hilt.

  “To finish what we started, of course.” Gretchen laughed as her canines sharpened and she flexed her fingers, her nails lengthening to claws. Pale blue scales appeared down the side of her face as her eyes glowed a menacing blue.

  I swallowed hard. Only the strongest of us could change completely to dragon form and just below that were those who could half shift. That was great for her, but shit for me.

/>   “Hey, come on now. We can talk this out,” I laughed nervously as Gretchen prowled toward me. My eyes darted around, searching for something or someone to put between me and the she-bitch. Where were my overprotective mates when I needed them?

  “You think you are some kind of hot shit, don’t you?” Gretchen snarled, swiping out at me.

  I jumped back, barely dodging the sharp edges of her claws. Before she could attack me again, I lunged at her with the dagger. The point caught her in the arm, cutting a bloody gouge through her shirt.

  Gretchen cried out and stumbled backward clutching the wound. “You bitch!”

  “Takes one to know one!” I shouted, turning on my heels. So, running wasn’t the bravest thing for me to do. I wasn’t a coward, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew when to fight and when to run, and this was definitely a time to run.

  “Stupid, stupid Jack,” I muttered and then growled. “Didn’t think to tell me your ex-beau was a bad ass? That would have been helpful information.”

  “Still talking to yourself?” Gretchen cackled, closer to me than I expected.

  Startled by that closeness, my feet tangled and flew out from under me. I crashed to the ground before I could stop myself and then she was on me. A sharp pain went through my scalp as my head was jerked back by my hair. I reached back and scratched at the hand holding me with my nails, my other hand lashing out blindly.

  I must have caught something because the hand gripping my hair released. Turning over quickly, I shoved my feet out, planting them into Gretchen’s chest and shoving her further away from me.

  An idea suddenly came to me. Of course, my magic. Why was I trying to beat her with brute force? I kicked ass against those raiders in the east. Why should this ice bitch be any different?

  I reached down into the earth, willing it to come to my aide. My brow furrowed when nothing happened. I tried again, searching for some form of life in the earth to help me. “What the fu-?”