My breath hitched. “Monster.”
Alarm flashed in his eyes. “What?”
I glanced past his shoulder at the sleek, black ride. Bigger and more powerful than my old Suzuki dirt bike. The sight of it made me weak at the knees. I sighed wistfully. I missed my old bike, but the beast in front of me… I nodded at the motorcycle and whistled appreciatively. “Ducati Monster Twelve Hundred R. With a Testastretta eleven degree Desmodromic twin-cylinder engine.”
“I wouldn’t know about that. The guy at the shop said it was the fastest and the safest.” Cash retrieved the helmet and handed it to me. “Sit on it. Test it out.”
“A hundred and sixty horsepower.” Excitement stirred my insides, making my heart pump at an alarming rate. Suddenly, I wasn’t angry at him anymore. I thought I could forgive him for anything in that moment. Almost. Then I remembered something devastating.
“But…” I glanced at the GPS ankle monitor on my leg. Stupid protocols against witches. More like protocols against women. “I’m not allowed to drive. The restrictions say women can’t drive. You know that—don’t tease me.” I handed the helmet back to him.
“I’m not teasing. I’d rather not drive with my condition. You know a seizure can come at any moment. We have a legitimate medical reason if anyone asks.”
His condition. It was another thing he’d kept from me in Houston. His body wasn’t healing like a Nephilim anymore. The thought of him weakening hurt, but the fact he tried to keep it from me hurt more.
“You haven’t had an attack since your eyesight returned two weeks ago. I think it’s safe for you to drive with a passenger.”
“Humor me okay?” His eyes softened. He shifted the long hair catching around my ears, so it wouldn’t fly in my face when we rode, and then tugged the helmet over my head. The graze of his touch on my neck caused a stir in my belly. For an eternal breath, we gazed into each other’s eyes. Then he got on the bike and put on his own helmet.
“See you back at the Ludus, Jed,” Cash said.
My jaw dropped. I’d been so blinded by the beauty of the bike I’d failed to comprehend there was only one. Jed would not fit. Neither would the luggage. I turned to Jed, intending to apologize, but he had already flagged down a cab a few feet away.
“Don’t worry, I got your luggage,” he called and turned back to his game of luggage Tetris in the back seat.
I knew he’d declared for Cash’s House, but I still felt uncomfortable at Jed’s blind servitude. I didn’t understand it. It didn’t sit right. But perhaps this was the way all Players behaved with the heads of their Houses.
I faced the bike—the sexy, powerful bike. Could I really ride it? It ran on more horsepower than my old bike, and I’d never driven one this big before. Sure I’d lusted after it in Road Rider magazine, but it was a big step up in raw power. Sweat prickled my temples, and I swallowed.
“Why?” I breathed.
“Maybe it’s a peace offering,” he conceded, fidgeting with the strap on his helmet.
So he wasn’t ignoring the past two weeks and, from the way his body tensed, waiting for me to respond, it was clear he still struggled with his new emotions. Not hard to believe considering a few weeks ago he’d never felt them in the first place.
“A peace offering,” I repeated and straddled the bike in front of him. I couldn’t believe he expected forgiveness so soon after his betrayal. It was almost insulting. Yet, The Others were right. I lied to him as well, and if—when—he found out… I didn’t want to think of it. Instead, I lied again: “I can live with that.”
I tapped the lifeless digital screen. Embarrassingly, nothing happened. After spouting nerdy bike talk, I should know how to start it. Eventually, Cash cleared his throat. His hand slipped around my middle, at my stomach, and pulled so he was flush against me. He leaned around me to push a keyless start button. The engine roared to life. I gave him a flustered thumbs-up.
He didn’t relinquish his hold around my middle and I wasn’t entirely sure I was upset with that. He gave a little squeeze to signal his readiness.
I pulled on the throttle and sent us into hyper-drive with a squeal of delight.
CHAPTER TWO
CASH DIRECTED ME into the heart of Sydney. When we pulled into the Opera House parking lot, I thought he wanted to do a little sightseeing. He instructed me to find a particular parking bay towards the rear of the lot. Very specific. The last row, third on the right. Reserved.
“We’re here,” he said.
I cut the engine and made to move off the bike, but he splayed his fingers at my stomach and held tight.
“Don’t move. Just wait.” He scanned the area and, once satisfied we weren’t being watched, lifted a hand to make a hand signal at the concrete wall in front of us. Two CCTV cameras moved to face us, and then an opaque gray digital barrier flashed into view around the boundary of the parking space. It was as though four solid walls sprung into being around us, and yet I heard the echoes of the parking garage beyond. The floor shuddered and moved. The bike wobbled. I clutched on for dear life.
“Earthquake.” The word shot out of my mouth.
Cash’s forehead landed between my shoulder blades and his laugh rumbled through my back.
“Great to see I’m such a source of humor for you,” I grumbled.
He patted me. “Just relax.”
Like a puzzle piece unplugging, the parking space detached from its holding and lowered to the level below.
The Ludus was underground.
When the elevator stopped, we slid off the bike as the gray digital wall flickered and disappeared to reveal a vast sub-level garage. An attendant in a red uniform greeted us and wheeled our vehicle away.
I expected a sporting complex, or learning institute, but not an underground maze.
Cash led me through the shadowy garage to a set of large glass double doors. The words “Ludus Australianus” were engraved on a plaque set overhead. Above the plaque was a wooden carving of a dragon, or maybe a serpent, eating its own tail. Beyond the doors, I could see a tiled foyer and a young man sitting behind an administration counter with a Bluetooth earpiece in.
“It’s a reminder that our lives here are part of a longer, never ending cycle,” Cash said, nodding to the carving. “It’s a warning, that if you break the rules, the Tribunal will have no problem canceling your game. Your life here is finite, but your soul is not. Just remember that next time you have the urge to break a rule.”
“I don’t break rules!”
His sardonic look shut me up. “You’ve used your abilities in public many times already. Caught on camera if I remember correctly. You’re lucky you weren’t registered when that happened, you would have been canceled. Your ignorance has saved you so far, but soon that won’t be the case.”
“Okay, maybe I do break the rules but, in my defense, I didn’t know them. I was also protecting myself. And they’re stupid.”
“The Tribunal doesn’t think so.”
I huffed. Of course he would argue with me. He was the Queen’s Enforcer, after all. I would imagine that vocation had been all about holding people to the rules. A pang of jealousy stabbed me at the thought of him belonging to someone else. Not just anyone else. Her. They were lovers, and probably would be again. I was a Soul-Eater. A nobody. But this wasn’t the Empire, it was the Game. I had to stay focused.
“I thought Marc was the Gamekeeper. Isn’t he in charge of enforcing the rules?” I said.
“Yes, he is in charge, but sometimes he’s not here. When that happens, Tribunal law applies. The point is, when you die in this form, your soul will wake in Purgatory and move into hibernation until returned to the Empire. So, if you want to survive this, don’t break the rules. Go along with it for now, and when we get past all this, you can carry on as you wish. Let’s go.”
Having had enough of the chit-chat, Cash strode toward the entrance and I scurried to catch up. Glass doors whooshed open for us to enter the cold, marble lobby. The administ
ration guy punched away at his computer keyboard and spoke into his headset. He didn’t take his wide-eyes off me.
Seeing me pause with a gaping mouth, Cash steered me to the desk. The room was small and the carnations on top of the counter gave off a sweet, heady perfume. Two solid wooden doors flanked either side of the counter. One had the label of “Registrar” the other “Ludus”.
I became engrossed in the facial expression of the man sitting behind the ornate, oak desk. He looked at me with eyes that popped out of his head and he shrank a few inches in his chair. His aura skittered around like it was on steroids. Afraid.
“Cash Samson and La Roux Urser,” Cash stated.
“I know who you are. Just one minute, and someone will come and show you to your rooms.”
We sat down on a waiting bench.
I tapped my fingers on my thigh. Cash eyed off the admin guy fiddling with his computer, preparing to make a call.
A few seconds ticked by and then Cash spoke quietly to me. “Roo, we spoke on the plane about the dire consequences of failing the trials.”
“Yeah. I get canceled and returned to the Empire. Pretty sure I get the direness of that.”
“There’s more.”
I chewed on my lip for a minute. “What do you mean?”
He took a deep breath. “Bruce Urser is the queen’s brother in law. He is your father—your sire. That makes your body royal. There are different rules and responsibilities for royals on earth.”
“I’m pretty sure I know this already. I’m confused.”
“Back in Margaret River, after your father visited, you said you wouldn’t kick up a fuss about your royal duties. I don’t think you understand exactly what you agreed to.”
“Oh.” It dawned on me. “You’re talking about the breeding thing. Look, I just said that to make him go away. There’s no way I’d actually go through with it.”
“You might not have a choice.”
“They can’t force me to do anything. You said once I passed the trials, I can declare independent from the Urser House, and play the Game my way. That means I don’t have to agree to do anything.”
“That is true. If you pass the trials.”
Silence descended as the gravity of his meaning hit me. “Then I guess I’d better pass.”
His hand shot out to grasp mine and our eyes met. “Pass or fail, I want you to know I won’t let that happen. You might not believe me yet, but I’m not going anywhere. I promise you won’t have to face that consequence. Here, I want to give you something.” He fished into his pocket, but froze suddenly. His head cocked to the side as he listened intently to something I couldn’t hear. Eavesdropping with his advanced senses.
The admin spoke behind his hand into his phone. Cash could hear both sides of the conversation but I heard the admin guy clear enough: “Sir, you asked me to call you when they arrived, well, they’re here.”
Cash stiffened and a dangerous intensity crept into his posture, sending me on high alert.
The door to the Ludus burst open and a string of security personnel entered. Five big men in suits with ear-pieces filed around us. We both jumped up. Cash moved to stand in front of me. Was this the Tribunal?
“We’re here to escort Ms. Urser to her family suite.” The closest Suit spoke to Cash. He had a familiar face. Dark skin. Head shaved. He was the soldier who attended my father in Margaret River a few weeks ago. So… not Tribunal. I think his name had something to do with fish.
Squid. His name was Squid.
“Urser House forfeited ties to this contender when its leader failed to complete the mentor-progeny ritual and register her on time. I’m her mentor now, he has no say in where she goes, besides, this is the Ludus—neutral territory—she goes where she wants.” Cash flexed his fists, cracking knuckles.
Each man held an expression of contained control, but an explosive atmosphere crept into the air through the action in their auras. They sized up Cash and myself. Five against two. My insides tensed in expectation. A glance at the admin boy had him doing the same—eyes glued to us, on the edge of his seat.
Squid’s jaw set. “Hunter, if you interfere, you will be apprehended, and we will take her by force.”
I side-stepped Cash so Squid could see me. Maybe I could diffuse the situation. “Look, I know I promised I would meet my father here, but I’d like to get settled first and then I’ll see him.”
“No. You come now.” Squid put a hand on my arm.
Cash burst into brutal action, intercepting him. It all happened so fast. Two men pulled guns on Cash. A third and a fourth held his arms, well, attempted to hold his arms. With blinding speed, and deadly efficiency, he twisted out of their grasp and retaliated with a right hook to the Suit on his left. The sound of cheekbones crunching echoed through the small room.
The heel of Cash’s palm met the next guy’s nose, and then it was three men on one. Unwilling to fire in a confined space, the two guys with guns put their weapons away readying themselves to assist in Cash’s apprehension.
Their blatant disregard for me had napalm surging through my blood. How dare they dismiss me as an opponent? Sure Cash was a formidable force, but I was too. My fingers heated on instinct, ready to unleash. Electricity crackled and the smell of ozone hit my nose. I stepped toward the brawl.
A firm hand on my shoulder pulled me back.
“Come,” Squid said. “This way.”
I hadn’t noticed him detaching from the group.
“Don’t touch me,” I growled and slapped my hand over his. Energy released.
Nothing.
I tried to peel his fingers from my shoulder, but they wouldn’t budge. What the hell was this guy made from? I kicked him in the shins and my foot glanced off. The only sign I’d hurt him was a slight twitch between his brows. He moved his free hand to grasp my hair and tugged. Pain lanced through my scalp and I cried out.
“Get off me,” I shouted. My voice came out higher than I’d intended, a traitor to my nerves. I gripped the solid stumps holding my hair in a vice. I couldn’t move him.
“Roo,” Cash called from behind me, face red with strain. Three pairs of arms imprisoned him on the floor, and a bloody faced man held a gun at his temple. Not afraid to shoot now.
Cash stopped struggling and a cold fury enveloped him. A thousand thoughts flittered behind his eyes as he caught sight of Squid’s grip on me. He calculated something I wasn’t sure I wanted to know and suddenly I was afraid. Not for me, but for the fall out of whatever he planned to do. I couldn’t explain it. Just a feeling.
“It’s okay,” I said, imploring with my eyes.
Whatever he was going to do… don’t.
“Don’t,” I warned. He frowned, confused. I had to make him understand so used the words he’d used on me only minutes before. “I’ll be fine. Go along with it for now.” And then when we get past this, we can carry on as you wish.
When he visibly relaxed, so did I.
I let Squid pull me away by the hair. Sharp needles stabbed into my scalp and I had to scurry to avoid being left bald.
“You can’t do this,” Cash called out. “Marc won’t have it.”
“The Gamekeeper isn’t here,” Squid replied and pushed open the door to the Ludus, tugging me through.
CHAPTER THREE
SQUID PULLED ME by the hair away from Cash. The sound of the heavy wooden door closing muffled the scuffling of my feet. My jaw clenched and my muscles hardened. There was no way I would let this guy manhandle me, not in the name of my father. My fingertips sparked, and I flung my energy at him, not caring if he’d take half my scalp when my power connected.
Electricity crackled as it flew and sizzled in the direction of his chest.
He didn’t let go. He didn’t even flinch. He did, however, pause and arch an irate eyebrow at me. “Did you try to zap me?”
“That’s not the only thing I can do.”
He tightened his grip on my hair.
“I’m not afrai
d of you, little Soul-Eater.” His voice rumbled through my mind like thunder. “I have no soul for you to manipulate.”
My abilities were exactly that—soul based. I could sap someone’s energy. I could swallow their soul. I could even use my life-force to shock others, or telekinetically move items… but if he had no soul for me to connect with. Not good. My gut cramped. My breath quickened.
But everybody had a soul. I dug deep and focused hard on his aura. Sure enough, I felt it, small and weak. Almost gone. But there.
Knowledge bubbled to the surface of my mind, and bright symbols cascaded beneath my eyelids. The Book of the Dead spoke, reminding me of the knowledge I absorbed when I ate the soul of Petra’s Grimoire. The Others stirred. So they should. Petra and her Grimoire made up half of the souls inside me. A third was the witch I absorbed at birth. The last was my sister.
The symbols flashed. The light was painful, but the understanding they brought opened my eyes to the truth. There was a way to trap souls inside a glass object. Either a mirror or something with a reflection could take the essence of a person and trap it inside. What was left was a being without fear or pain, without regret, and without consequence. Whether this man had chosen to have his soul separated from his physical body was another question, but the result was the same. There was little I could do that he’d care about.
“Now, it doesn’t have to be this way,” Squid said. “I want to take you to your family quarters. You are not a prisoner, but if you resist, you will be treated as such.”
Not a prisoner my ass.
“You don’t want this to be the first impression you make to your brother, do you? A kicking screaming, spoilt brat?”
My chest constricted at his words. My brother.
Squid was right, damn it. I didn’t want to be seen as a brat.
“Okay,” I said.
He let go of my hair.
I rubbed my scalp where it burned and then straightened my clothes. “Tell them not to hurt Cash and I will meet up with him later.”
Playing God Page 2