by Sadie Moss
He winks at me as Nix bursts out laughing. “Fuck, that’s good. He’s got you there, sugar.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you ever going to stop calling me those stupid names?”
“Make me.” Nix is grinning even as he speaks, and I find myself grinning back as a little bit of the tension in my chest eases.
Remi’s not wrong. The whole reason I got kicked out of Heaven in the first place is because I flouted the rules and did what I thought was necessary at the time to take care of innocent people who needed help.
I was determined, just like Nix said. And I was impatient, like Remi said.
But even when my angelic superiors took my wings and cast me down to Earth, I couldn’t find it in myself to regret what I had done.
If Anderson were here, he’d probably tell me I’m not acting very angelic at all.
That should probably scare me more than it does.
Chapter Nineteen
FORD
There’s a full day off between the second and third challenges.
Fuckin’ useless, if you ask me. I say let’s get this damn thing over with, keep goin’ until it’s done. But I guess that Myron guy and the rest of the organizers want to make sure the contestants are well-rested for whatever’s coming next.
Which probably means it’s dangerous as hell.
That’s why on our fifth day in Scotland, as we all gather in the kitchen for breakfast before Trinity heads off to the arena, I lift my chin at her. “I’m goin’ with you today.”
Her eyes do that thing where they get real big. So big it feels like I could fuckin’ fall into them, fall and keep on falling. She looks nervous, and I can’t tell if it’s because she’s worried about partnering up with me or if she’s guessed the reason why I want to be her second in this round, and that’s what’s making her anxious.
My question is answered when she lets out a little breath, puffing her cheeks. “So you think it’s gonna be a fight, then, huh?”
Beckett runs a hand over his black hair. It’s perfectly styled as always, and even though he’s dressed more casually than his usual tailored suits, he looks like he should be presiding over a board meeting. His green gaze catches mine, and I can see in his eyes that he’s come to the same conclusion I have.
“Yes.” He glances at Trinity before letting his gaze slide away. “Very likely it will be something of that sort. They’ve had two challenges in a row where you’ve been out in the wilderness of the Highlands, leaving only your doubles behind for people to watch. They’ll want to give spectators some real action.” He hesitates, then adds, “Some real blood.”
“Oh. Great.”
Trinity pushes away her plate of half-finished eggs and bacon, as though the thought of all that carnage has ruined her appetite. But a second later, she surreptitiously pulls the plate back toward her and grabs another piece of bacon, devouring the crispy strip in two bites.
Fuck yeah. That’s my girl.
One corner of my mouth tilts up as I look over at her, but then I notice Remi smiling broadly at me like he’s read my fuckin’ thoughts. I turn my own smile into a scowl before shoveling the rest of my food into my mouth.
I’m sure Remi thinks he’s got me all figured out, and I refuse to even contemplate the fact that he’s right.
Shit. I need to go hit something.
“Ready?” I grunt. “We should get a move on.”
“Right.”
Trinity quickly finishes her breakfast as the others do the same. It takes another five minutes for everyone to get ready, then we head out of the house toward the stadium.
She and I split up from my brothers outside the arena, and I swear I can smell the adrenaline in the air as the other contestants gather around us. I shoot a look around, gauging strengths and weaknesses and forming a plan of attack. Because now that we’re here, I know I’m right. Whatever today’s challenge is, it’ll involve staying in the arena—and that will most likely involve fighting either each other or other magical threats that’ve been brought in to try to stop us.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Myron’s nasally voice rises up over the crowd as he steps onto the arena floor with a microphone held to his lips. “The challenge will begin very shortly. As most of you have probably guessed by now, today’s game will be held entirely inside the confines of the arena! Your goal, as always, is a simple one. But simple does not mean easy.”
He gestures, and the ground in the middle of the arena opens up, allowing a flag on a pole to rise up into the center of the playing area.
“Your challenge today is simply to retrieve that flag. However, there will be a great many things that will try to stop you—including your own opponents.” The crowd gathered in the stadium cheers, and Myron holds his hands up, smiling like a rat. “That’s right, folks. Today, the challengers will be in direct competition with each other, and may I remind you, there are no holds barred.”
“This is crazy,” Trin mutters from beside me, although her gaze stays fixed on the flag. “We’re all just supposed to fight each other for that?”
“Nah.” I crack my knuckles, working out the kinks in my neck as I shift lightly on the balls of my feet. Readying for battle. “There’s no way we’ll have just each other to worry about. My guess is, they’ll conjure more shit like those serpencias you and Sawyer went up against. More magical creatures to try to kill us. We’ll have to fight them and our opponents.”
“Oh.” Trin chews her lip, staring thoughtfully at the flag before her gaze flicks to me. “You know, if you were hoping that would reassure me, it didn’t.”
I make a noise that’s half laugh, half growl, still scanning the crowd around us. “Don’t worry, angel. I’ve got your back.”
“Yeah. I know.” Her voice gets a little quieter as she adds, “That’s the only thing that does reassure me.”
Before I can respond to that, Myron’s voice rings out again. “Contestants ready… and begin!”
As soon as the last word is out of his mouth, the air in the arena ripples as several conjuring spells are activated at once.
Yup. Just like I fuckin’ thought.
From out of nowhere, several massive creatures spring to life. One looks like a huge troll, one like a giant lizard, and one resembles a cross between a rhino and a wolf—large, fanged, and hairy.
At the same moment, two of the contestants near us turn in our direction. They’re both fae, judging by the graceful way they run as they charge us. The one on the left scoops up a handful of sandy dirt as he nears, throwing it in our direction before they launch themselves at us. The dust and dirt cloud around us, making it hard to see or breathe.
The fae on the right hits me in a full-body tackle, but all it does is make me stagger back a half step. The other one hurls himself at Trin, but she dives for the ground, letting him sail over her.
With single-minded determination, I pry the attacking fae off my body and shove him away, crumpling him with one solid punch to the face. Trinity rolls over and springs to her feet, drawing her angelic blade from the ether as she does.
But she never gets a chance to use it on the second fae. Before he can make another run at her, I intercept him, grabbing his arm and torqueing it behind his back as his body pivots from the force of my hold.
And it’s a good fuckin’ thing I grabbed him, because a heartbeat later, another supernatural leaps at Trinity, giving an inhuman cry as he moves into attack. She swings her blade, catching him in the arm and drawing blood—it runs down his forearm in a black stream that tells me he’s a necromancer.
“Thanks,” she calls as she shoots me a look, swinging her sword at the necromancer again.
I nod, battle fury already churning in my veins. I want to punish the fae I’m still holding for almost distracting Trinity, for nearly making her vulnerable to the new threat. But this isn’t the time for a long, drawn out attack. This is the time for ruthless efficiency.
Keeping my grip firm on the fae, I wrap my other arm a
round his neck, only releasing him when I feel his body go limp against mine. It would be more practical to kill him outright, to make sure he won’t regain consciousness and become a threat again later, but instead of ending him, I whirl in place, searching for my next opponent. Wrath is churning in my veins, but I have to keep the angel safe. I can’t afford to get distracted.
She’s fighting the necromancer, teeth bared as she swings her sword. She’s skilled with the blade, but my jaw clenches as I see her miss an obvious opening—a weakness in the necromancer’s defense.
Fuck. She’s probably better at fighting demons, the literal antithesis of her kind, than other kinds of supernaturals. Not because of any particular fighting techniques required, but because at her heart, Trinity is a soft person. A sweet person.
This kind of violence isn’t in her nature, and it’s harder for her to summon her wrath when it’s not against creatures made of pure evil.
As for me?
Well, summoning wrath has never been an issue for me.
Adrenaline floods my muscles as a werewolf leaps for me, shifting in midair. I duck under his large body and latch on to his fur as he flies overhead, using his own momentum to bring him down. We hit the packed dirt together, rolling over and over in a tangle of limbs as he snaps at me. I manage to pin him beneath me, and he whines as I wrap both hands around his muzzle, squeezing them like a vice.
His body bucks, and he finally dislodges me. I stumble to my feet just as he leaps for me again, and this time, I catch him with a kick to the head that sends him careening sideways.
While we’ve been busy fighting, one team has broken out of the fighting. They make a mad dash for the flag—only to be intercepted by both the lizard and the troll. The massive magical creatures open their mouths and breathe twin streams of fire, sending the two contestants rolling and screaming on the ground as they try to douse the flames.
Fuck.
Those things are gonna be hard to beat. This is obviously the part of the competition designed to let the organizers weed out the serious competitors from the weak… and the dead.
We need to disable our opponents first, then make a run for the flag. If we have to fight off both sides at once, I’m not sure I’ll be able to protect Trinity.
She’s moved on to fighting a pixie—a woman who’s half her size but whose entire body seems to be made of sharp points—and I allow myself a half-second to appreciate how fucking fierce the angel looks as she holds her own in battle.
Then I refocus on the task at hand.
I need to disable the most contestants I can before we make a run for the flag.
A grim smile tilts my lips as I allow battle rage to fill me from head to toe, flooding my veins with fire.
Bring it on, motherfuckers.
The werewolf’s buddy races toward me, a war cry pouring from his lips, and I bend my knees and bare my teeth as he nears.
Then we clash.
As we fight, I catch a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye and let out a low growl. Two gargoyles are trying to sneak up on me from behind, assuming I’m too distracted by the werewolf to notice them.
They’re wrong. I know exactly where they are, and I subtly angle my body as I prepare to fend off their attack.
But Trinity sees them too, and she doesn’t know that I have.
“Ford!”
Her terrified scream cuts above the noise of the melee, and she abandons her fight against the necromancer to race toward me.
Too late, I turn.
One of the gargoyles throws out a heavy arm, sending Trinity flyin’ through the air. She hits the ground in a heap several yards away from me, and the magical lizard hisses, tendrils of flame escaping its nostrils as it thunders toward her.
For a moment, time seems to freeze.
The lizard, the gargoyle, the necromancer, the dozens of other opponents on the battlefield of the arena—they all fade from my view.
All I can see is her.
Trinity.
Sprawled on the ground, her small form looking more fragile than I’ve ever seen it.
A rush of something beyond anger, beyond rage, surges through me.
No. No. Fuckin’ no.
I can’t let this happen again. I can’t fail again.
I can’t let someone I care about die again.
A roar tears from my lips as the world snaps back into focus, everything bursting into motion around me again. I’m already moving, my feet digging into the dusty ground of the arena as I sprint toward the fallen angel.
The lizard is almost on her when I grab it by the tail, hauling it to a stop. Its head whips back toward me, and the flames that’ve been teasing at its nostrils flare outward in a jet, singeing my clothes as I duck out of the way.
A rumbling sound reaches my ears, and I realize with a swell of frustrated rage that it’s the rhino creature, stampeding toward Trinity, sensing weakness.
But before it can reach her, someone new leaps into its path.
Beckett.
His dark hair is still perfectly fuckin’ styled, but that’s the only thing that looks controlled about him in this moment. His green eyes flash with a fury that rivals mine, and he spreads his arms as if daring the monster to attack.
A second later, all six of my other brothers are in the arena too, forming a protective barrier around Trinity as they face off against the magical creatures and the contestants alike.
Vicious satisfaction rises inside me, and it only fuels my need to press my advantage, to take out every single threat to the angel while I can. Releasing the lizard’s tail, I race forward, leaping onto its back and running over the uneven scales that frame its spine. As I near its head, I launch myself into the air again, and as I fall, I knit my fingers together, joining my hands and bringing them down like a hammer.
The blow lands hard on the lizard’s head, crumpling its magical skull.
With a shuddering groan, the beast collapses to the ground, its large form shaking the earth.
I don’t care. I have no time to gloat over my victories or revel in satisfaction. My legs are already moving again, carrying me toward my brothers as they join forces against the other monsters.
The fight doesn’t last long.
We haven’t worked as a single unit like this in decades, but there are some things you never fuckin’ forget—and I guess this is one of ’em.
Within minutes, the other two beasts are felled too. Scorch marks scar the ground inside the arena, and Sawyer’s shirt is half burned off, just like mine is.
I’m only vaguely aware of the raw, tender feeling of the skin on my upper chest and left arm. A growl rumbles in my chest as I swing my head around, glaring at the other contestants around us. But none of them seem dumb enough to attack. Not after what they just saw us do.
A sudden piercing whistle splits the air, and the bodies of the magical creatures disappear in a puff of black smoke. Then a loud, nasal voice fills the arena.
“Disqualified! No contestant may have more than one partner in any given challenge. You are hereby disqualified. You must leave the playing area immediately. All other contestants, stand by. The playing area will be reset.”
As Myron’s voice booms over our heads, several security guards step into the arena and stride toward us. I know they’re here to escort us out, but I don’t give a fuck about that.
My gaze moves to Trinity, and the crushing tightness in my chest eases up a bit. She’s gettin’ up. She looks a little dazed, like she’s wonderin’ if any of this is real or if it’s all a dream of some kind.
“Beck.”
I stride toward Trin, shooting a look at my brother as I go. I know he doesn’t leave home without some of his most valuable possessions, and I know healing potions are included in that list. He probably left his most powerful ones at home, but he’s gotta have something that will help heal the angel up.
She doesn’t look too bad off—nothing broken, I don’t think. But I won’t be able to
breathe right until I know she doesn’t have any internal injuries or bruising we can’t see.
Beck nods and steps forward to meet me. I’m surprised as fuck when he shoves a healing potion into my hand and one into Sawyer’s before bending over Trinity where she’s slowly sitting up on the ground.
I share a look with Sawyer, then we both uncap our potions and down them in one gulp. I don’t know what the hell inspired Beck, the tight-fisted fucker, to share his treasure like this, but I’m not gonna question it right now.
The potion burns through my veins, making my skin prickle as it heals the burns on my torso. Almost as soon as Trin finishes drinking hers, the security team reaches us.
One man bends down, about to haul her to her feet, but I grab him by the collar and shove him back. He tenses, looking ready to fight me if we refuse to leave the arena. My fists itch to slam into his damn face, but a low groan from Trinity draws my attention.
My head whips around, and before any of the other guards can touch her, I reach down and scoop her up into my arms.
Then I stride out of the arena, my brothers surrounding me in a tight circle.
We’re fuckin’ done here.
Chapter Twenty
TRINITY
Ford refuses to put me down. Instead, he carries me all the way back to the house in a fireman’s hold, even though I try to get him to let go and allow me to walk under my own power.
“I’m fine,” I announce at last when we reach the front door.
“You almost weren’t,” he growls, but he does set me down as Ryland leads us all inside. He doesn’t release his grip on me though, keeping his arms wrapped around me.
I have to admit—to myself, anyway, not out loud—that it feels good to have him holding me. He’s solid and warm against me, and it’s comforting. Reassuring. He just threw everything he had into making sure I wasn’t hurt, raging through our enemies like a force of nature, and for once, I wasn’t scared at all by his wrath.