My head was pounding like a son of a bitch, and I needed to sit down. The fact that these otherworldly creatures not only existed, but also had a whole government unto themselves was a big bite to chew. I recognized that my life would never be the same. This was the breaking point—the first night of the rest of my godforsaken life.
“Jolie, I know this is a lot to digest. We can discuss more on the plane, and I’ll answer whatever questions you ask. I know you’re frightened, but I hope you believe you’re safe with me. I would never take advantage of you or hurt you. I just hope you realize this is the best case in an otherwise bad situation.”
I nodded, but didn’t look at him. I trusted he’d never hurt me—he could’ve had he wanted to. But I just couldn’t get giddy about the whole situation. As far as I was concerned, it sucked. Now I’d have to sell my business, sell my house and my car and move to England. I was taking Plum, my cat. I didn’t care what Rand thought about that, and if Christa was interested, I was taking her too.
I looked up at Rand and noticed he was unsettled about something, there was worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to tell you, but I see no other way. Bella has challenged me to a duel … over you.”
Okay, this took the cake. “A duel, as in pistols?”
He chuckled without humor. “No, a duel between witch and warlock, using magic. She thinks it unfair I claimed you.”
I stood up and smoothed my fairy skirts, trying to combat the storm of tears that were just waiting for the okay. “So w … what does that mean? You’ll f … fight her with magic? To the death?” I asked, my voice rising as panic overtook me. If Rand lost, I was forever doomed to serving the likes of Bella. I’d rather take my own life than allow that.
He shook his head. “No. We’ll fight with our powers, and whoever falls first loses.”
“But Sinjin said there’s a spell against the use of magic here,” I said, sounding like a child pointing out any relevant arguments against the one Rand was making.
He put his hand on my cheek, instantly calming me. “It’s easy to break that spell, Jolie.”
“Is … is she a worthy opponent?”
He nodded. If he noticed my stuttering, he was polite enough not to comment. “She’s a very powerful witch, but Jolie, I’m a powerful warlock in my own right.”
“And if you fail?”
He sighed. “Then she becomes your protector.”
I burst into another fit of tears. Could this night get any worse? Rand engulfed me in his big arms, and I blew my nose in the hankie, thinking it preferable to leaking on his shirt. I couldn’t help but cry harder as I thought my very future depended on his defeating Bella. “W … when will this t … take place?”
Rand pulled away and gave me an encouraging smile. “Tonight. Probably soon. They’re drawing up the rules as we speak. Promise me, Jolie, you’ll not try anything foolish. Everyone here is far too powerful and you’ll be at their mercy. At the conclusion of the dual, you must either go with Bella or come with me. As this is Bella’s home, all of these people are her friends, not mine, and I can’t account for what might happen upon me winning. I want you to stay close to the door, and be prepared to leave quickly.”
“Please don’t leave me with her.”
He laughed. “Trust me; I’ll do everything in my power, literally.”
SEVEN
Apparently, the Underworld was as interested in fights as humans—the dancers stopped their air waltz and floated to the ground, looking like petals gliding in a breeze. Everyone formed an amphitheatre around Rand and Bella. This wouldn’t be like any duel I’d ever heard of or seen in movies, and I was unprepared for what lay ahead.
I found myself led to the middle of the crowd where I’d be under strict surveillance, lest I attempt to escape. Angst pounded through me, and I didn’t even have the wherewithal to notice who pushed me through the crowd. I kept replaying Rand’s warning: Stay close to the door, and be prepared to leave quickly. I craned my head—the nearest exit was … not very near.
Someone latched onto my arm. I gasped and turned to confront the grinning countenance of Sinjin.
“Come along, my pet, I will ensure you are front and center.”
“No,” I said quickly, clinging to the image of the door that was now blocked by at least four people. “I’m fine where I am.”
“I insist.” By the tone of his voice, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. A few people blocked our path, and Sinjin did nothing more than glance at them and they scurried out of the way. Before I knew it, I was on the sidelines of the duel and as far from the doors as possible.
Crap.
I jerked my arm free of his grip. “There’s no need for you to keep tabs on me.”
“I am afraid you’re the prize, poppet, and one that cannot be lost,” he answered with a grin.
The only type of smiles to graze Sinjin’s face seemed to be of the sarcastic or malevolent sort. I couldn’t imagine this creature possessed even an ounce of goodness. And the biggest kicker was that even though I could recognize him for the monster he was, I couldn’t help my attraction to him.
What a dumbass I was.
“I’ll have to report back to Bella that you did a wonderful job of controlling me,” I spat out, not wanting to face the fact that I lusted after him.
He shook his head, a grin toying with the ends of his sensual lips. “Bella has nothing to do with this. I came to protect you.”
I scoffed—an unattractive sound, but I didn’t care. “Seems everyone is out to protect me. But I trust you as far as I can throw you.”
His ice blue eyes met mine, and he chuckled. “Think what you want, pet. I am the first to admit my interest in you does not blossom from my own sense of humanity; I have none. You are a commodity, and a valuable one at that.”
He put his hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it away. A commodity—that’s what they’d reduced me to. These creatures cared nothing for me. I was an answer to their needs, an article of trade, a quid-pro-quo arrangement. At least Sinjin had the courage to tell me to my face.
“I don’t care what you think, I still have freedom of choice,” I said, knowing my freedom had been ripped from me the moment I’d stepped foot into this hellish place.
“I am afraid your old life is done and gone, love, now you have to face a new reality.”
The idea sickened me. “Well, that reality doesn’t include Bella or her friends,” I said snidely, staring him in the eyes.
His eyes were sharp, deadly. “I am no one’s friend.”
A chill slipped over my skin. “Then why are you here?”
“Orders,” he said succinctly before turning his attention to Rand and Bella. “It appears the show is about to begin, poppet. May the best witch win.”
I thought better of making a facetious comment and instead, focused on Rand. He and Bella faced one another with what could only be termed hatred—clenched jaws, narrowed eyes, and fisted hands. Anger seethed from both of them but, particularly, from Bella. She must’ve taken it pretty hard that I was now under Rand’s protection. I guess she was used to getting her own way.
A slender woman dressed as a pirate wench sashayed to the middle of the floor, standing between the two. She threw a flirtatious smile at Rand. But his attention wasn’t on her—his gaze fell to me, and he inclined his head as if to say the games were about to begin. I mouthed a terse “good luck.”
“This is a feat of magic and strength. Whichever witch drops to the floor first will be the loser. The victor will win the rights as employer to one Jolie Wilkins,” the pirate girl said in a deep and throaty voice—the voice sex would have if personified.
Everyone turned to look at me, no doubt questioning the prize. I felt myself shrink against Sinjin who just chuckled, patting my shoulder consolingly. I didn’t pull away from him this time.
The crowd fell silent. Rand and Bella stood there, facing one another.
>
“What’s going on?” I whispered to Sinjin.
“Shh.” He ran his finger down the length of my upper arm. My skin burned even though his touch was ice cold.
Taking my lower lip between my teeth, I waited impatiently for something to happen. I thought I noticed a thin stream of light emanating between Rand and Bella’s fingertips, and I had to blink to ensure it was there. The light grew in intensity until it could be termed a ball of energy. A glimmer of blue engulfed Bella’s while Rand’s went as white as the first snowfall in Spokane. Just then, I wished more than ever before, that I could go home and forget all of this. Go home to my bland life in Spokane and relish the humdrum safety.
With thoughts of Spokane playing through my head, I wasn’t prepared for the combat to begin. When Rand and Bella lunged at one another, throwing the balls of energy, I gasped. Sinjin chuckled and patted my shoulder in an attempt to calm me, but all I could feel was the coldness of his skin, something decidedly not calming.
Each witch sidestepped the energy, and I wondered if it would hit someone in the sidelines. The energy balls twinkled like dying stars and disappeared before doing any damage. I guess the balls of energy weren’t the best trick up their sleeves because neither Rand nor Bella seemed at all irritated they’d missed their targets. Instead, they fell upon one another, fighting in a much more primitive and human way—with fists, knees, and ugly words. I winced when Rand got a knee between his legs. He looked like he was about to fall to the ground, and I stepped forward, a gasp on my lips. Sinjin grabbed my arm and yanked me back against the hard length of him.
“Watch it, love,” he whispered in my ear.
“I don’t need to stand so close to you,” I snapped and took a step forward.
Rand righted himself (thank God) and didn’t seem to pay any attention to the fact that he was brawling with a woman. Course, I guess Bella wasn’t a woman but more a creature. Creature or not, she was powerful. The two of them seemed pretty well matched.
They huffed, puffed and didn’t blow either one’s house down.
After it seemed neither of them would yield to the other, they separated for a few minutes, each retiring to the far corners of the room, apparently to regroup. Rand leaned over, resting his hands on his knees. His breathing was ragged, his body swaying with the effort it took to inhale and exhale. Sweat beaded on his brow and dripped down his face. I had a feeling this was going to be a long fight.
Then I watched Rand do something that in a word was … incredible. He took a big breath of air and began to … transform. His face and limbs elongated, accompanied by what sounded like bones snapping. Patches of thick brown fur sprouted from his skin like growing grass on fast forward. His back arched until it looked like he might break in half, and then his spine took on a rounded shape as his rib cage doubled in breadth. His lips curled back, his canines morphing into long fangs. Shaking his head, he released an intense growl that seemed full of pain. I could only imagine it had hurt like a son of a bitch to change from a human into a bear.
I shook my head and wiped my eyes, wondering if that might clear my delirious vision, but the bear stood before me and there was no denying it.
Now, I don’t know much about animals—I watch Animal Planet on occasion, but I’d have to say this was one of the larger bears out there—maybe a grizzly.
My gaze settled on Bella to see what her reaction would be. I, myself, would’ve been scared shitless. But apparently, I’m a wuss because Bella just smiled as if to say “you can do better than that.” Crouching low to the ground, a long caramel colored tail unraveled from her backside while her fingers stretched into claws, giving me goose bumps as they screamed against the marble floor. Her clothing ripped away as her rib cage expanded, and light brown fur usurped her skin.
Bella was now a lioness. And a pissed off one at that. As soon as her transformation was complete, she lunged for Rand. With a swipe of her paw, she tore the bear’s, er Rand’s, chest open. The bear roared his outrage as the telltale scarlet of viscous blood emerged from the wound and coursed down his body, pooling on the floor.
Before I could take a step forward, Sinjin jerked me back.
The bear shook his massive head, stumbling backward with another wrenching growl. I held my breath and watched, wondering if Rand was going to die before me.
Sinjin squeezed my shoulders. “Just wait.”
The crowd was silent, all eyes on the bear. The beast seemed as if he were about to fall back against the floor but maybe remembering the terms of the fight, he regained his footing and stood, his breathing shallow. Bella circled him and even though she was a lion, she wore the very human emotion of glee in her eyes.
Don’t fall down, Rand. Whatever you do, don’t fall down. I probably shouldn’t have sent him the thoughts—especially when he needed to focus on the fight, but I couldn’t help it.
He didn’t look at me, but as soon as I thought the words, he ambled forward, blood coursing down his chest. Bella roared. The crowd broke into applause, their cheers vibrating the room, and I thought I might lose my lunch.
I couldn’t help sinking into Sinjin. “Why are they cheering?” I whispered. “It’s not over, is it? Why are they acting …?”
“Shh, my pet, it is not over.”
No sooner did the words leave his mouth than the bear stood on his hind legs and threw his immense head back, growling the fiercest and loudest growl I’d ever heard. Bella lurched for him at the same time that Rand threw himself atop her.
With a crushing thud, he pinned Bella beneath him and wrapped his jaws around her throat.
“He’ll kill her,” I whispered. But if he did kill her, would it would really be a loss? I couldn’t say I liked Bella …
“No, he will not,” Sinjin said with a chuckle.
Bella whimpered and at the sign of her distress, Rand pulled away. The crowd was silent, watchful.
Even though no one clapped, booed, or did anything, it was clear Rand was the victor. He turned, his brown eyes piercing mine. With long, fluid strides, he started toward me, his grizzly face intent on mine. I swallowed my fear and sidled closer to Sinjin who just chuckled and patted my ass. I was too overcome with the situation to get pissed off.
With each lumbering step, Rand’s limbs shortened, and the fur began to fade into tanned skin. By the time he reached me, the bear was gone and Rand was back to himself.
Naked.
Completely naked.
My mouth dropped open, and I couldn’t keep my gaze from traveling down his chest to his hips and lower still … I’m not sure what I expected after watching two “people” turn into animals, but I didn’t imagine they’d be naked. I guess it made sense, though. Changing from a two-hundred pound man to a nine-hundred pound grizzly had to be hard on your clothes.
Needless to say, I found it difficult to take my eyes from Rand’s muscled body, glorious in its nudity. Much to my chagrin, it seemed Sinjin caught my interest, and he gave me a little smirk.
I didn’t get much of a chance to regain my composure as Rand collapsed at my feet. Then I remembered the huge gaping wound on his chest.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“I suggest you help him,” Sinjin said in a soft voice and pushed me forward as if I needed encouragement.
Someone offered Rand a robe, and I exhaled my relief. Not that I didn’t want to see him naked, but now was neither the ideal place nor time.
I stumbled onto the floor.
“Rand,” I whispered and rested my hand on his head, willing him to look at me, to let me know he was going to be all right.
Finally, he tilted his head back and whispered a concise, “The door,” and that was when I realized we were in a bad situation. He’d won and he was in a house full of people who were rooting for Bella—that and he was hurt. I wasn’t sure how bad, but it was bad enough that he was having difficulty breathing.
I slipped my arm around his back and helped him to his feet. Even though he didn’t put a
ll his weight on me, it was still enough to make me stumble, and I cursed my damn hooker shoes. A sea of angry faces swayed before us, but I forced my attention to the door in the distance. Trying to walk in stiletto heels with the extreme weight of Rand was like wading through thigh-deep snow while carrying a large television.
The planets seemed to be aligned against me, Bella’s guests refusing to budge. Rand leaned into me, and I tripped with his weight. I paused to take off my ridiculous shoes and faced the fact that there was no way I could support him and forge my way through the reluctant crowd. Soft murmurs grew to angry mumbling, and I felt someone rip the wings right off my back. I subdued a yelp as tears of frustration sprouted in my eyes.
Sinjin stepped in front of me, and my heart sped up. Please tell me I wouldn’t have to contend with him too? He grinned before turning on his heel and forcing the crowd aside with an encouraging push. The crowd separated for him, and I slowly made my way through the passage. He reminded me of Moses parting the red sea, if Moses was a vampire. And if Moses was hot.
When we reached the door, I faced the next obstacle—those damned Jackal guards. I gave them my best pissed off, you-don’t-want-to-mess-with-me look, and I was surprised when they stepped aside and the doors opened of their own volition. Hmm, maybe I’d looked mean enough …
I spotted my Jetta parked across the street, and the vision of my little car had never been sweeter. Now, the problem of getting Rand across the street—he was becoming more and more exhausted, and a dead weight isn’t an easy one to transport.
By the grace of God, we managed to stumble across the street. I leaned Rand against the car, smearing the window with blood as I opened his door. He fell into the seat, and I was careful to lift his legs and put them in car. Once he was situated, I hurried to the driver’s side and threw myself into the seat, banging my funny bone into the middle console. It wasn’t very funny.
“Goddammit to hell!” I fumed, and threw the door shut. Luckily, the keys were waiting patiently for us in the ignition. Starting the car, I pealed out, only too happy to leave the nightmare party behind.