Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(104)

“What are you three doing here?” he croaked out.

“Helping you,” Quinn replied, smoothing the water off the top of his blond hair slicked back into a ponytail. Decked out in a sleek black and silver tuxedo, his lean form belonged on a runway somewhere. But the international stock trader had probably come to the park from some shindig in downtown Atlanta. The spectacles covering his eyes had undoubtedly been crafted somewhere like Switzerland, one of a kind.

“Not tonight, Quinn.” Trey gasped for air with each breath, his mind foggy. He wanted to go to Sasha, who stood wide-eyed and unharmed so far, but he wouldn’t take the risk of her being burned alive. He shot a look at where the warrior had been tossed. Vyan didn’t move, which meant nothing. The guy was probably playing possum to assess the new arrivals.

Trey frowned at the trio. “Don’t tell me you forgot what tonight is, Tzader.”

“Not likely.” Tzader couldn’t be more different from Quinn if he tried, with his black hair curling and thick on top, buzz cut on the sides. His coffee-brown skin glistened with energy and menace. Twelve-inch knives clipped to each hip would gut anything, living or otherwise. Close inspection of the serrated edges revealed fanged teeth. Not as tall as Trey or Quinn, Tzader’s sleeveless shirt stretched to contain a body wrapped in two hundred and twenty-five pounds of badass muscle.

“I’m Evalle Kincaid,” the brunette Amazon purred as “eeval.” “Unlike the three of you purebreds, my energy is not bleeding out right now. And unlike you, Trey, these two have conserved their powers and energy since midnight. So we need to get busy before your buddy over there regains consciousness.” Her designer glasses rested against a pert nose and high cheeks. Her vision must be extremely sensitive for her to shield her eyes behind dark shades at night in a storm.

“No!” Trey argued and paid for the effort with a dagger of pain to his lung. Were they demented? “This isn’t a sanctioned battle and I’m not risking all of your lives.” Linking with Beladors increased their powers exponentially, but if one died in battle while linked, they all did.

“We all took an oath,” Quinn interjected. “What kind of honor would we have if we didn’t back you up? And Evalle is right. We need to get to it.”

“You can’t do this. The penalty will be high.” He could only hope Macha would penalize him alone and spare the tribe.

“You don’t have a say,” Evalle said in a tone that indicated she was bored with the conversation. “When Brina says it’s on, it’s on. Like I said, the sooner the . . .” She angled her head toward the tree where Vyan had landed and muttered, “Too late, he’s rousing. Let’s link now.”

Brina sent them? Trey couldn’t believe it.

Why not, Trey? Brina sounded peeved.

I thought you wouldn’t back this battle.

I told you, I protect my tribe. Even hardheaded warriors like you. I’ll worry about Macha as soon as you kick this fool’s butt back to that giant rock he climbed out from under.

The trio spread out, and Trey began to feel their energy flood his feeble body. He drew one breath, then another, standing taller with each infusion from the linking.

Vyan strolled toward him as if he were unconcerned about the new developments. He pointed a finger at his jacket on the ground and it flew to him. When he had the coat on, he lifted the stone from his coat pocket.

Trey cursed at not thinking to grab the stone.

“You would not have held the stone long, for it chooses its master,” Vyan said, obviously snagging Trey’s thoughts. He lifted the multicolored rock and murmured foreign words. “Your combined power will not match mine, Beladors.” He spit out the last word as if the tribe’s name seared his tongue.

The trio moved in, but Trey held up his hand. “I’ll fight him alone.”

“Let’s help your odds,” Evalle suggested. All the lights in the park and surrounding areas went out. Trey blinked, not believing his sharp vision.

You have my vision, Evalle said in Trey’s mind. The Kujoo can see too, but not with the high-definition optics you now have.

Thanks, Trey sent back, then closed his mind to everything but confronting Vyan.

Vyan came at him, his blade sizzling with electricity along the edge. Trey dodged the first strike, spinning away and searching for a weapon. The thought had barely escaped his mind when he held Tzader’s two knives.

The blades actually snarled, fangs extended, when Trey lifted them to brace against Vyan’s next strike. The warrior fought with one hand wielding his sword and the other holding the stone that radiated spears of multicolored lights. Bolts of lightning sliced the air around them. Trey blocked charge after charge from Vyan with the knives until he saw a chance to knock the stone loose.

Trey threw one knife, aiming for Vyan’s wrist, which supported the stone. The knife bounced away before it reached him. Vyan smiled and pointed the stone at Trey’s other hand. His second knife flew out of his palm.

Tzader whistled and both weapons returned to his side.

“Take mine,” came an order from behind Trey. He turned to find Lucien who produced a sword from thin air and sent it spinning end over end. Trey caught the weapon; that felt too light to be any good. He glanced at Lucien, who stood next to Sasha. Rowan was beside him wearing a yellow slicker, not looking anything like a witch.