Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(12)

Swinging his big head around to look at Imogenia, who smiled and gave Bernie thumbs-up, the Alterant went back to work on Storm. Bernie pointed a finger at the inert jaguar body and used kinetics again to toss Storm fifteen feet in the air for another backflip before dropping him to the ground.

The third time Bernie used the same tactic, Storm rolled in the air to land on all four paws, but took a sideways step and shook his head, dazed.

Evalle’s heart hammered.

Her Alterant beast wanted out to fight. Muscles rippled along her arms, threatening to expand and strengthen. She shoved her hands in her jeans pockets to keep from throwing a kinetic blast at the Alterant to knock him on his ass, then focused her attention on not shifting. Unlike Bernie, she couldn’t shift into beast form without consent from Macha or Brina. And if she used kinetics to interfere, everyone in this place would know she and Storm were not really sponsor and fighter.

Bernie pounded his feet back and forth, like a kid waiting to play tag football.

Storm wobbled left then right and stood very still, his head hanging low to the ground as if he’d forgotten where he was. Bernie took one step then another, creeping over to Storm with his head angled in a thoughtful way.

Evalle knew of only one other Alterant besides herself who could control his beast state. Tristan. Bernie acted based on fear and anger. Now he studied Storm with curiosity. Did he retain enough humanity that he regretted slamming Storm around like a rag doll?

Imogenia said to Evalle, “Give me your fighter and I’ll spare him.”

Storm had warned her deals were binding here, but even if they weren’t, this witch was crazy if she thought she could have Storm. “Want to make me the same offer?”

Imogenia hissed in reply. “Fool.”

Everyone around the ring quieted, leaning in, watching to see what Bernie would do.

Imogenia didn’t appear bothered by Bernie’s passivity. Why? Then it hit Evalle.

Because Bernie wasn’t really passive. Not in his beast state. He just needed prompting.

When he shifted into an Alterant, Evalle figured out too late that this was all part of Bernie’s act.

Imogenia bared her teeth and shouted, “Now!???”





FOUR





Bernie lunged at Storm. A towering mass of beast that could crush a jaguar.

Evalle only saw a dark blur, Storm moved so fast.

Where his jaguar had been standing still as death, he leaped away just before Bernie the Alterant slammed to the ground facedown with the force of a building being knocked over.

The jaguar snarled a roar and pounced on Bernie’s back. Huge jaws clamped around the Alterant’s neck. Bernie jerked twice, then didn’t move.

Cheers went up in the crowd.

Imogenia screeched, “Noooo!???”

Evalle locked her legs to prevent her knees from buckling with relief. Storm had intentionally lured the Alterant in, using Bernie’s size and clumsy movements against him.

The Domjon howled with happiness. “Dual on the mountain for a prime-time show. Shifter one, Alterant zeeeroooooo. That’s a guaranteed pass to the big night.”

Evalle wanted to ask the Domjon what “big night” he referred to, but that would throw up one of those red flags of suspicion Storm had warned her about. She’d learned enough about Beast Clubs for one night and just wanted to get Storm out of here before he had to fight Zymon’s behemoth creature.

But she still had to deal with Imogenia.

The witch lashed out at Evalle. “You killed my Alterant, you bitch. You’ll pay for this.”

Talk about screwing up a mission to gain intel.

Nothing to lose now by tossing the witch’s words back at her. Evalle said, “Shouldn’t have brought your second string. Oh, that’s right. You don’t have a first string.”

Imogenia vibrated with fury. She wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to keep from going for Evalle’s throat.

Bring it, witch.

“Ladies, ladies, ladies,” the Domjon cooed in their direction. “No loss yet. The shifter waits for his sponsor to call thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Either way, it ends the round.”

Imogenia snapped back to face the ring. “He’s alive?”

The crowd started chanting, “Death, death, death!????”

Was this what it had been like back during the days of lions in a coliseum?

Had Storm used his majik to put the Alterant into a semi-comatose state? Was that allowed? From where he stood with his jaws on Bernie’s neck, all Storm would have to do was rip apart the Alterant’s neck muscles and the head would fall loose.

But an alive Bernie just changed the game with Imogenia.

Evalle asked the witch, “You willing to deal to keep your fighter?”

Imogenia focused on Evalle, finally giving her the respect she should have from the start. The witch visibly fought to pull her emotions under control. What, exactly, had Imogenia so jumpy and on edge?

Imogenia stepped close to Evalle, even though the crowd noise covered their conversation. “What do you want?”

“Information.”

That drew a hard line across Imogenia’s pert lips. “Too vague.”

Time to gamble. “I’ll make this more than fair. I’ll give you back your Alterant if you answer all my questions truthfully about T?μr Medb, the Medb Coven and Tristan. If not, I leave with both fighters.”