Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(64)

Evalle pushed the slinky jacket sleeve and shirtsleeve up to show the armband. “I want to buy in for admittance only.”

“What?” Storm snapped. He should have known that Evalle was going along too easily. “No. I’m your fighter.”

Evalle turned on him, her mouth as hard-lined as her attitude. “No, you’re not.”

The Domjon turned her head to face Storm. “What are you?”

“Shifter. Jaguar.”

“Are you the black jaguar fighter from the Beast Club in Georgia?”

“Yes.”

Dame Lynn announced, “Request to fight denied.”

“Why?” Storm doubted she could know who he was from South America, but even so he’d never been refused entrance as a fighter.

“You have been accused of fighting under fraudulent terms by claiming you were a shifter,” Dame Lynn replied in a flat tone of finality.

“I told you. I shift into jaguar form.”

“That wasn’t the issue. Imogenia of the Carretta Coven filed a complaint that you misrepresented yourself as a were-shifter. Her fighter also claimed you used majik that had not been declared. Until that’s cleared up with the injured party, you’re barred from fighting in the Achilles Beast Championship. Or, you can request to be subjected to a truth test to prove Imogenia wrong. If she is found guilty of lying, she and her fighter will be ejected . . . after facing a sanction. However, if you lie during this test, you die.”

That pain-in-the-ass Imogenia.

Storm couldn’t prove he was a were-shifter, since he wasn’t, and he had lied by omission.

Dame Lynn added, “And there are no observation-only tickets left.”

Evalle swung around to Dame Lynn. “Not even for a Volonte finger bone?”

“No.”

Evalle looked over at Storm, determination so strong in her gaze that he had to bite down to keep from shouting no at her, knowing she had only one other move. Don’t do this.

Evalle told Dame Lynn, “Then I want to enter an Alterant.”

“No, Evalle.” When she ignored him, Storm growled a low warning.

Dame Lynn’s head leaned from side to side on the guard’s hand. “I don’t see an Alterant.”

Evalle reached up and lowered her glasses enough for her green eyes to glow bright in the darkness. “Now you do.”

“Accepted. Admittance is granted to you.” Dame Lynn emphasized the you. These fights had a no-tolerance policy when it came to anyone trying to trick them to gain access.

Storm’s nightmare unfolded before his eyes.

If Evalle walked in there as an Alterant, she’d have to fight. He told Evalle, “I’m going in with you.”

Dame Lynn clarified, “At this point, you can’t enter as a sponsor, since you did not represent yourself as such up front.”

He put his hand on Evalle’s arm. She turned to him, saying, “I have to do this.”

“I won’t let you go without me.”

Evalle held his gaze for two heartbeats, long enough to realize he would back his words and die fighting his way inside if she tried to enter without him.

Pushing her glasses back into place, Evalle addressed Dame Lynn. “Alterants can enter for free, right?”

“Correct.”

“Would the host be willing to trade this Volonte to allow me to bring a guest in with me?”

Storm hadn’t considered that, and Evalle still had to get that damn bone off her arm.

“No.”

Storm buckled his temper only for Evalle’s benefit. “What about a healer?”

The Domjon allowed, “With a Volonte, she can bring in one healer.”

Storm asked, “What’s the specific ruling on using majik inside?”

“No one can aid his or her fighter during a match in any way. You can use majik only to heal a fighter between matches. Any infraction of the rules results in sanction, then ejection.”

That sanction part could be worse than death in a place like this.

The Domjon continued, “Additionally, the fighter is forfeited to the host, who can keep said fighter or trade it to the financial backer for this event, the Medb. However, a sponsor or healer can help someone else’s fighter as long as their own fighter is still alive and in a match.”

“Why would anyone help someone else’s fighter?” Evalle murmured.

Storm would never risk losing Evalle by using his majik where he’d be caught, and the rule should prevent others from helping a fighter that might eventually hurt their own entry, but his gut feeling was that no one in this place could be trusted. Not when one sponsor might cut a deal to help another sponsor if it was beneficial. Anything was possible in these battles.

Evalle asked, “When will the Medb representative face the truth test?”

Dame Lynn blinked up at Evalle. “That was an hour ago, and the Medb priestess passed the test. She stated the terms for negotiating trades with Medb representatives. Any Alterant surviving an Elite match will be offered the chance to become a warrior who can conquer death.”

Storm asked, “How are winners decided?”

“Alterants fight two matches against non-Alterants. If they survive, their third and final match is against another Alterant. A match ends either in death or relief, with the exception of an Elite round, where the Medb priestess can declare a winner and a loser if she chooses.”