Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(65)
“What do you mean by relief?” Evalle asked.
“The losing fighter begs to quit, and if the opponent agrees, the loser is handed over to the Medb with no trade for the sponsor.”
Evalle shifted her gaze to Storm, her eyes begging him again not to go inside with her.
He stated, “I’m her healer.” And he hoped like hell he wouldn’t be needed for that.
Dame Lynn told Evalle, “Give the Volonte to the other guard.”
Turning to the Spartan not holding a hologram of a head, Evalle told him, “You must tell me that you want this Volonte. Do you?”
“Yes, I want it,” he boomed and extended his arm.
Evalle lifted her arm and whispered the words Imogenia had used, then followed the same steps that ended with snapping the band on the guard’s arm.
Her entire body relaxed as if she’d been wrapped in barbed wire all this time and the binding had suddenly snapped. She let out a long breath of air, glad to be rid of that evil bone.
With that done, Dame Lynn issued final instructions. “Fighters can use whatever powers they possess and can bring one weapon of choice into the theater.”
Evalle hesitated.
Before Storm could tell her she couldn’t sneak anything past this group, the Domjon said, “If you keep the dagger, the blades in your boot soles won’t work in here. If you want the boot blades, then your dagger will disappear as soon as you enter.”
“I’ll keep the dagger.”
“What name do you fight under?”
When Evalle cut her eyes at him, Storm said, “Moonlight Warrior.”
“Welcome to the Achilles Beast Championship,” Dame Lynn said before her head vanished.
In a place that was very likely wall-to-wall witches in some form, he didn’t want her to use her real name even if somebody might recognize her face. He put his hand at her back, so damned glad that bone was gone.
Each guard reached for the center of the curtain and drew back his half, revealing lights blazing over a towering room that held a thousand if it held one.
Raucous voices pelted the air with excitement.
Storm indicated for her to enter ahead of him, giving her a two-step lead.
She missed a step and turned around, frowning. “Did you bump me?”
“No.” Storm sniffed the air, catching a smell similar to one he’d barely picked up around the troll’s potent stench. He knew that scent. One sniff would smell human, then the next would smell like some creature he couldn’t identify. Now wasn’t the time to discuss it, when he couldn’t think past the idea of Evalle fighting beasts. He nodded at her to keep moving.
With the armband off, she could shift into her beast form, but would she?
And if she didn’t, how was he going to keep her from being killed?
TWENTY-TWO
Lanna followed Evalle and Storm through the silver curtain and paused inside the noisy arena.
Her head throbbed from the strain of holding her cloaking in place and constantly camouflaging her scent. Her muscles ached from being in so many difficult positions while trying to be quiet, too. Riding in Evalle’s SUV had been simple, but shielding herself from view between the car and boat ride had taken much work.
Her cloaking would fail soon.
Lanna scurried through crowds moving around this place that smelled of many different beings. Where would be a good place to hide?
Storm had sniffed in Lanna’s direction when he and Evalle had come inside, scaring Lanna that she had been found out. She was sure the spell she used to mix Nicole and Feenix’s scents had been right. It should mask her scent from anyone but shifters.
She had not expected Storm to drop from the sky like an avenging angel. Angry angel. He knew her scent and had startled her when he’d noticed her presence as she’d snuck onto the boat.
Her heart had tried to climb out of her chest.
Squeezing between people, Lanna pushed through to keep up with Storm and Evalle. Looked like a small city in here. Tents scattered around. People sat in seats built like stairs. The crowd moved around two large fight rings with sparkling lights like invisible domes made of flickering stars.
How could Storm let Evalle fight in this place?
Lanna had already seen two mages and enough witches to fill several covens. These witches practiced dark arts, not like Nicole, whose aura shined with light.
Nicole would discover that Lanna had escaped once she checked the bed in her guest room. Maybe even by now. Lanna had left the covers pulled over a body shape that lifted and fell like normal breathing. To have stayed would have put Evalle’s friend and Feenix at risk.
Evalle had been careful on the drive to Nicole’s, watching for threats, but Lanna feared the wizard would find her even if she did not make another powerful draw on the elements. Doing that was like sending up a signal flare.
Grendal was in Atlanta.
Lanna’s idea had been such a simple plan.
Leave with Evalle and hope Grendal would believe Lanna had left Atlanta for good, but who knew Evalle would drive almost seven hours? And where was this Cumberland Island place? Lanna had to stay with Evalle now to get back to Cousin Quinn.
Her hand started taking form.
She carefully pushed power down her arms to turn her hand invisible again, but her body trembled from the strain. She could only hold cloaking this long because she had been able to rest in the Expedition on the way here. She hid in a very small area at the rear of the SUV and did not have to cloak while Evalle drove.