Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(68)

Evalle scooted around the patrons negotiating bets in everything from jewels to spells. She found an opening where the back of the stands met the ground. When she reached it, she found a dark cubbyhole six feet tall and four feet wide. Large enough to comfortably hold Lanna.

“How deep is it?” Storm asked from close behind.

Evalle leaned down to look. The space ran about twenty feet deep until it stopped at a solid wall.

Not ideal with only one exit, but she had to get Lanna out of sight or they’d all get ejected the minute someone realized Lanna had crashed the party.

Actually, Lanna and Storm would face punishment and ejection. Then Kol D’Alimonte would take possession of Evalle, which would end with bloodshed.

Hers and Storm’s, since he wouldn’t go quietly.

She straightened up as Lanna rushed over to the space. Evalle told Storm, “I need a minute.”

“I’ll shield you.” He swung around, and Evalle trusted him to do his majik thing to protect them.

Dame Lynn’s voice shouted, “In Battle Theater One, Varkal, a shape-shifting rhino, entering from Gate One, and Ixxkter the Alterant entering at Gate Two. Second round opponents who will fight in Battle Theater Two are . . .”

Stomping and shouts shook the stadium at the announcement of Ixxkter. Evalle stepped close to Lanna to be heard. “We can’t take you with us, and you can’t be seen here. You may be eighteen, but you look younger and you have no buy-in. You’re shielded from anyone seeing you as long as you stay here.”

Grunting came from Battle Theater One, probably the rhino having shifted, then a deep-chested roar of challenge followed. Had to be the Alterant shifting.

Evalle waited until the noise settled down to a rumble to continue. “What were you thinking, Lanna?”

The girl faced her, eyes bulging with regret. “I am sorry, Evalle. I did not mean to cause you trouble.”

“No, that doesn’t work. You did this with full knowledge that you had no idea where you were going, and you lied to me when you agreed to stay at Nicole’s.”

Evalle felt eyes on her and turned to see Storm lifting an eyebrow at her that asked how it felt to be given the slip. How had he heard that over the crowd? She had lied to Storm about waiting at her apartment for him, but she’d been given the responsibility of keeping Lanna safe.

Grumbling under her breath about annoying men, Evalle ignored him and got back to dealing with Lanna. “Why did you leave Nicole’s?”

“Grendal could have found me there.”

Evalle forced her hands to remain at her sides and not grab Lanna, or she’d shake the breath out of her. “Brilliant. So instead of staying somewhere he might be, you go to where he is and let him see you. We can’t leave to take you home.”

“Storm could, but he would not leave you. Too much honor.”

Lanna was pulling out all the stops to win points, but she wasn’t making headway with Evalle, who ran her hand through her hair. She’d forgotten until now that she’d left it down and would have to pull it back before she fought.

The thud of fists or a club hitting a body echoed over the crowd noise. Something howled in pain.

Right now Evalle and Storm should be watching to see what she might be up against, but with everyone focused on the matches, this was the time to hide Lanna.

Evalle motioned to Storm to come over. When he was close, she asked, “Can you cast a spell to keep even a wizard from finding Lanna here?”

“Yes, if she doesn’t tamper with it.”

Lanna perked up. “That is good. I need time for my powers to return.”

“You’ll have plenty,” Evalle assured her.

Storm told Lanna, “You’ll be safe as long as you don’t try to do something like leave this ten-foot-square area.”

Horror crossed Lanna’s gaze. “I must be able to move.”

“No, you don’t. I expect you to be right here when I come back.”

A shriek split the air, then gained power until a sharp snap ended the sound.

Dame Lynn announced, “Ixxkter wins his first round in record time. Place your bets while the cleanup team finds all the rhino parts. Ozawa Windago versus Moonlight Warrior will be the next Battle Theater One event. Opponents have five minutes to move to respective holding areas.”

Evalle had an idea what Ozawa Windago was if his name was a hint, and from the tension shooting off of Storm, he did, too.





TWENTY-FOUR





Lanna will be safe there, right?” Evalle asked Storm as they headed toward the holding area. She had to get her mind ready to fight.

If Ozawa Windago was actually a play on the term wendigo, that meant Evalle’s first opponent was in fact already dead.

Killing one seemed like an oxymoron.

“I shielded Lanna’s form and her scent,” Storm said, directing Evalle through the crowd with subtle touches. “If she doesn’t do anything to draw attention to herself, no one should find her. But I’ll pick a spot on this side where I can keep an eye on her while I watch you.”

Evalle felt the raw power Storm emitted that parted the crowd. The opposite of pheromones? Had to be something feral rolling off him, because this was not a crowd to be easily intimidated.

At the entrance to the holding area for Battle Theater One, a Spartan guard waited until Dame Lynn appeared in his hand and said to Evalle, “You’re in holding area one, room seven. If you don’t find what you need, let someone know. The lockers are keyed to your touch.”