Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up #5)(53)

Sebastian rubbed his hands together, sitting above the arena in a cushioned fold-out chair midway up the side of the plateau. A rock wall ran in front of him, keeping him from pitching over the side and falling ten feet to the grandstands, where the other mages and some of their people had filed in to watch. He’d made sure they were all invited.

“Your girl could get her ass handed to her right now, and you’re excited?” Nessa shook her head and consulted her watch.

“She won’t. You’ll see.”

“I didn’t know you liked blood sport this much.” She pushed forward and looked over the side. “I still don’t see Burke.”

“I’m sure he’s skulking around the tunnels, trying to find my residence. He has no idea there are two separate tunnel systems.”

“He’s a fool. You shouldn’t have bothered to bring him.”

“And rob me of the fun of watching him try to kill me? Poppycock.”

“He doesn’t have any hope of even getting near you. You know that.”

“Not unless I let him stumble into me, no. Which I will, just for giggles. But I want to see this competition first. I want everyone to see it. After these games, Jacinta will no longer be a pitiful Jane with a bunch of animals. She will be recognized as the most powerful mage in the world, with the second most powerful mage at her back. She will be a rising star. These games won’t only give her status—they’ll give her connections.”

“Won’t it be a grand joke if you have done all this to help her, only to be killed by her in a few days.”

“Not the kind of joke that would make me laugh, but certainly the kind of cosmic joke that would be par for the course with my life experience.” He sucked in a breath. “Here we go. Shh-shh .”

“It was sweet the way the shifter stayed to dance with her last night,” Nessa whispered as Jessie’s crew was led out of the holding area. “Holy crap, are they naked ?” Nessa leaned forward, squinting, then reached down to grab her binoculars.

“Sure, now you’re interested,” he murmured, using his own binoculars to check on Jessie. She looked nervous, with tight shoulders and fisted hands. He felt bad for her, continually being thrown in the deep end, but trial by fire was the only sort that worked in the magical world.

Her big alpha was as experienced with the nuances of body language as she was na?ve, thankfully. He walked by her side but a step or two behind her, giving her the head position while making it clear he would not hesitate to protect her.

“This is like Christmas,” Sebastian said, giddy. “You have no idea how powerful she is, Nessa. She learns fast, too.”

“You’ve said, yes. I can’t believe so many of them are walking out naked. And look at those others. They’re actually wearing that ridiculous armor you put in there.” She looked over the wall at the mages gathered below. When she sat back down, she said, “Some clearly think this is a joke, and others are disgusted.”

Noah and his group of mages walked out next, led by another of Sebastian’s people. They walked in a cluster. A couple of stragglers in the back seemed less sure of themselves—those were the smart ones—but most of the mages strutted right alongside Noah, who clearly thought this was a waste of his time. The group stopped at the other end of the meadow in their mages’ robes, hands by their sides, silently broadcasting their assurance of victory.

“They have no idea what they just walked into,” Sebastian murmured, looking at Noah’s smug face through his binoculars.

“A bunch of naked guys, that’s what they just walked into. Why did you put the magical ceiling so low over the arena if they fly?”

“I wanted to let the shifters shine on this one.”

“You need to get over your love affair with shifters.”

“I don’t love them. I’m terrified of them. It’s nice to feel a strong emotion again after Jala died, even if it is fear.”

They fell silent as the two red-clad staffers met in the middle of the meadow. Kiki, the brunette with a very pleasant way about her, worked a spell to broadcast her voice.

“This tournament will continue until one party yields. At that time, the winner is decided. Do not kill. This is not a fight to the death. If you kill, you will be gravely penalized. When we leave the field, you may commence.”

His people walked to the little protective alcove at the side of the field. The second they were gone, Noah blasted out a spell from way, way too far away. He wasn’t nearly strong enough to make any impact with it. He clearly thought Jessie was nothing.

As expected, she brushed it away as though it were a spider web and then started working her hands. Magic coalesced and took form, wrapping around her and her people.

“Is she trying to protect them all?” Nessa asked.

“She’s the only mage on her team. If she wants them magically defended, she has to do it herself.”

“That’s going to put her at a severe disadvantage.”

Noah and his people walked forward now, their robes rustling around their feet. Jessie’s people still hadn’t moved. Sebastian sat forward on the edge of his seat anxiously, wondering what was taking them so long.

“Good,” Jessie said, her voice barely audible from where he sat. “Good, good. Go. I’ll cover you.”