Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(28)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Storm tilted his head to indicate they should move out of the flow of traffic circling the battle rings. Once they were far enough off to the side to provide some privacy, he resumed his cool reserve, crossing his arms as if his glare had failed to communicate his aggravation with her.

Her jaw muscles locked and unlocked. “Would you just get over that I left Atlanta without you? I couldn’t face putting you at this kind of risk again.”

“I’m not the one at risk. You are.”

“Comes with the territory of the job I do.”

His mouth tightened and his eyes turned almost black. “Not this. You’ll have to fight some unknown creatures, and if you win those matches, you still have to face another Alterant who will shift into beast form when you won’t. And if that isn’t enough . . .” He rubbed the back of his neck, all of a sudden looking . . . guilty?

“What, Storm?” When he didn’t answer her, Evalle echoed, “Lying by omission is still lying.”

“That damned witch doctor I’ve been hunting for. I’m concerned about her getting close to you.”

That last sentence gave her mental whiplash. “The licorice-smelling one?”

“Yes.” He washed a hand over his face and shook his head at a silent thought. His jaw muscles moved, then he faced her again. “She should be trying to kill me, but my gut tells me she could be a threat to you, and I don’t know why.”

Like that made her feel better? “What’s her interest in me?”

“I don’t know. I would have told you sooner, but I really thought I’d had that vision because she’d learned we were partners at VIPER and that she’d figured if she found you she’d find me. When you disappeared on me today, I—” He shook his head, and this time when he looked at her his eyes were haunted. “I thought she had you. She could have taken you somewhere I might not find you.”

That explained the core of his anger. Evalle had scared Storm. Nothing frightened this man.

To know that he cared that much for her struck so deep she experienced a moment of happiness that had never been in her life before him. She would not let the witch doctor harm Storm. “The minute I get out of here, we’re going after her.”

“And that’s exactly why I never told you much about her. I may have stumbled on her up on the mountain today, but now I think she can find me if she wants to, so you going after her would probably play into her plans, whatever they are.”

Evalle wanted to get her hands on that crazy witch, but that wouldn’t happen if she didn’t walk out of here alive. Taking a deep breath, determined to say this with conviction, she told him, “You have to leave. Now. You obviously have resources. Get out of here.”

Storm lifted his hand to her face, but didn’t touch her when his glance around reminded her they had roles to play. He lowered his hand. “There’s nothing you can say to convince me to leave you.”

And that was why she wanted a chance to be with him.

He moved with the grace of a dangerous jungle cat, put Adonis to shame with his warrior body and wore honor with the same ease other men wore their favorite jeans. But he had come for her every time she’d been sure she had no one to turn to, and he would stand by her against impossible odds.

Her palms were damp. She didn’t know what to say to a man who gave so much and asked for so little in return. “I . . . you . . .”

“I know,” he said gently, a warm smile tipping the corners of his lips. “Let’s just get through this with you alive. I want to find a place to watch the matches where you can see me. I can’t use majik, but I can still coach you.”

Dame Lynn’s voice filled the room, projected from some invisible spot. “First round opponents Varkal and Ixxkter have entered the holding areas. Our first match starts in two minutes.”

A roar of cheers and boos went up, shaking the air.

Since Storm was more familiar with these venues than Evalle, she let him take the lead. They’d just moved through a clump of people when he took a step and leaned down, looking between bodies.

Evalle followed his moves and whispered, “What is it?”

Storm muttered a curse. “Lanna.”

“Not possible!”

He shot forward into an opening and Evalle followed as he swung in front of Lanna, who looked ghost white. “How’d you get in here?”

Lanna stared straight through him. Her voice trembled. “He’s here.”

Evalle turned to see what had terrified Lanna. She caught a glimpse of short yellow hair and sallow skin she’d seen at the Oakey Mountain Beast Club before the crowd had swallowed the creepy guy. Had he frightened Lanna? In spite of wanting to strangle the girl, Evalle leaned down in front of her. “Who’s here?”

“Grendal.”

Storm’s words floated down to them. “We need to move.”

Thankfully, the crowd was engulfing them now. Evalle told Lanna, “Cloak yourself and follow us.”

Lanna’s glazed look finally cleared. “Not possible yet. I must rest.”

Evalle stood up, asking Storm, “Can you do something?”

“Yes, but I need to limit using my powers, since I might need them to heal you.” He told Lanna, “We’re going to go over to the stands and find a place to put you. Walk between me and Evalle. Don’t look at anyone or say anything.”

“I understand.”

At his nod, Evalle led the way through the crowd, sure that Storm kept Lanna sandwiched between them. To draw attention away from Lanna, Evalle lifted her hands from time to time, which did two things. Her sleeves caught the light, practically blinding some people, and others took a step away each time, suspicious of anyone with powers moving their hands around.

When they reached a wide opening between stadium seats, a pair of cookie-cutter young men with short silver hair, wearing identical baggy orange pants and yellow jackets with no shirt beneath, offered action for those wanting to place wagers on the first fight.

A cylindrical scoreboard hung over one of the battle zones with a glowing sign that indicated Battle Theater One. Odds flashed on the board for each opponent in the first five matches.

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.”

Evalle took the lead. When she reached area one, she stepped inside a pristine room, where beige marble walls and floor dominated the space. Over to one side stood an oyster-shell-white table ten feet long and four feet wide with an overhead light that had her thinking operating room. An alcove had been created with a pale yellow sofa and chair, positioned as if they expected fighters to sit and chat.

Hey, what’s your strategy?

Don’t be the one looking for body parts when it’s over?

Upon further inspection, Evalle found another area with a short wall of yellow lockers. She’d need sunglasses for this place even if she didn’t have sensitive eyes. Two fully stocked vanities held personal grooming products and medical provisions. An oversize shower in one corner would accommodate her beast size.

She picked a locker to hold her jacket. After pulling her hair into a ponytail, she walked out to the central area where Storm waited.

His brown eyes reached across the distance and held hers. “You’ll have to shift if you want to win.”

She started to tell him she would if she had to, just to take that worry from his gaze, but that would be a lie. Even if she could, she wouldn’t lie to him any more tonight. “I can’t.”

“You won’t.”

“Macha—”