The Game of Gods: Series Box Set

by Lana Pecherczyk

  Cash drew back to hold me with his wild gaze. He tapped my chest with a finger, right where my heart was. “Plato had a theory that humans started as beings with two of everything. Two hearts, two heads, two sets of arms and the same for the legs. Too powerful for the gods, Zeus ripped them in half to keep them from dominating him. The severed humans were miserable, always searching for the other, never satisfied until they rejoined with their missing half. So, you see… I can’t leave you, Roo.” He moved to my neck again, lips fluttering against my skin, sending shock waves into my body. Then he tensed, pulling my hair, tightening his grip. “I’ve tried to stay away, but I can’t. You’re my other half. I’ve dreamt of you since the beginning. It’s always been you.”

  Still he waited, hesitant and hoping.

  “Cash.” My fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt, desperate to feel the blistering heat of his taut skin, the life beneath.

  Something snapped inside me. I bunched the fabric at his chest and pushed him off me. Then in one swift movement, I changed our positions, so he was against the wall, and I was on the outer, panting, hungry for him.

  His eyes turned fever bright, but he gave no resistance. Just watched. Waited. Our breaths the only sound in the corridor.

  With effort, I pulled his large body off the wall and shoved him back with force. A strangled sound escaped my throat, frustrated, as I shook him again. His shoulders knocked the surface. His short hair fell over his eyes.

  I held him at arm’s length, frowning, at war with myself. I saw him, and I saw a future with pain ... but also moments of pleasure.

  “Come to my place tonight,” he said, cheeks reddening. “A date. I’ll cook you dinner. Just you and me. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  I took a step back, surveying his eager eyes, flexing my fists at my side.

  He raked a hand through his hair. “I want nothing between us. No secrets.”

  I rushed in and closed my mouth on his, swallowing his words.

  He groaned, then melted into me, hands splaying against my back, pulling me closer. His tongue plunged into my mouth, plundering, giving me everything he had with desperate intensity. His essence, his emotions, his passion. I believed him. He wanted me. He wouldn’t leave me. Not on purpose. We moved me to the other side of the passageway, my back hit the wall with a thud, and he deepened the kiss. Our teeth knocked in our haste to devour each other.

  “Roo,” he whispered between kisses. “Don’t stop me this time.”

  I smiled against his demanding mouth. He gave a low growl and nipped my lip. Not hard enough to draw blood, but firm enough to tell me how he felt. His feelings were real. No laughing matter.

  I threaded my fingers into his hair and pushed him back to the other side of the hallway. “I know how you feel.” My lips peppered his face, tasting his salty skin.

  “I can’t wait,” he said. “I want you now. Against this wall.” He lifted me and shifted my legs around his waist, then ground his hips into me. He was ready. He’d do it.

  But we weren’t alone. Auras approached.

  “Stop.” I made my legs slide down until my feet hit the floor.

  “No.” He nipped my jaw and then sucked on the spot beneath my ear lobe.

  I patted his shoulder. “Someone’s coming.”

  “Tonight.” He agreed and stepped away, straightening himself. He scrubbed his face with his hand and his eyes met mine. He grinned, dimple deepening. “Tonight.”

  My knees went weak. That smile. So rarely seen. A gift for me.

  “I’ll find a way to get out,” I promised and returned his smile.

  “You won’t need to. The Tribunal has ruled that Urser can’t contain you within the Ludus with the need to train you. So you can tell your father to fuck off.”

  My spirits lifted.

  “Really?”

  “There’ll be royal things Urser will make you do, I’m sure, but generally, you need to train.”

  “But you said business hours.”

  “Some businesses work late.”

  “You could’ve started with that, you know.” I shot him a sideways glance.

  “But then we wouldn’t have kissed and made up.”

  He pinched my rear as the group of people ambled past our hidden corridor. I squeaked and had to do an awkward recovery wave as the passersby glanced our way.

  “Let’s go get lunch,” I said and palmed my heated face.

  “I’m starving.” From the slow burn he gave me, I didn’t think he spoke about food.

  Chapter 14

  After we’d eaten at the cafeteria with Jed, Cash took me back to the mostly empty arena—a stark contrast to the writhing pit it had been before. Only one other couple was on a blue mat on the far side of the circular center. A tall and lithe boy was made weak by his taller, stronger instructor who appeared to be a Watcher. No tattoos in sight—just a powerful physique and an aura to match. I guessed the other trainees were still at lunch, or had moved away for another part of their tutelage, whether it be theory, strategy or something else.

  Cash walked me over to a gray mat on the opposite side of the room. As we walked, I couldn’t take my eyes off the two as they fought in hand-to-hand combat. No, hand-to-hand was the wrong description. Their moves were fluid and graceful, flying over the other, yet never touching. Like a dance. Yet, somehow, I didn’t think it was just for entertainment. Each move had purpose. Each thrust, swipe and arching kick had lethal power and agility. I didn’t realize that I’d stopped with my mouth open until Cash pulled up next to me.

  “Don’t get distracted.” Cash jabbed his fist towards my head. I blocked with my right on pure instinct. He circled me, slowly, like a predator, musculature rolling beneath his T-shirt. It reminded me of something dangerous beneath the water. “While we’re fighting, I’ll drill you on the written component of the trials. Okay?”

  “If you say so,” I replied.

  He circled me, fists balled in a boxer’s ready stance. “What did Jed teach you in Houston? Give me a run down.”

  I shrugged. “The basic stuff I guess. Just to defend myself.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like this.” Without warning, I stepped in, grabbed his shirt and used my body weight to knock him over.

  Well, that’s what I thought I did. He saw me coming and sidestepped, then placed his hands in a few strategic spots on my body. Lo-and-behold, I ended on the floor beneath his feet, and he ended with a smile on his face, staring down at me.

  “Okay.” I grunted. “That went well.”

  His smile faded. “That was the best you have?”

  I propped myself up on my elbow. “Am I allowed to use my abilities?”

  “Not here. There’s another room for that.”

  I flopped back down on the mat. The air had escaped the stitching on my descent and puffed out beneath me.

  “Great. Well, then, that was my best.”

  His gorgeous face appeared above mine, interrupting my view of the domed, white ceiling. “We have a lot of work to do. C’mon.”

  He held his hand out. I accepted with little enthusiasm.

  “Why can’t I use my abilities? And why is it so important I need to learn how to defend myself?”

  “For starters, you have to defend yourself from assassination attempts from other Players. In case you need reminding, you were attacked earlier.” His expression turned grim. “I haven’t forgotten about the bomb. You will explain later. For now, practice without powers.”

  “Can’t I just zap them?”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “If you’re in a crowded street full of humans, do you think it’s likely you can reveal your powers to the world?”

  “Hmm. Okay. I see your point.”

  “Which leads me to the first question you’ll see on your test—what is the point of the Game?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted. “Think before you answer. Get this
wrong and you owe me, oh I don’t know, let’s say ... wear a dress tonight.”

  My jaw dropped at his wolfish smile, but then I remembered the last time I wore a dress. It was at his apartment back in Houston. I also remembered how he’d kissed me that night. How he lifted me onto his kitchen counter top as though I weighed nothing, and how his fingers slipped up my thigh and under the dress and...

  A cheeky smile. “And if I get it right, what do you owe me?”

  “I’m sure I can think of something.”

  I held up my hand. “No need. I got it. Serve me dessert wearing my dress.”

  His eyebrow arched and laughed. “Okay. Deal. Now, what is the answer?”

  I laughed. “Seriously. You’d wear my dress? What’s the question again?”

  His face deadpanned.

  “Just kidding.” But was I?

  I searched my deepest darkest depths.

  The point of the Game. What had Marc said the first time we met? Evolution. That’s right. Evolution. But was that the answer? Was it so simple?

  “While you’re taking your incredibly sweet-ass time about your answer, I’ll show you how to unman your opponent.” He stepped toward me and did the correct version of what I attempted before. His hands hit me at a few random places and with the help of his foot, he threw me off balance.

  “Oomph.” I landed hard on the soft mat and saw stars, my ribs killing.

  “Did you see how I—”

  “Evolution,” I wheezed. “The point of the Game is Evolution.”

  Cash made a buzzing sound. “Wrong.”

  “What?” I pushed myself up. “No way. It’s not. Marc said the point of the Game was evolution. You gods download your bodies into these half-human shells and then try to outdo each other. And when you die, when your time on this planet is over, your souls return to your bodies at the Empire better off or worse off than before. Of course that’s depending on how you played the Game.”

  “While that answer is better than the first, it’s not completely right. But it’s your lucky day, I’ll give you another guess. Now come at me again, this time, copy the way I did it before.”

  I made an exasperated sound and attempted to put him down. He deflected, and I ended on the floor. Again.

  “What’s the answer? Keep going,” he said. “One more chance.”

  I screamed in frustration and stood up. Pressure built inside of me like a boiling kettle about to whistle.

  As if reading my mind, or my body, Cash eased off. “Careful now, you don’t want to lose control.”

  “Stuff you and your control.” I launched at him.

  He threw me down, grinning.

  “I will never get this.” I slammed my palms on the mat.

  “Yes, you will.” He lifted me by the hand. “Again. Concentrate.”

  I took a deep breath and made to move, then stopped. “This is unfair. Somehow, you know what move I will make. You know how to deflect. You’re using your abilities.”

  “Unlike yours, mine aren’t visible to the naked eye and I can’t turn them off. There are many others like me. You must think creatively. Try another way. Surprise me.”

  I remembered something Jed had been showing me back in Houston. Up from nowhere, another idea formed in my head.

  Straight strike to the nose. Hit your attacker with an open palm, pushing up on the nose with the bottom of your hand.

  Now, where would that come from?

  Leila.

  She was one of my passengers. The memory might have come from her. Leila took self-defense lessons down at the local youth center for years. After seeing the witch attack my mother, she’d been paranoid and learned how to defend herself. Pity it never helped her. But, maybe it would help me now.

  A warmth spread from the inside of my chest. She was still there. Looking out for me. Maybe it was only the evil Others who ran away when I was near Cash. Perhaps she was stronger around him, too. There was hope for me yet.

  I stepped back from Cash and sized him up. Definitely didn’t want to break his nose, but I had to do something. I closed my eyes and waited for another move to come to me. I envisioned it in my head, feeling it in my muscles and opened my eyes.

  He cracked his knuckles and gestured with his fingers in the universal “come here” way.

  In two-seconds flat, I had him on his side on the floor, my left hand on his collarbone, my right locked his arm to the side at an odd angle. If he moved an inch, he’d dislocate himself. He knew it. I had him.

  “You owe me a dress.”

  “What?” I stepped off.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Yes, I did. The point of the Game is evolution.”

  “No, the result of the Game is evolution.”

  I made another frustrated sound and kicked the air. “I don’t see the point of all this! That’s what I don’t see.”

  “You mean the training?” He got up and made a jab at me.

  I deflected, feeling proud. “Yes! What’s the point of learning how to go to war if we’re not allowed to go to war?” I returned the jab. He blocked.

  “Who said we’re not allowed to go to war?” He made a one-two punch, then stepped into my space and went for my collar.

  I deflected with one hand, but his other moved in to take its spot, and another. I panted with effort. “Players aren’t allowed to go to war using the humans as pawns, right? I thought Marc said something like that.”

  Jab. Block. Jab.

  “Yes, but Players can war with Players. And often, when Marc’s away, humans join in the war anyway. We’re not allowed to manipulate humans, but if they choose to war on their own… it’s a blurred line. The last time Marc left for an extended duration, the Second World War happened.”

  He threw me down. Again.

  But this time I brought him down with me, changed our momentum and rolled on top of him. I squeezed his torso between my thighs, holding his shoulders with my palms. Initially shocked, his eyes became steady.

  “Well done,” he said.

  I smiled, but didn’t let go. This was too good. Cash beneath me. I had a flash of what he might look like tonight—under me, in his bed—a girl could hope. My heart kicked against my ribcage. My grip weakened.

  He hit the inside of my elbow, collapsed it, and then changed our positions. He pinned me beneath him, leaving me weak and compliant. Putty in his hands.

  He lowered to my ear and whispered: “I can tell when you’re aroused.”

  I gasped.

  He pulled back with a self-satisfied smile and I squirmed beneath his scrutiny. His amusement dropped, and he swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing.

  I meaningfully nudged my hips into his. “And I can tell when you are.”

  We gazed at each other. Then he rolled off me, sat back on the mat and lifted his knees up. He scrubbed the back of his neck. “Quick. Talk about something else.”

  We laughed awkwardly, aware other people shared the room with us.

  It felt good. To laugh with him. It felt right.

  “So what is the point of the Game then?” I positioned myself in front of him and sat on my haunches.

  His voice came out strangled. “The aim of the Game is to make a positive change in the world without revealing… ahem… our true nature.”

  “Make a positive change? But that’s so vague.”

  “Mm.” He sounded distracted, eyes still molten, caught on my lips.

  “Cash. What does that mean?”

  “It, ah… it… What was the question?” He blinked rapidly as if clearing his mind. “Oh yeah. The purpose. It could mean anything to anyone. There’s a lot of leeway,”

  “That’s shitty.”

  “I know. You don’t know how you’ve done until you either evolve or devolve on return to your Seraphim body.”

  “And are there any guidelines?”

  “Be good to your mentor and do everything he tells you to do.”

  Heat rushed to my face but I could
n’t help smiling. He flirted with me. “What’s with you today, Cash Samson?”

  Stormy eyes widened.

  I echoed his movement. “Are there any real guidelines?”

  “Wear a dress tonight, and I’ll tell you.”

  “That’s blackmail.” I rose to my knees and shoved his unmovable body.

  He caught my wrists and gave me a bigger grin. “No, it’s bribery.”

  I used my body weight to pull him back down to the mat, intending to roll him again, but he held me firm. I frowned. “You’d really gamble my freedom on a stupid cover for my body?”

  His expression turned deadly serious, and he took me by the shoulders, dipping his head until we were eye level. “Roo, when it comes to your body, I couldn’t be more serious. Just… come to my place.”

  I kneed him in the gut. He rolled off me, laughing, clutching his middle, hair falling to shade his eyes.

  I hadn’t seen this side of him since, well, since Tommy. The playful, carefree part of him was breaking free. He was becoming someone else.

  Someone I liked. More than liked.

  My lips curved into a slow smile and I rolled to my side to watch him. When he caught me looking, his expression softened. “I’m sorry. I can’t help baiting you. You bring out this side of me I can’t control.”

  “I noticed.” He joked about me wearing the dress, but I sensed there was more to it—he wanted me with him, away from my father and the dangers at his apartment.

  The sound of people entering the room mixed with the buzz of their auras. There was always someone around at the Ludus. Privacy was short lived. I stood up and turned my back on Cash to catch my breath.

  No secrets, he’d said. I agreed. Tonight was my chance to tell him about The Others.

  We spent the next two hours running through drills and questions for the for the test. It was hard to remember so many things but, while my mind was busy with his questions, my instincts took over for my body. I fought better than I’d ever done before. I wanted the dirty feeling of mistrust to sweat out of my body, so attacked, relentlessly. Leila’s memories floated to the surface as if they were my own, helping me with strategy. I’d planted Cash on the floor more than once and landed a few sweet punches. I had a feeling he let me, but it still felt good. We’d gone quiet by the end. No words, just raw action.