“But I can’t fight!” I protested. “Surely they know I just discovered all of this three days ago. How can they expect me to fight?”
“Because they’ll assume we’ve accepted our partnership, which gives us an advantage.”
“And I haven’t.” I looked out the window and sighed. My guilt strangled me.
“The last thing I want is to force you into this decision,” he said, his voice calm. When I glanced at him, his expression had changed from frustrated to sympathetic, making my guilt surge forward. “But we can’t decline the challenge, and losing—well, I’d rather not find out.”
“Is there no other place for us to go?” I asked. “Somewhere you can have time to train me, and I can have time to adjust to all the demands.”
He glanced at me, then pulled his SUV off the road and put it in park.
“I would love to tell you there is,” he replied. “But if they can find us at the only gas station within fifty miles, one that I didn’t even know I would stop at, there is no place we can go on our own.” He turned toward me, and I saw the frustration in his brown eyes. “If we can satisfy Victor’s challenge, he’ll make sure we have time and space to train.”
I pulled my gaze from his, knowing what he was asking of me. When I didn’t reply, he let out a long breath, put the car in drive, and started down the road once again.
Victor’s lodge came into view twenty minutes later. I marveled at its size and beauty, like a private retreat for the wealthy tucked away in the mountains. Several men lounged on the porch in nothing but sweatpants. I stared at their muscular chests with awe. Were they all built like Mr. Universe?
Kellen parked next to an old pickup truck. “Don’t stare,” he said, glancing over at me. “They’re already arrogant enough.”
My ears grew hot with embarrassment. I pushed open my door and fell into Matt.
“Well, hello,” he said, grabbing my shoulders and setting me on my feet. “Back again so soon?”
“Yep, we couldn’t stay away from your amazing hospitality,” I replied, pasting a smile on my face.
He chuckled and opened the back door, grabbing my bag. “You know the requirements for staying, right?” he asked, looking down at me.
“Sort of. Kellen tried to explain, but you know…three-day-old mage couldn’t figure it out.”
His smile grew as he turned to Kellen. “Is she ready?”
“As she’ll ever be,” Kellen replied, pulling two large bags from the back of the SUV.
“You should leave those there in case you lose,” Matt replied, his grin growing even wider. “Come on, let’s see what the boss has in store for you.”
I didn’t miss the fact that he carried my bag and told Kellen to leave his in the car. I glanced between Kellen, Matt, and my bag. Maybe we should’ve tried our luck with the Magister.
I followed Matt up the steps and onto the porch, and I couldn’t help but notice the bare-chested men staring at me as I walked by. I tried to ignore them but knew I didn’t pull off the nonchalant stroll I was going for. Kellen’s hand on my lower back gave me a little reassurance as we entered the great room once again.
I was surprised to find it empty. My stomach rumbled at the sight of the long dining table, empty and clean.
“Has Kellen not fed you?” Matt asked. “We’ll have to fix that when we’re done.”
I could feel Kellen’s irritation without looking at him and knew Matt was goading him on purpose. We walked down the wide corridor to Victor’s study. Matt knocked and waited to be acknowledged.
“After you, princess,” he said.
I looked at him, my eyebrows raised. Why did he call me that? That was Logan’s nickname for me. A surge of anger rushed through me, and I stopped in front of him.
“You will call me AJ,” I stated.
His eyes widened. “You got it.”
I continued to stare at him, uncertain where my anger originated from. It was just a name, but I was relieved he agreed so easily.
“Ms. Johnson, please come in.”
Victor’s deep voice pulled me from my staring match with Matt. I stuck my tongue out at him and waltzed into the room.
“Kellen will wait outside,” Victor said when my partner followed me. “I can see you are not full partners. We’ll discuss her options alone.”
Kellen started to protest, and I placed my hand on his chest. “I got this,” I whispered, looking up at him, but not feeling as confident as I sounded. “Maybe I’ll bring Sparky with me.”
He wrapped his hand around mine and a small trail of light rushed from his hand. I smiled as it raced towards my ribs.
“Be careful,” Kellen said, “and commit to nothing.” I saw the concern in his eyes as they focused on nothing but me.
“I think that’s the only thing I’ve managed to master,” I replied, smiling to soften the hurt that surfaced with my comment.
“We don’t have all day,” Victor stated.
Kellen released me and walked out. Sparky fluttered in my abdomen, and I placed my hand against it, thinking it would make a difference.
We got this.
Victor sat in the same place he had when we met a couple of days ago.
“Sit down,” Victor commanded. “You and Kellen have put me in a very difficult situation.”
I sat in the chair across from him but remained silent. How did he already know our circumstance? He stared at me for several moments, and I stared back. His eyes reminded me of chocolate milk, a smooth, light brown without the typical striations of darker shades. My stomach rumbled again, and I clasped my hand over it.
Victor raised his eyebrow. “I assume you are being pursued and seek refuge here?”
I nodded.
“Did he explain the challenge requirement?”
I presumed he meant Kellen. “Yes, sort of,” I replied. “He said you would make us fight in order to be granted a safe place to stay.”
“Eloquence is not his strong suit,” Victor said. “But yes. Normally, both of you would participate in the challenge, but your life is too valuable to risk. If you had even the smallest amount of training and a solid partner, I might consider it.”
“You’re foregoing the challenge?” I asked in surprise.
“No. Kellen will complete it without you.” He stood and offered his hand to me, as if he hadn’t just presented me with an awful situation. A flood of emotion rushed through my core. Here I was again, allowing someone to dictate my future. How much more did they think I could take?
“You will take into consideration that I am not with him,” I stated, taking his hand and letting him pull me from the chair.
“You will not command me, Ms. Johnson, regardless of your station.” He released my hand and started towards the door. What was he talking about, ‘my station?’ When I didn’t follow, he turned to look at me. “Do you not wish to be present for his challenge?”
“You’re doing it now? We’ve been up all night, with no food or rest. I imagine your people have at least had breakfast.” My voice continued to rise with each statement. “It’s hardly a challenge if your challenger is fighting against a severely weakened opponent.”
His stare hardened, and with three steps, he was towering over me. “Did I not say that you will not command me?”
I straightened my back, trying to appear taller and glared back at him. “I didn’t hear a command anywhere in my statement. I was merely pointing out the obvious.”
He drew in a deep breath and let it out several seconds later. His hot breath ruffled the top of my head. “Fine.”
He stormed from the room, leaving me alone in his extravagant office. Sparky raced around my middle, and I smiled. Did I really just stand my ground against the most intimidating man I’d ever met?
Yes, you did, princess. The wind’s voice drifted by my ear, and I jumped.
Victor’s bellowing startled me more, and I ran from the room and down the hall.
“Marissa! Food. Now.”
/> I met Kellen at the entrance to the great room. Victor continued yelling for more people, and Kellen dragged me to one of the small seating areas.
“What happened?” he asked in a harsh whisper, still grasping my forearm.
I looked at his hand, and he let go. “He is making you do the challenge on your own,” I replied, rubbing my arm even though it didn’t hurt. “Something about not wanting to risk my life.” I frowned as I realized the implication. Kellen was expendable.
Kellen took a step back and turned his gaze towards Victor, who was now surrounded by three others.
“Kellen, I can’t sit back and watch you do this by yourself,” I said.
“You have to, or they will force us to leave,” he replied, still watching Victor.
“No, he won’t,” I argued. “He’ll watch you die, then keep me prisoner. He wanted me here from the beginning.” I huffed and put both hands on his face, forcing him to look at me. “We should leave. We’re no safer here than we are with the Magister.”
He looked down at me, and the lines of worry between his eyes softened. “There’s something going on here that we’re missing. I’m not disposable. My value to him may not be as great as yours, but he can’t afford to throw me away, either. We’ll play his game, for now.”
He wrapped his hands around mine and pulled them away from his face.
“You should give Sparky back,” he said with a grin.
“How can you be smiling right now?” I asked. “And you know you can take him back anytime you wish.”
He chuckled and leaned towards me, pressing our folded hands against his chest. “Come on, stupid. We have stuff to do.”
“Are you talking to me?” I asked, feeling my ears start to burn. Sparky’s flutter in my stomach answered my question as he raced through my core, up my arm, and back to Kellen.
Matt appeared next to Kellen, who straightened his posture and his expression at the intrusion. “Sorry to interrupt a tender moment, but the boss says you have fifteen minutes to eat.”
“Thanks,” Kellen replied, dropping one of my hands but keeping hold of the other as we walked towards the long dining table.
Two plates graced the table at one end, looking completely out of place. I didn’t spend any energy thinking about it as my stomach growled once again at the sight of real food. Two slices of thick ham, three eggs, hash browns, and toast covered the ceramic platter. I dropped into the seat and devoured my meal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, I sat on a wooden bench, sandwiched between Victor and Matt. Mike took the place on the other side of his brother and a tall woman, with long blond hair sat on the other side of Victor. She glared at me every chance she could. It got really annoying, really quick.
Twenty or so of the same wooden benches surrounded a clear patch of dirt about fifty feet across. Men and woman of all shapes, sizes, and colors filled the benches, and dozens more stood behind them. No one wanted to miss out on the mage’s challenge.
Long gouges covered the hard-packed earth. I suspected they were claw marks, since everyone here was supposedly a shifter. I hadn’t seen any of them in animal form and wasn’t sure how I’d react to it. How big were they? What color fur did they have? Did their fur match their hair or skin color? I hoped it was their skin color as some of the women dyed their hair in wild, florescent shades.
Cheers and shouts interrupted my musing. A man and woman entered the little arena. He wore only black sweatpants, exposing his dark, muscled chest and arms. His black, curly hair hugged his scalp, and his blue eyes scanned the crowd. They landed on me, and he bowed.
The woman next to him slapped his arm and scowled at me. Her curly black hair was also shaved close to her head, framing her perfectly shaped skull. A well-fitted tank top and yoga pants covered her muscular body.
The pair turned to my right and stepped closer together. I followed their gaze, my stomach twisting in knots when I realized they were looking at Kellen. He emerged from the crowd and approached his challengers. He wore a black t-shirt tucked into loose cargo pants, and black leather boots covered his feet. A leather vest wrapped around his torso, and I cringed. Would a simple leather vest protect him from their claws? I had no idea. I didn’t even know what animal they were, but I doubted they’d shift into docile, spoiled house cats.
He stopped ten yards from his opponents, and the arena fell silent. Victor stood, but my focus remained on Kellen. I couldn’t imagine being as calm and relaxed as he appeared. My own pulse raced, and fear poked at my determination to stay calm.
“Everyone knows the rules!” Victor bellowed. “Begin!”
The man and woman nodded at Victor, then focused on Kellen. The air warmed, and the ground beneath my feet rumbled. I gripped the edge of my wooden seat.
The man shifted mid-stride from human to an enormous black wolf, his shoulders easily reaching Kellen’s waist. My eyes widened when the woman did the same, changing into a slightly smaller version of the same wolf. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I had to force myself to breathe. I’d never seen Kellen fight. Could he really win against these two? I realized I didn’t want to see him hurt, and I knew he would be, even if he won.
The bench beneath me shuddered, and I cried out as four slabs of earth rose from the ground surrounding my partner. The wolves paused and tilted their heads, then leapt backwards as the walls raced towards them. Kellen’s hands rose into the air and circles of fire chased the stone slabs. The wolves dodged them, racing around the arena until they reached the edge. The walls of rock disappeared, but the fire surged back towards Kellen, surrounding him.
A soft whisper shifted my focus back to Kellen, who now kneeled in the dirt.
Be ready, the wind whispered to me.
The wolves paced around the fire’s protective shield.
“He cannot hold it forever,” Victor said. “I can feel him pulling a large amount of magic into himself. I wonder what he has planned.”
I looked up at the man next to me and found his strange chocolate eyes staring back.
“You will not interfere,” he said.
I scowled at him. “You will not command me.”
“The rules of the challenge cannot be disobeyed,” he retorted.
“Since no one told me the rules, then they don’t apply to me,” I replied.
His eyes narrowed and the milk chocolate shifted between lighter and darker shades, reminding me of creamer making its last stand against the coffee it mixed with.
The rumbling ground interrupted his response. Several benches overturned as the shaking became more violent. The flames surrounding Kellen rose, and the ground split open around him, creating a trench in the earth over two feet wide. His fire dove into the crevice and disappeared.
The male wolf leapt over the fissure easily, raking his claws against Kellen’s chest. They ripped through the leather vest, but I couldn’t see any blood. I bit my knuckles, trying not to cry. I couldn’t sit back and do nothing as they tore him apart.
Kellen grabbed the fur around the wolf’s neck and tried to toss it on its side. The wolf rolled with the momentum, pulling Kellen with him. My partner released him and jumped to his feet the same time the shifter gained his own balance. They circled one another, the wolf baring his teeth and growling.
I gasped when the female wolf rushed towards the fissure, but Kellen’s fire surged from the trench as she was about to leap. She stumbled trying to stop her forward momentum, then disappeared into the crater with a howl. The fire fell into the crevice with her, and the crowd roared.
Two men leapt from their seats and raced towards the crevice. My focus darted back to the fight between my partner and the male wolf. Kellen brought his elbow down on the wolf’s snout as it turned to look for its companion. It snarled and snapped at Kellen’s arm. He backed up several steps, leading the wolf away from the two men hanging over the edge of the fissure.
They slowly pulled the woman out and helped her walk towar
d the benches. Scorch marks covered her naked, human body, but her pain didn’t stop her look of hatred directed at Kellen.
I snapped back to Kellen as the male wolf locked his jaws on my partner’s forearm. He smashed his fist into the wolf’s head several times, but it wouldn’t let go. I jumped from my seat, ready to intervene, but Victor grabbed my arm.
“You will not interfere,” he stated. I glared at him until he finally released my arm.
I watched in horror as blood dripped from the wolf’s mouth, still attached to Kellen’s arm. My partner dropped to his knees and placed his free hand on the bare earth. The ground opened beneath the wolf, and it fell into the gaping hole, dragging Kellen with it.
Dozens of shifters surged to their feet and converged onto the arena floor. I shot forward, sprinting across the space as fast as I could, knowing that Victor would be right behind me. I barely cleared the crevice and reached the hole at the same time as the other shifters.
Kellen’s head and shoulders hung over the gaping pit. He didn’t move when I touched his shoulder. One by one, the men and women around me shifted into their wolves. I didn’t have time to be amazed by the myriad of colors and sizes as they formed a loose circle around me and Kellen.
I’m with you, Alisandra. Do not fear them. The wind’s whisper brought only a small amount of comfort.
The sound of claws scraping against rock caught my attention. I glanced around to see Kellen’s opponent clambering his way out of the hole. He bared his bloody teeth at me when his snout reached the ledge, then he lunged.
Without thinking, I swept my hands to the side. A gust of wind buffered against me and threw the wolf to the ground. I looked at my hands, then at the circle of wolves. Kellen’s opponent shifted into his human form, standing before me completely naked. I forced my eyes to stay above his chest with effort.
“Your partner broke the rules of the challenge,” he growled. “He tried to kill my sister.”
“If he wanted her dead, she would be,” I snapped. I stepped back until my heel touched Kellen’s side.
“Someone will pay the price for her injuries.” He snarled, and his human form shimmered with magic. I knew he would shift again soon. What was I going to do against a dozen wolves?
Magister's Bane Page 14
