by Jessica Gunn
How much does Talon have on me?
“Fine,” I said.
“Ava,” Will warned.
I lifted my hand. “One last fight. Then we take the one million and you never see either of us ever again.”
Riker nodded. “I’ll escort you out of Midnight myself afterward. Give you a good head start.”
“Do me one more favor? For the hell of it?”
He tilted his head. “What would that be?”
“Don’t tell anyone I said yes yet,” I said. “Let it be a surprise.”
I’d need all the time between now and the fight to prepare.
Riker nodded again. “Deal. See you tonight, Ava.”
I turned to Will as soon as Riker and his lackeys had gone. “Quick. We’re going to Hunter’s Guild until the fight to stay safe.”
“Not Headquarters?” he asked.
“No. Hunter’s Guild. Fight. Get the winnings, then run. Talon won’t get me this time.”
And I didn’t need the Leader of the Fire Circle, or Ben, keeping me from my escape. Or attacking me because they were being impersonated.
One last fight.
Chapter 7
I was a tightly-wound ball of nerves the entire day. Every time the walls creaked or the pipes of the old Hunter’s Guild building groaned, I shot up from the couch, armed with my Fire Circle knife in case of danger. Will was no better, constantly peering out of the one window we had access to on the second floor of the tavern and inn. He wanted to explore more of the building, having never been to Hunter’s Guild before, but I had shoved him up the stairs after paying for a single room.
We crept down the stairs and out past the wall of protection magiks around 9 p.m. to head to Midnight, where we’d sat in the locker room with Riker as our only company until my match started.
Now, I stood beneath the bright lights of the arena, listening to the audience go wild. This crowd’s cheers were even louder than last night’s. But it wasn’t me they were rooting for. I only realized this the moment my boots touched the dirt ground of the ring. In that singular moment, the entire arena quieted. And I doubted it was because of my less-than-fashionable black sweatshirt and black jeans ensemble.
A dangerous electricity hung in the air, a tension so palpable, the hairs on my arms rose. I squeezed my fists shut to calm myself and not fall into the trap they were all trying to lay. I barely allowed myself to register Will’s presence on the other side of the cage door.
Across the cage, Blood Hunter paced, not glancing up at the crowd like last time. He didn’t even raise a wave to flirt with them. He didn’t appear any more excited about this fight than I was. But I guessed one million dollars was enough to buy anything, even his will to fight me again.
I wanted to ask what had made him so somber. But then I remembered Riker’s words.
Blood Hunter was a Fire Circle Hunter like me. Which meant there was a good chance we knew each other.
Or, at least, that he knew me. They all did after what had happened to my team.
Blood Hunter probably thought I’d made another deal with a demon to stay on top in these fights until he’d come along. That was the rumored excuse for my survival when the rest of my team had died, anyway. Most Fire Circle Hunters knew me as a traitor.
Thing was: I couldn’t totally deny their accusations. I didn’t know how I had survived, either.
Dan Reed, the referee for this fight too, descended into the cage pit from above on a wave of water. He only showed off his water-elemental powers when big names were in the house. Heads of hunting groups or demonic organizations. Maybe even Aloysius himself, Emperor of Darkness and creator of all the demons, was here.
I gulped, allowing myself that one freak out. One more fight. One more fight and you’re free.
Surely there were quicker, much safer ways to make a quick one million dollars.
Right?
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dan said to the crowd above us as he nodded at both Blood Hunter and me. An acknowledgement that we all knew this fight was being bet on for far more than it was worth. The water from his entrance was still draining from the ring down pipes along the sides. “Tonight, we bring you round two of this interesting duo. Blood Hunter’s victory shocked even me, but we’d like to give Not-So-Masked Hunter one last shot to reclaim Midnight’s victory!”
How thoughtful.
I glanced over at Blood Hunter again. He wore a black leather jacket this time, dark jeans, and boots. Not exactly fighting material. Over his face was a mask that hid most of his features, save for dirty blond hair that curled at the ends.
Dan continued talking. Blood Hunter glanced me over, a raking look that ran from the top of my head to my feet.
I cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms. Like what you see?
He just stared back at me with those deep brown eyes. Captivating.
I’d wipe that captivating look right off his damn face.
“Fighters ready?” Dan Reed asked as he backed out of the center of the ring. When neither me nor Blood Hunter backed down, Dan Reed brought down his hand between us and got out of the way. “Fight start!”
The second Dan was out of the way, Blood Hunter sprung off the ground. I planted my feet in the ground and met his barrage of fists with my own, sweeping low to knock him in the hip. He teetered and fell back a step. The newly-freed space and moment of panic was enough to let me elbow him in the gut and back away, giving him an honorary second to recover.
I backed up a few paces, hands still up and ready to fight. Blood Hunter sputtered but straightened, and in the next breath, he was staring at me.
“What?” I taunted. “Done already? Did I beat you up too badly last night?”
He inhaled deeply, the only indication he’d heard me at all and might be even the slightest bit annoyed. Good. Annoyed would help. Annoyed would keep him off his game.
“You got this, Ava!” Will called from the cage door.
Dammit, Will. Shut up. I went to glance at him for a quick moment to convey as much in a glare, but my eyes met the crowd on the way. They stood, cheering and waving their arms around, the sound blending into white noise.
Except for one voice.
“Woo! Good job!”
My heart plummeted into my stomach. All air whooshed from my lungs as my blood turned ice cold. There, just above the cage door, sat Emily. My old teammate. Alive and well and—
A fist drove into my face, making my world go dark for the briefest of moments as my front foot left the ground. I caught myself before falling completely, blocking Blood Hunter’s second blow and lashing out with my own. A kick to his side pushed him back for a moment, long enough to look up into the crowd again.
Emily walked down the aisle, coming closer to the edge of the seats and to the railing above the cage arena. “Stay sharp!” she warned.
My eyes narrowed on her face, looking for any indication this was some trick. It had to be, right? They were dead. I’d seen them. Had buried them.
Had left them behind to die in the first place.
The thought shattered in my mind, shooting mental shrapnel splintering across my consciousness.
“Pay attention!” a new, deeper male voice screamed. Above Emily stood Jeremy, my old team leader.
A solid kick to the back of my knees hit next. They slammed into the ground. Pain seared up my legs into my hips.
How was this possible? How were they here? Why?
I blinked again, staring up at the crowd. They were gone, their images melting into those of regular strangers.
Strangers with burgundy red eyes.
I swallowed hard, staring them down. Talon. They’re here.
Shape-changing demons were rare. It was a unique air-elemental ability to shift the light around you to mask what others saw. I’d heard of only a handful in all of existence, although I had once used a witch’s potion that mimicked their abilities. And then there was the whole Veynix impersonating people thing.
Of
course Talon has a number of those demons employed.
Blood Hunter cried out as he sailed through the air. I looked up just in time to watch as his fist swung at me from the right. I threw up my forearm to block the hit, gritting my teeth at the impact that sent my arm shaking. At the last moment, I reached forward with my free hand to grab his and yank him to the ground with me, kicking up to wrap my legs around him.
We tumbled across the dirty, dusty ground a few feet to where I had beat my demon opponent last night. I landed on top of Blood Hunter, pinning him to the ground.
He grinned up at me, his brown eyes shining through the mask. “If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask.”
I pressed down harder onto his arms and middle. “Oh, fuck off.”
“You know we probably know each other, right?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t know with that mask on. Come on; make it even. Might as well show off that pretty face of yours.” So I can mess it up like you did mine.
He smirked. “No, thanks.” He moved—quickly—shifting us into a roll, during which he dislodged himself from my hold.
“CHRISTINE!” someone screamed. It boiled my blood and chilled my bones. That was the scream of someone dying a horrible, painful death.
They’d also used my real name.
I glanced across the arena and there Brian stood. My dead boyfriend. The person who’d saved me from demons years ago.
I blinked to clear the illusion, but it remained. “I know your tricks!” I shouted at the shape-changing demon. “It’s not real.”
And what the fuck kind of rigging was this? Was our fight really worth so much that Riker and the other handlers had requested distractions be specially brought in?
“They’re not real,” said Blood Hunter, his gravelly voice now hard and tight. Like he was seeing his own demons. He launched another barrage of attacks in the same breath. Some landed; others didn’t.
I cringed, holding my left arm to my chest. Blood trickled out of the corner of my mouth. Still, I met Blood Hunter blow for blow, almost admiring the way our violent dance moved in rhythm. It was mesmerizing, almost graceful.
“They’re trying to influence the fight,” he continued after he’d stopped his advance and backed up a step. “One of the sponsors or clients must have requested it.”
“Shame we’re not entertainment enough on our own.”
He shot me a cocky smirk. His lips were the only parts of his face, except for his eyes, that were revealed by the mask. “We could always give them another kind of show.”
Seriously? We were in the middle of a fight, possibly one to the death, in my case.
I swept my foot along the ground and kicked up a small wave of dirt into Blood Hunter’s eyes. He wanted dirty? I’d give him dirty.
He cringed, squeezing his eyes shut. “What the fuck?”
“Sorry, pretty boy. I’m here to win. And I’m willing to bet I need this money a lot more than you do.”
I went to hit him again but instead, Blood Hunter grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He wrapped me into a tight hold, his warm, hard body surrounding me. He nudged one of his knees into the back of mine, and together we knelt to the ground.
“I know exactly how badly you need this money, Ava,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. “Everyone at the Fire Circle knows.”
My jaw clenched as I wriggled, trying to break free. But his hold on me was too tight, too all-encompassing. Maybe if I egged him on, he’d accidentally kill me here. I’d rather die in his warm arms than in whatever manner Talon had waiting for me if I lost this and couldn’t escape in time.
“You know me, then,” I said.
“Yes.” His warm breath sent shivers down my spine.
I gulped, relaxing into his hold. “Then you know what will happen when I leave the ring. Especially if Talon is here. Those shape-changing demons are theirs.”
“I know.” He relaxed his hold a bit. Just a smidgen. This close, I could smell his scent. Sweat and exertion mixed with something woodsy. Not sharp like pine, but more earth-like. Like leaves in autumn.
“Then you’ll forgive this.” I threw my head back, knocking my skull into his nose. Without giving him time to recover, I turned with all I had and shoved him backward off of me and into the ground.
Blood Hunter cried out, slamming a hand against his bleeding nose as blood streamed down his jaw. He didn’t get up again.
“Winner!” Dan called, running into the center of the ring. His call declared the fight over, though I doubted Blood Hunter was truly down for the count. “The Masked Hunter wins, reclaiming her title as champion for both herself and for Midnight!”
Dan grabbed my hand and held it above my head. Then he tilted his head closer to mine. “You better have a plan. You won. Take your earnings and don’t come back—that’s my advice.”
What, did everyone know the situation I was in?
I nodded, staring hard into the crowd rather than reply aloud. I knew what I had to do, and knew the short time in which I had to do it.
Once the thunderous cheering had stopped, Dan led me to the cage entrance, where the clean-up crew readied. As soon as the door slid upward, they ran in to Blood Hunter’s side. I shot him a quick glance over my shoulder, hoping he’d read the apology there for what it was: this was just business. Besides, if he was telling the truth about knowing me, then he shouldn’t have been surprised in the least.
Will ran as close to me as the cage guards let him before the door slid down again. “Ava! Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I’ve been worse. Follow me.”
“Where are you going?” Dan asked.
“To the locker rooms to wait for Riker, just like normal.”
He considered me for a moment, biting his lower lip, then nodded. “Godspeed.”
Great. Even he thought Talon would get us before we get out of here.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing Will by the hand.
Chapter 8
I led us down the maze of Midnight’s halls. Will and I had stashed a single bag there earlier, as you weren’t permitted to bring so much as a phone into the arena. The clients were allowed their drinks and wallets only, lest someone get the idea to spread pictures of the event online. Or worse, attack the arena.
The cage guards only followed us so far. As soon as they were gone, Will and I ran the rest of the way to the locker room. I spun the lock on my cubby and breathed a sigh of relief when the bag we’d packed—a change of clothes each and some money, along with a memento or two—was still inside.
“Thank god,” Will exclaimed as he shouldered the bag. “Now what?”
“We wait for Riker.” I set my back against the locker and looked toward the door. “He’ll come with the winnings, then we get the hell out of here. Sorry that fight took so long.”
Will gave me a sidelong glance. “I’m just glad you’re okay. And I have a good place in mind for us to go to. I know I’ve never used the word-magik before, but—”
“Good. Is it somewhere I’ve never been?” If that was the case, then there would be no way for Talon to have guessed the location. No way Veynix or any of its other soldiers to know.
Will nodded. “Family trip. You didn’t come with us. We can start there.”
“Good. Teleportante works by focusing on the place, picturing it in your mind’s eye. As soon as I have the money in my hands, touch a hand to my shoulder, picture the place, and say the word. It’ll be instantaneous. Just don’t let go of me or I won’t teleport with you.”
Will’s face took on an expression of determination. “Roger that.” He settled in next to me, his back also to the lockers.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway to the locker room. Just a single set at first, then several.
Dammit, Riker.
“He’s set us up, no doubt,” I said. But I knew that’d happen. He might have had the best intentions—or at least, the best business intentions—setting up this fight and bringi
ng me here, but I’d known it would come to this.
Just get the money in hand. The likelihood they’d suspect Will, a normal, non-Hunter, of knowing any word-magiks was low.
“I’m ready,” Will said, inching his hand toward mine.
A moment later, Riker strode through the door with five demons in tow. He had a big bag in his hands and held it out like an altar offering.
“Good work tonight, Ava,” he said, jiggling the bag. “You deserve this.”
“Do I?” I asked, nodding at his entourage. “They’re new.”
“They’re necessary bodyguards. Can’t be too careful when the big guys are here.”
“You could have warned me.”
Riker lifted an eyebrow. He knew I wasn’t talking about Talon. “I thought the shape-changers were a nice touch.”
“Blood Hunter didn’t seem too affected.”
He shrugged. “Maybe he’s got lesser inner demons to fight.”
I chuckled bitterly. “Funny, Riker. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you over the past few months.”
“Indeed, it has. You’ve made us both fairly rich.”
Ironic, since I’d only made enough to get by so far. This was the first, and only, large winning sum I had ever seen or ever would.
Riker shook the bag again. “You gonna take it or what? I know you’re on a… deadline.”
My eyes narrowed, but I stepped forward anyway. “You’ve always been such a winner with words.” My fingers brushed the velveteen bag. “I’ll miss your poetic tendencies.”
As soon as my fingers wrapped around the top of the bag, it burst into flames. I cried out, whipping my hand back to avoid getting burned.
“No!” I screamed at Riker. “What the hell?”
But his eyes were wide as saucers too, filled with shock and pain from the flames. Riker spun, and my eyes followed his line of sight to a new entourage coming down the hall. Each of them was decked out in a full set of leather armor.
Talon.
I backed up to Will, but a wall of stone erupted from the floor, separating us. I locked eyes with Riker for one brief moment before his entire body went up in flames. Bringing my arm up, I shielded my eyes from the bright light, squinting to see through the fire. Each member of Riker’s group was set ablaze as well, six bright pillars of pain and torture.
