They circle each other for a while. Blood drips from the corner of the crab man’s mouth. He wipes it away and in the same movement, his arm shoots forward and hits Kale on the chin. The Mage falls onto his back and the Snapper steps closer for the knock-out, but loses sight of him again. He stomps the floor in frustration and turns with his arms and claws raised. “Show yourself!”
“Okay,” Kale says, and the Snapper looks up.
Before he can defend himself, Kale drops down from the top of the fence. He lands on the Snapper’s shoulder and quickly wraps his legs around his throat. Punches rain down on the crab’s face as he stumbles around the ring. A snapping mouth misses Kale’s head by an inch as he ducks.
Both their names echo around the room, as the audience choses a side.
“Watch out!” I yell, when I see the Snapper’s claws shoot toward the Mage.
He launches himself into the air, but one of the sharp ends of the claws rips the flesh on his arm. As he lands, blood oozes out of the cut. He pays no attention to it, because Craig is charging him.
Then there’s a loud shriek and both fighters lower their hands. They give a quick bow and retreat to opposite corners of the ring.
The banshee I hadn’t noticed jumps down from the fence and the announcer recaps the first round with excessive enthusiasm.
Charlie raises his hand to order another hot dog and I pull Vicky closer.
“So what do you think?”
Her eyes glint with excitement. “I love it. This fight was more of a thrill than I anticipated.”
“I know, right? I thought that Kale was going to be crushed for sure, but he’s a smart fighter.”
We both look at the Mage in the ring for a moment.
“He doesn’t look violent to me,” Vicky comments, just as I have the same thought.
Charlie holds out a cup to me. “Beer?”
“No thanks, we should stay sober, in case we have to fight.”
His smile drops off his face. “Oh, right.” He hands the beer to Gisella, who has already downed hers. Looking at the two hot dogs in his other hand, his grin returns. “Oh well, I still have these.”
We all look up when another shriek announces the next round.
Charlie forgets to chew as the fighters immediately attack. “This is so much better than human boxing.”
I have to agree, but I don’t answer, because at that moment Kale jumps over the crab hybrid and moves into a corner, where he is barely visible. He keeps very still as the Snapper scans the ring with his beady eyes.
“I can still see him,” I whisper to Vicky. “Does he think he’s invisible?”
The answer comes when the Snapper charges and Kale doesn’t move.
“Watch out!” I yell again. “He can see you!”
Of course he can’t hear me, since I’m not the only one screaming my head off. He does move at the last second, but then it’s already too late. Craig pushes him to the ground and lands on him with his full weight.
I can see his arm breaking and can hear the snap in my head. Kale hollers and raises his other arm to punch his opponent in the face. But he’s too slow. The Snapper hits him on the nose again and again, and when Kale stops moving, the mouths on his hands bite him in the cheek.
“Wow!” the announcer bellows. “That’s enough!” He beckons one of the banshees, who shrieks three times.
The Snapper steps back and raises his arms in triumph as the announcer enters the ring.
“Fight’s over! Craig – the Snapper – Archer did it again and reals in his fiftieth victory in a row.”
The rest of his words get lost in the cheering of the crowd.
Gisella stands up and cheers, but Vicky, Charlie and I just stare at Kale, lying there with his face beaten to mush.
“Are we sure Kale is the one with the violent outburst?” I say to Vicky.
“Pretty sure.”
Charlie has lowered his last hot dog. “That doesn’t look good.” He taps Gisella on the arm. “Is he dead?”
The yellow-eyed girl is still smiling. “Oh no, they’ll heal him in no time.” When she sees our skeptical faces, she adds, “Trust me, I’ve seen worse.”
“What a spectacular and unexpected turn of events,” the announcer says, while the Snapper leaves the ring.
The banshees pick up Kale and carry him back to the door on our left.
“Let’s review the wonderful fights we saw tonight.”
Screens are dropped on each side of the ring. They show the first fight in slow motion.
From the corner of my eye, I see Jeep gesturing wildly.
“They’ve spotted a sand demon,” Vicky translates. “We’d better leave. We don’t want to get caught up in a fight here.”
She stands up and starts moving to the end of the row.
I nudge Charlie. “We have to go. You can stay here with Gisella if you want.”
He stuffs the last of his hot dog into his mouth and pushes himself up from his seat. “I’ll come with you.”
I stand up and push him back into his chair. “No, it’s fine. You enjoy the rest of the evening. I’ll call if I need you.”
“Sure?”
“Yes.” I bend over him and hold out my hand to Gisella. “It was nice to see you again. I got a call, so I have to go. Thank you for the nice evening.”
She raises her empty cup. “Thank you, too.”
Vicky and I leave the room as fast as we can without alerting anyone. The rest of the Shield is already out of sight.
We stumble into the hallway panting and I look around. “Where did they go?”
“Maybe they went outside?”
“We’ve got this,” Quinn’s voice suddenly says in my head. “You go find that fighter. See if he’s okay.”
“Good idea,” I say.
When Vicky gives me a questioning look, I point at my head. “Quinn.”
I scan the hallway for doors. “We need to find the way to the dressing rooms. We have to make sure Kale is alright.”
Vicky pulls my arm hard and points to the end of the hallway. “There.”
We hurry to the door at the other end. Before we go through, I listen carefully for any signs of a fight. I gently nudge my power core, in case I need to jump into action. But all is quiet on the other side and we slip through unseen.
CHAPTER 27
It’s not hard to find the dressing rooms. We just follow the smell of sweat and blood. And even without that, the agitated voice drifting toward us would have given the location away.
As we slowly approach, I try to decide whether we need to intervene or not. Is someone provoking him? Will this annoyance turn into violence?
Before I can make up my mind, we come to a corner. When we turn it, we have a full view of the dressing room, where Kale is pacing, his hair a mess, his fists held tightly at his side. His voice is a mixture of anger and frustration, but that’s not what stopped me dead in my tracks. Watching him sharply, is a minotaur. This one is even more muscular than the one we killed not too long ago. But he’s not fuming and the long, white horns sticking out sideways make him look almost friendly.
“I’m fine with losing, as long as it’s because my opponent is stronger or smarter. But this…” Kale throws up his hands. “This is not how it should be, coach. I could have won easily. And did he really have to smash my whole face? He could’ve killed me!”
The minotaur reaches out a hand to stop him from pacing, but Kale shrugs him off.
“I know it sucks right now,” his coach tells him. “But give it time. In a couple of months, you’ll be the one winning all the fights.”
Kale wraps his hands around his head, messing up his hair even more. “You keep saying that, but I still don’t see any change.”
“Right now we have to do what we’re told. But you will win. Soon.”
I slowly let out my breath and take a step back.
Kale turns around and picks
up a shirt from the bench behind him. “Yeah, and how will I win then? By cheating, too? I don’t think so, coach. I’m sick of this. I’m taking this up with whomever arranged it.”
As he throws his shirt over his head, he notices me and Vicky in the doorway. His expression hardens even more. “What do you want?”
Vicky pushes me forward and I try to think of the right way to tell him the truth, while I pray for the minotaur not to rebuild my face. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I might be able to help.”
He looks me up and down and snorts. “Really?”
There’s so much disdain in his voice, that something snaps inside me.
I cross my arms and for a moment I forget about the other person in the room. “Yes, really.”
Vicky touches my arm. “Dante, take it easy. Remember what we’re trying to prevent.”
“I remember, but for some reason I don’t have much faith in it. Strange, isn’t it?”
Kale steps up to us and stabs his finger in my chest. “I don’t know what you’re really here for, but I suggest you turn around and find the nearest exit before I throw you through it.”
My teeth crunch as I clench my jaw hard. “Oh yes, this is going to be very difficult.”
Vicky’s hand tightens around my arm. “Maybe we should leave this to D’Maeo. Or…” Her eyebrows shoot up as she looks at me. “I could help you with your anger.”
I snort. “It’s not my anger that needs help, and your power will wear off if you use it on him.”
But I’m not willing to let this go just yet. I never asked for this mission. I never wanted to be chased by demons, trying to save someone who looks at me as if I’m nothing more than dirt under his shoe.
“We’re not leaving.”
Kale brings his face closer to mine. Our noses almost touch. “Wanna bet?”
“Okay okay.” The minotaur pushes his pupil back. “Take it easy, son. You’re angry, and you have a right to, but this boy has done nothing to you.”
His friendliness pulls me out of my daze. I relax a little, but give my power core a little push, just in case.
Kale breathes out loudly a couple of times. He looks like he’s about to explode.
The minotaur sticks out his hand to me. “I apologize for his behavior. He’s upset right now, but he’ll come around. He’s a good kid.”
“I’m not a kid!” Kale yells, before sitting down on the bench and putting his head in his hands.
“Compared to me you are,” the minotaur laughs. He turns back to me. “I’m Sal, nice to meet you.”
I introduce myself and Vicky. Sal seems friendly enough. Maybe we should talk to him instead of Kale.
“You said something about helping?” Sal says. “What did you mean by that?”
“I don’t need help,” Kale mumbles from the bench.
“Shut up, you,” Sal says lightly. “Go throw some water in your face or something.”
Kale huffs, but stays where he is.
The minotaur gestures to the bench to his left. “Would you like to sit down?”
It’s a bit hard to look him in the eye while I talk to him, but I don’t want him to know his appearance gives me the jitters, so I decline. “No, thanks.”
While I search for words to explain what we’re doing here, Vicky steps in. “We have reason to believe someone is trying to make you snap, Kale.”
The Mage just stares at her, while Sal lets out a hearty laugh. “Kale? Snap? Please… he’s all talk and no game. He’s never hurt a fly in his life.” He tilts his giant head. “Except in the ring of course.”
Vicky never loses her grim expression. “Well, anyone can snap if you push the right buttons.”
The minotaur puts a sharp nail against his chin. “I guess you’re right. But why would someone push Kale’s buttons? He’s already losing.”
I turn my gaze on Vicky. “That’s a good question.” I meet her eyes and frown. Could we be wrong?
She lifts her finger. “One moment, please.” Before I can protest, she pulls me around the corner. “We can’t tell him the truth. What if it’s not him?”
I press my lips together for a moment. “Yes, you’re right. But who else could it be?”
While we ponder on that, Kale and his coach leave the dressing room.
Kale smiles at us. “It was nice to meet you both. I hope I’ll see you again when my luck changes. I’ll be in a better mood then.”
“That would be nice,” Vicky says, because I’m standing there lost for words again. “Just try to keep your cool and you’ll be fine.”
He raises a thumb while he walks on. “Will do!”
The minotaur stops in front of me and looks me in the eye. “When you’re ready to explain what you were trying to warn us about, call me.” He pushes a business card into my hand.
“Okay,” I mumble.
We stare at them until they walk through the door at the end of the hallway.
A deep sigh escapes me. “So does this mean we have to start our search for the next victim all over?”
Vicky is still staring at the door.
“Hello?” I wave a hand in front of her face.
“Were we wrong?” I repeat.
“No, I don’t think so.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a knife. “I think I know how they’re choosing these souls.”
“Okay, great.” I follow her gaze, which is locked onto the door. “Why are you holding a knife?”
“Because I hear someone approaching.”
In a flash I’ve summoned a lightning bolt. “Demons?”
“Maybe.”
“Do they have Kale?”
She narrows her eyes, then shakes her head. “I don’t hear him.”
“Then why are we waiting here to get our asses kicked. Let’s get out of here.”
We turn and walk past the dressing room.
Behind us, a loud voice fills the hallway. “That was great. Did you see his face? He’s such a cry baby.”
Vicky and I hide behind a row of lockers.
“Is that the Snapper?” I whisper. “That crab hybrid?”
“I think so.”
A impatient voice grumbles an answer. “Our job is not to make him cry, Craig.”
“I know. Don’t worry, I’m going to crush him on magic media. He’ll get angry.”
“He’d better. I want that reward.”
I press myself against the wall when their footsteps approach. What if they see us? We’ve heard something we shouldn’t have.
“Where are you going?” the tired voice says.
“To the gym of course, to train.” His voice is almost next to us and I hold my breath.
“Are you crazy? I’m not training anymore today. You just won your fiftieth match in a row, everybody’s waiting for you at the bar.”
There’s a low chuckle. “Well, we don’t want to keep them waiting for too long, do we?” The footsteps retreat and a minute later the shower starts running.
I take Vicky’s hand and pull her away from the dressing room. We peer around the corner of the gym before entering. It’s huge and reminds me of Q’s testing lab. There’s dolls made of all kinds of material, standing next to each other in front of one wall. Some are headless, others are burnt. To our left there is a soundproof room, surrounded by windows. Against the third wall an array of boxing balls is placed. In the middle there is a boxing ring. Dark splatters decorate the inside.
“Well, this looks nice,” I observe.
Vicky turns to every side. “Where is the exit?”
“I guess there’s only one.”
She sighs. “We should’ve just gone back the way we came.”
I walk to the far wall. “And risk that crazy crab man seeing us? I don’t think so.”
She follows me and puts her hands on the wall. “Yeah, you’re right. He was nasty.” She turns her head my way and winks. “But we’re pretty tough, too, don’t forget
that.”
I take in her body from head to toe. Her straight black hair, with the blonde tips. Her dazzling blue eyes. The half laced black top that shows just enough of what’s hidden beneath. And the tight black pants with the high boots.
She puts a hand on her hip. “What? You don’t agree?”
I lean against the wall and take in every detail of her body again. “Oh, you’re the toughest girl I’ve ever met. And even if you weren’t, people would get burned just by looking at you. That’s how hot you are.”
She bends over laughing.
“Too much?” I ask.
She raises a hand, her thumb and index finger an inch apart. “Just a bit.”
I shrug. “Well, I meant it.”
She stands up and pushes me against the cold stones behind me in one swift move that knocks the air out of me. “I know you did.”
Her foot shoves my legs apart and she presses her lower body against mine.
With a soft moan I close my eyes and surrender to her.
But then I’m suddenly falling.
CHAPTER 28
When I open my eyes I’m on the floor. Vicky lands on top of me. The secret door that has swung open hits my feet as it tries to close again. I pull my legs in and to my regret Vicky rolls off of me.
Her eyes grow wide. “Look at this. It’s like a worship room or something.”
She rises to her feet and pulls me up. We’re standing in a dark room. The only light comes from a dim bulb in the corner.
I take out my phone, hit the flashlight icon and illuminate the space around us.
Vicky is right, it looks like someone has been worshipping some kind of evil here. The walls are painted black, but not with paint. I regret it instantly when I touch it with my finger. It’s some slick substance that reminds me of the tar that covered the demons coming for Myah, the soul we saved last. It stings my skin and when I wipe it on my pants it burns a hole in it.
I curse and step away from the wall.
Vicky is standing in front of the altar in the middle of the room. It’s made of stone and has a red pentagram carved into it.
I move the light over it. “I thought pentagrams were for good magic.”
The Third Sin Page 14
