“I’ll make you a bet.” He cast her a glance from the corner of his eye, then quickly went back to observing the two men in the pit. “If you win, I’ll tell you.”
Maybe he was trying to give her an incentive to win, but something about his answer left a bad taste in her mouth. Instead of arguing, she focused her attention on the two monsters circling the pit like hungry sharks sensing blood.
One was clearly feline, his eyes slightly reflective when the light hit him just right. He had no lips, his flat, upturned nose and mouth were elongated like his animal counterpart, and a set of whiskers made his feline appearance even more pronounced. Matted fur covered every inch of him, and he wore nothing more than a frayed pair of shorts. The orange tabby was huge, at least two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle. His ears twitched at every sound, his claws and teeth prominent. When their eyes met, pure, malicious yellow glared back at her.
The second man was younger, but no less lethal. His skin looked bumpy, and she tapped into her dragon senses until she saw that the entire surface of his body resembled sandpaper. Spikes ran along the outside of his arms, from wrist to elbow, as well as on the back of his head. She only spotted them when he flexed, the needle-like appendages flaring wide for a brief second. To kill him, a person would have to get close and risk being shredded.
Both men slowed, coming to a stop directly below her, staring up at her hungrily.
The pit was roughly an oval, twenty feet wide by thirty feet long. The hard stone walls weren’t crumbling or pitted, nor did they show any gouges from claws. If anyone wanted out, they would have to leap twelve feet straight up to escape.
“How do they decide who goes into the pits?” Before the lone wolf could answer, two of the Delta Team dropped to their knees.
“That’s how.”
Electricity sizzled in the collars, tempting her to siphon it off, but she wasn’t sure what would happen if she interrupted the current. She would not be responsible for killing them. After a painful thirty seconds, they were finally released and climbed unsteadily to their feet.
The speakers crackled to life, and Tara’s smarmy, deceptively cheerful voice filled the air. “The winning team will get to keep the female.”
Delta Team went silent, most of them bristling at the edict, while Charlie Team’s cheer sounded more like a roar of approval.
Raven laughed, and the motley crew quieted uneasily. “Do you really think that’s how being a shifter works? That females are a prize to be won?”
Tara scowled, not liking the back talk, but the scientists blocked her access to the mike, curious to learn more.
Raven placed her hands on her hips. “I will fight my own battles. I won’t have my fate settled by the likes of you or anyone else.”
Chapter Twenty
Durant scowled at her, his golden eyes slamming into hers as his tiger rose close to the surface. The men around her milled about uneasily, a low muttering spilling through the group.
Raven rolled her eyes. “I have no intention of dying. You and I are fresher, less worn than the rest of the Charlie Team. We have a better chance at survival.” She lifted her chin, not willing to back down. “We work better as a team, and you know it.”
Durant crossed his arms and scowled. “I don’t like it.”
“Which would you prefer?” She pressed home her point. “We can go into the pit together, or you can watch when they select me to fight my own battle, unable to offer me any assistance.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw, and she laid a hand on his arm. “I don’t want to take the chance of being separated again. We need to be ready to move. Do you trust someone else to have my back?”
He grunted as if she’d smacked him in the face, a grumble of displeasure escaping him. “I still don’t like it.”
But he was no longer protesting.
After a few more minutes of silence, the doctors scattered from their cluster and resumed their seats. The speakers crackled soon after. “Acceptable. Please proceed. Any interference from the other team members will result in removal and severe discipline.”
The men around her froze, glancing at her in concern, clearly conflicted.
While the pits were very dangerous, no one ever returned from the labs.
Raven gave them a nod. “I’ll be fine. Don’t do anything foolish. I’ll be back, and I need you to survive until then. Understand?”
The lone wolf stilled, then gave a stiff nod.
“Be ready.”
The shifters immediately stopped protesting, snapping to attention like soldiers in front of their commander. Their instant compliance unnerved her, and she reluctantly followed everyone as they headed toward the pit. The lone wolf leaned toward her, his earthy scent barely detectible under the grime coating him. “Stay away from the spikes. They’re full of poison.”
The speaker crackled to life once more, and Tara’s voice snapped over the air. “Anyone who interferes will be fried.”
As they reached the edge of the pit, Durant spoke. “Let me take the lead—”
“No.” Raven shook her head. “The lizard is mine. You take the cat.” Raven flexed her hands, comforted when her scales slotted together. “The man is slim, not used to fighting. He relies on those spikes. If I can take them out of the equation, we will be more evenly matched.”
Meaning that she probably wouldn’t get her ass handed to her too badly.
“You and the cat are better fighters. If he caught me, he would enjoy hurting me.”
Durant’s eyes narrowed dangerously on the cat, obviously reaching the same conclusion when he gave her a reluctant nod.
Now that it was settled, Raven blew out a heavy breath. Energy coursed through her at the prospect of fighting, her hands tingling in anticipation for the coming battle, and she shook them out, trying to ease the urge to summon her sword.
The magical sword only came if it sensed a serious threat.
Not good.
This wouldn’t be an easy fight.
Durant held out his hand, and Raven linked her fingers with his. He tightened his grip, pulling her closer, then together they dropped over the edge.
Despite trying to act human, she glided through the air and landed lightly in a crouch, her fingertips resting on the ground. The brief contact confirmed her suspicions that the pit had no containment spells.
Durant barely disturbed the dust when his boots soundlessly hit the ground.
The overwhelming stench of old, rotten blood invaded her senses.
The big tomcat began to circle, hissing antagonistically, flexing his claws as he glared at them. For the first time, she noticed the inch-long nails. Even his fangs appeared disproportionately longer than normal. The overwhelming scent of stale urine wafted off his matted fur, nearly making her gag.
Worry for Durant’s safety began to eat away at her mind.
The cat hummed when he looked at her, licking lips, his tongue seemingly too long to fit in his mouth. “I look forward to tasting you.”
She shivered. Something told her that he had more in mind than just sex.
Durant tensed at her side.
“Ignore him.” Raven straightened, grabbing Durant’s arm when he would have attacked. “He’s heckling you, trying to get inside your head. You know I’m more than capable of handling him if he comes for me.”
To prove her point, she let a small amount of static crackle against his skin, ignoring the fact that so far underground, she only had access to a limited supply of energy. She needed to keep her power in reserve until the last moment.
After what felt like an eternity, Durant gave her a reluctant nod, but remained at her side while their opponents continued to circle.
The lizard hissed when the cat drew close. In response, the cat clicked his nails.
No love was lost between those two.
Which meant they wouldn’t come to the other’s aid if they ran into trouble.
Durant ignored their posturing and cupped her chin. �
�You need to put me out of your mind and fight without distraction. You can’t give him an opening.”
“I won’t.” Raven touched her hand to his bare chest, suddenly afraid for him. “You need to do the same. You can’t worry about me.” To soothe herself, she lightly brushed her fingers over his warm skin.
A snarl rumbled up his chest at the contact. Raven peered up just as his head descended. His mouth crushed hers, and she found herself wrapped in his arms, swept off her feet as he proceeded to kiss the daylights out of her. The scent of leather wrapped around her, the taste of him inviting her to take more, and she grabbed his hair, pulling him even closer.
Durant retreated slowly, nipping at her lower lip with his fangs. She shivered, craving more, her breathing erratic, and feeling a bit dazed as she gawked up at him.
“Stay safe.” The words were little more than a growl, and she warmed even more by the scorching heat in his eyes.
The jarring sound of the buzzer jerked her back to the present, and she snapped to attention.
The tomcat’s roar echoed around the pit, and he launched himself at them. Durant tore himself from her arms, springing forward to meet the challenge, and they collided midair, both landing blows that would have crushed a human, their strength and speed incredible to watch.
The fight was brutal, fangs and claws flashing, both men drawing blood in seconds.
A blow to her back took her by surprise, and Raven stumbled, cursing herself for such a rookie mistake, Durant’s warning coming back to bite her on the ass. Whirling, she saw the lizard smile at her with pointed teeth that resembled fangs from a snake.
Dozens of them.
When she grimaced, his smile widened.
He was toying with her.
He thought her easy prey.
The spot on her back where he struck her ached, proving his touch was, indeed, like sandpaper, shredding her clothes, along with the top layers of her skin. Up close, instead of hair, he had tiny quills all over his head. He stood under six feet tall, his body lean…nothing about him should have been intimidating, but the unnatural manifestation of his creature made her leery.
For the first five minutes she did her best to dodge his blows, but she couldn’t keep going on the defensive, not if she wanted to survive. She would eventually tire and make a misstep. The lizard’s humor had vanished when he failed to land another blow. Those sandy-brown eyes went flat as aggression began to thicken the air around him. The speed of his attacks increased, leaving her barely enough time to spin out of the way.
She took a blow to her ribs that nearly knocked the air from her lungs, and she quickly danced away to give herself time to recover. When his fist flew at her face, she brought up both arms to block the hit.
Too late, she realized she’d left her back unprotected.
A fist plowed into her lower spine right over her kidney, the pain nearly dropping her to her knees, and it was all she could do not to piss herself.
When she staggered, he darted closer, and she knew he was going to try to take her out with a final blow.
Raven yanked the current from her bones, leaving them aching and brittle.
She focused as much voltage as she could into her fist, cursing the few seconds she had.
When he swung to crush her skull, Raven twisted to the side, grabbed his arm, pulled him closer until he overbalanced, and slammed her fist right into his throat. Current escaped at the contact, and his body jolted, flying back a few feet. He bent forward, gasping for air through his destroyed throat.
Raven used those precious seconds to catch her breath, trying to work out the kink in her spine and stop the muscles along her back from spasming.
The dragon snarled at her lack of progress, claws pressing against her fingernails.
It wanted to taste blood.
Adrenaline flooded her system. When the lizard staggered to his feet, he was wary and even more pissed. As he charged, Raven dropped onto her back, and kicked him in the gut with both feet. Using his momentum against him, she twisted her legs, propelling him over her head, and he smacked into the granite wall with a solid thud.
He struggled to his feet, stumbling to regain his footing, shaking his head, then hissed at her in fury. His narrow tongue flickered out, the split edge unnerving. Then he stretched his neck, and his spines flexed and lifted, reminding her of long, lethal blades. It surprised her to see he had so much control that he could move them one at a time.
A heavy grunt sounded from behind her.
Durant.
Unable to stop herself, Raven whirled to see Durant had the tomcat in a head lock, but instead of retreating, the tomcat land repeated blows to Durant’s stomach and ribs.
She could almost swear that she heard bones crack.
Durant glanced up and their gazes connected, then he scowled. “Focus.”
“You might want to follow your own advice.” Raven huffed, then did as told, barely whirling out of the way of the fist aimed at the back of her skull. “You can handle him, no problem, yet you’re struggling. You’re dividing your attention.”
The lizard advanced, his fists almost a blur as he drove her backwards. Spines flared mid-swing, and she barely brought up her arm in time, the tiny scales hardening under her skin.
The spines felt like stone when they slammed into her, pain reverberating down her arm. She and the lizard man stood frozen, staring at each other, when the spines began to snap, and then shatter when they hit the ground.
His screech of pain threatened to burst her eardrums. He cradled his arm, then backed away from her as if she was the real monster.
Raven expected blood, but a milky white fluid dribbled to the floor, the scent sharp and bitter.
Poison.
Just as the lone wolf had warned.
Not giving him a chance to regroup, she charged forward. At the last second, she veered toward the wall, using her momentum to run along it. She pushed off, twisting midair, her foot connecting with the man’s temple. He flew backwards, and his head smashed into the stone with a resounding crack.
Raven dropped to the floor, skidding another foot, before coming to a stop. For a few seconds, the lizard stared at her in horror, then his eyes rolled up into his head, and he collapsed.
Panting, Raven twisted, her attention locking on Durant as he fought for his life.
The cats were evenly matched as they continued to beat the crap out of each other. Vicious wounds marred the tom’s body, his fur matted with blood, and as she watched, she noted he was not healing as fast as Durant.
Nor was he as well trained.
But Durant was already weakened by the repeat drugging, not to mention a brutal sword wound he received a few weeks ago. The dragon gave a quiet grumble, then hunkered down, waiting for a chance to intervene.
Raven edged closer, then halted, knowing she would be a distraction and likely get him killed. When she straightened, she nearly tripped over lizard man’s body.
Staggering for balance, she peered down, her attention drawn to the spikes he so prided, and an idea took hold.
Neither man was going to give up until one of them killed the other.
She couldn’t risk Durant being hurt again.
She needed him in top condition if they were to escape.
Bending down, she gripped one of the stone-like spikes at the base and snapped it off, the bitter liquid that seeped out tacky on her fingers. Raven paced restlessly, waiting for her moment. Getting close to the fight would be a mistake, but if she waited much longer, it would be too late. She stilled, her grip tightening on the spike. “Down!”
Raven drew back her arm and let go.
At the sound of her voice, Durant dropped flat to the ground. The dart sailed over his head, missing him by inches, lodging in the big cat’s shoulder.
The tom hissed and pulled out the dart, carelessly tossing it away. He advanced on her, then staggered, his eyes widening in surprise as he pitched forward and collapsed.
The po
ison must be some sort of paralytic.
Raven glanced down at her hand, noting the tiny drops had stained her fingers black. Despite the tiny scales protecting her, the venom had soaked into her skin, the chemicals potent enough to leave her fingers numb. Thankfully, without an open wound, the poison wasn’t able to enter her bloodstream, giving her time to burn it off without harming her.
She leaned down, wiping her fingers against lizard man’s shirt.
As Durant slowly climbed to his feet, he began to stalk toward her. Her heart ricocheted against her ribs when she noted the scattered wounds covering his body. When he drew near, she lifted her hand in warning. “Stop. I still have the poison on my fingers. We can’t risk it seeping into any one of your wounds.”
Durant scowled, disgruntled at not being able to touch her, but thankfully listened.
“How badly are you injured?” She scanned his body again, wincing at the long slashes down his right thigh that left his flesh a torn mess. An alarming amount of blood soaked his pants. With the poison covering her skin, she couldn’t risk touching him, she couldn’t risk healing him, not if there was a chance she could infect him.
“I’ll live.” Durant relaxed, then after a moment of studying her, looked up at the edges of the pit. Everyone was silent as they peered down at them, the Delta Team looking hopeful for the first time.
Reed reached over the railing, offering his hand to help lift them out, when the door behind them buzzed and slid open with a click of locks.
The Alpha Team waited on the other side.
Mack stood to the side, his face impassive, while Tara was all attitude, a pair of cuffs in one hand, and the damned controller for Durant’s collar in the other.
She shot a glare at Raven, making it clear she was downright pissed that she had managed to survive. Again. “Out.”
The words were a barked command. Raven had no doubt that if she didn’t obey, Tara would fry Durant, and relish doing it, too.
The Delta Team blanched, ready to leap to her defense, aggression ramping up in the confined space. If they had been full shifters, she had no doubt they would’ve spilled out of their skin. She quickly shook her head. “Don’t.”
Electric Night (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 5) Page 22
