She sucked in a breath. Silence filled the arena. She could see and feel eyes boring into her. She sank back into her chair.
One of her grandmother’s hands flew at her and connected with the uninjured side of her face. Pain shot through her temple and she lifted her arm to block another swing, but one seemed to be all Carlotta was handing out at the moment. Now I’ll have matching shiners, one from each grandparent.
“Keep quiet and sit up straight. Everyone wants a good look at the sacrifice we are offering up tonight.”
“Back off, Grandma.” She faced Carlotta straight on, fully expecting another swipe at her face, but her grandmother’s stoicism surprised her. Carlotta sat quietly in her chair and gestured toward the sunken arena.
“Your champion prepares to die.”
Karl. Nicole turned and tried to slow her anxious breathing. He was there. All seven feet of him, shirtless and muscle-bound. Damn, he’s a big guy. He’d give Scott a run for his money.
“Really? While we are fighting the chanting sisters behind us, you are ogling the werewolf in the ring?”
I can appreciate the male physique any time I damn please. Though the only body I’d really like to see naked is Aaron’s.
“I’m on board with that. Right after we escape from this stone-age amphitheater.”
I’d say we are holding off the spell quite well, wouldn’t you?
“Sure, if you think you can keep it up once you’re completely dehydrated and unconscious.”
Nicole wiped her brow and shook the beads of sweat from her hand. Her wolf was right. She wasn’t going to last much longer, losing water as fast as she was. Magick or not, she would pass out from dehydration soon.
A growl rumbled through the arena and one of the royal suitors joined Karl in the sandy pit. It was Renaldo. Damn. He didn’t stand a chance.
They circled each other for several minutes before Renaldo made the first move and charged straight at Karl. At the last second he dove to the right and tried to knock Karl’s leg out from under him. Karl moved with more grace than she could’ve imagined he possessed. A quick sidestep and he easily evaded Renaldo’s attack. Again and again they circled and lunged. Finally, Spartan-style swords were tossed down to them to speed up the demise of at least one of the men.
Renaldo was starting to drag. His dark hair was plastered to the back of his neck and sweat poured down his forehead.
Karl, on the other hand, looked like he’d just stretched and was ready for a morning run. He dwarfed the Mediterranean royal and completely outmatched him.
Their swords clashed twice before the sickening sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones brought a cheer from the crowd. Karl yanked his sword out of Renaldo’s chest and stepped back, allowing the younger man to drop first to his knees and then facedown in the sand. Blood pooled on the sand’s surface for a few minutes before it started to soak into the ground.
Bile rose in Nicole’s throat. Another life lost because of her.
Karl backed away from Renaldo and two men ran into the arena to drag away the body. Without missing a beat, another suitor walked out on the sand.
No break. No rest.
Masterson grabbed up the short sword Renaldo had dropped and slowly approached Karl. She met the British man’s gaze for a moment and he grinned.
Cocky bastard. Karl’s not even winded.
Nicole closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The magick was pulling so hard. She could feel her wolf struggling to fight the call as well.
“Tell them to stop. I won’t fight the claiming. Please, just tell the witches to stop.”
“Finally feeling the drain, darling,” Carlotta answered, not even turning away from the fight.
Masterson had gotten in a few hard strikes, but so had Karl. Both men were sweating. The Brit was good on his feet and excellent with the short sword. Karl was struggling to keep up with the well-trained suitor. Poor Renaldo hadn’t stood a chance, but Masterson did. Karl was calculating each move and using his extra brute strength and size every time he could. He outweighed Masterson by at least fifty pounds.
The deadly dance continued on. Cheers went up when Masterson landed a hit and shouts of disappointment carried across the arena for Karl’s hits. Both men were bleeding and panting hard. The fight seemed to have been going on for hours, but in truth it’d only been about ten minutes.
Her eyelids fluttered closed.
“Nicole!”
She sat up straight and opened her eyes wide. I’m here.
“Hang on, sweetie. We can do this.”
Nicole gripped the armrests of her chair, digging her fingers into the upholstered arms until her knuckles turned white. She focused on the fight. Both men were moving slower, but the hits were doing more damage. Karl had a huge gash along his right side, but Masterson had several deep wounds on his left leg. There was a definite limp in his stride.
She didn’t wish Masterson dead, but she wished Karl dead even less.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Aaron paced back and forth in front of the building that housed the cages. Every time he turned, he either saw the Antipas palace or that damned whipping post. The palace was deserted. He could make a run for it with his sister. Nicole had asked him to leave. She’d said the fight would end with her death. He’d already lost her. The fights would have already started. She’d either be taken from him by another or die.
Neither had happened yet. The bond between them was still there. He could feel her panic. Pain. Guilt. Anger. Resignation.
Headlights cut through the darkness that bathed the long driveway up to the palace. His feet stilled and his muscles tensed. Who would be returning to the palace this early?
The black sedan pulled to a stop a short distance from the palace and three figures stepped out. Their scent carried on the wind. Two males and a female. All human, but strong magick flowed from all three.
“Who are they?”
I don’t know, but humans with that much magick have to be witches.
Two guards approached them. One of the men raised a hand and both guards dropped to the ground like rocks.
Shit. He flattened himself into the shadow against the wall and held his breath.
The three figures moved toward the palace front entrance. Once they’d turned the corner, Aaron hurried to the door of the cages. He punched in the code and slipped inside with the stealth only a feline shifter possessed.
His feet swiftly carried him down the aisle to his sister’s cage.
“Sasha,” he called.
She rose from the back corner and came forward.
“We are leaving.” He grabbed the bars on the door of her cage and wrenched. The metal screeched and Aaron growled angrily until it finally came loose from the hinges. It hung crooked, still connected by the mangled lock on the opposite side, but with plenty of room for Sasha to slip out.
But she didn’t budge.
“Come on. There are witches in the palace killing people. It’s now or never. We have to try to leave.”
His sister yowled and turned her head to the wolf pacing in the cage next to hers. Then her golden eyes settled back on him.
He leaned against the bars and sighed. His shoulders sank. “I can’t get everyone out. What could I do with dozens of wild animals? I’m still trying to figure out how I can get you out of the country.”
Sasha shook her head and sank to the floor.
“Damn it, Sasha! At least try.” His sister looked so worn. So tired. Her magick was weak. “You can’t give up on me. I can’t lose you, too.”
The large door at the front of the building scraped and whined. The giant bulbs buzzed overhead and began to come to life, bathing the warehouse full of caged animals in glaring fluorescent light.
They were already here. How had they moved through the palace so quickly?
“Perhaps I can help,” a female voice called out.
He whirled to face her, but she was a dozen yards away. Their gazes met and her eyes flash
ed gold. The energy surrounding her was more than he’d ever felt in one being, supernatural or human. Her voice rang with a familiarity he couldn’t pinpoint.
She raised her hand and he closed his eyes, waiting for the pain or whatever it was they’d done to the guards up at the castle.
Nothing happened.
A soft hand touched his arm from behind and his heart nearly stopped. Sasha’s scent filled his lungs and tears flooded his eyes.
“You can open your eyes now, brother.” His sister’s voice was gentle and rang with joy.
He turned and embraced her, kissing both cheeks and her forehead.
She giggled against his chest and pushed back. “I need to find some clothes, Aaron. Could you ask the nice lady who broke the spell for one of the dresses she has draped across her other arm.
“Of course.” He turned back toward the witch, surprised to find her only a few steps away.
She closed the gap and reached up to touch his face. “She still lives, as does your bond. I was afraid it was already too late.”
“Kate.” He uttered the name with a sigh of immense relief.
The brunette nodded and pushed her hood back to reveal the rest of her face. “I told you I was on my way.”
“What took so long? You are the goddess who made us. Couldn’t you …”
“Just snap my fingers and appear?” She frowned and handed his sister a sundress from the collection she was carrying. “That would be a handy power. But none of us has mastered teleporting, as of yet. We are not gods, even though we’ve all been called such at some point in history.”
“You’re Kate Aribas? Isis? A living creator?” The awe in his sister’s voice was akin to his own silent wonderment.
“Yes, and my friends are Lee and Oren. Here.” She handed him a stack of dresses and shirts and another stack to his sister. “Pass these out as we get everyone out of these cages. We have to hurry.” Kate paused and caught his gaze. “We will save her.”
“She’ll fight to the death. I saw it in her eyes.”
“She won’t have to. Trust me. Trust the bond. Even though it’s not completed, you have a direct link to her.”
He nodded.
She hurried down the pathway. Cage doors flew open as she passed. The animals inside transformed seconds later. He glanced across the warehouse and saw the two men she’d arrived with doing the same.
Everyone was getting out tonight.
“What about the guards up at the palace door?” he shouted down the walkway.
“They were arguing with me. Don’t worry, they’ll wake up in a few hours,” Kate hollered over her shoulder.
He handed out the last of the clothes he’d been given and followed the growing crowd out the door into the still night. The breeze was refreshing and quickly cleared away the stench of filth that could never truly be washed out of that building.
His sister stood at the edge of the crowd and waved when she caught his gaze. She was there. Alive and well. Human for the first time in so many years, though her face was still that of a young twenty-something girl. Showing age was something all shifters usually avoided for centuries. He was thankful her imprisonment hadn’t stolen that from her.
He crossed the grassy lawn to stand next to her. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good, Aaron.”
“Is your leopard …” He wasn’t even sure what question to ask.
“She’s fine. Tired and glad not to be in charge, for a change.”
“If I could’ve gotten you out soon—”
Sasha put a finger against his lips. “You did everything you could. None of this is your fault.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. Just hold on, Nicole. I’m coming for you next.
“She’s weakening.”
I know. Something has been wrong for a while.
“New friends,” a male voice carried across the lawn.
Aaron looked up and met the flashing blue eyes of one of Kate’s companions.
“My name is Lee, though you might have heard of me when I was called Lycurgus. I know most of you have been trapped here for years and I can’t offer anything but my sincerest apologies, and to say how angry I am that those placed in power were allowed to treat you this way. I can promise you that it stops now. My companions, Kate and Oren, have traveled from the other side of the world to help me free you. In fact, it was Kate who was alerted to your condition by Aaron’s true match, Nicole Demakis.”
Whispers and murmurs rose across the night air.
“I would ask another favor of you, my beautiful werewolves. A sacrifice, even. The Originals have returned and will restore order to werewolf society, but I need you to step forward and place blame where blame is due.”
The crowd was silent at the request. Aaron held his breath and listened. It was a total rebellion. The creators planned to overthrow the lower Council. Where did they find the Originals?
“Just be thankful they were still around to find.”
“The Antipas royal pair must pay for their sins, as well as many others. Shifters have been found at other royal houses and are being freed as we speak by trusted friends. Together we will confront the lower Council and tonight order will be restored.”
“What about those of us who are not wolves?” a male voice called from across the crowd.
“I would ask all of you for your support, but it is of course your choice to come. The same for any wolf. I cannot force a single individual to come stand behind me, but I would ask for your forgiveness and for your help. Had I known what was happening—”
“Had any of us known,” Kate interrupted, “We would have come sooner.”
“What about the Originals? Why are they here now?” another voice called out. This time a female wolf.
“We found them,” Lee answered. “We told them what was happening and they came out of the hideaways they’d created to set things right. You must understand. They, like the three of us, are thousands of years old. Human worlds have risen and fallen around us for millennia. We have gotten very good at blending in to our surroundings. So much so, that we forget where we come from and those who depend on us.”
A shudder passed through Aaron, sending a cold chill of dread straight through his chest. “We need to go now. Nicole is in danger.”
Lee caught his gaze and nodded. The crowd parted and the three human immortals, the creators, hurried to his side.
“What do you feel?” Lee asked. “She should be safe. The Originals should be there by now.”
“I feel her fear. My leopard is clawing at my insides. I have to go to her now. My sister is safe.” He pushed Sasha toward Kate. “I need my mate,” he growled. “That stubborn woman will get herself killed.”
Lee nodded. “Follow me. Any willing to come, find a car from the garage and follow the road north for ten miles. The amphitheater is huge. You won’t miss it.”
Aaron kissed his sister’s check. “Stay with Kate. I’ll be back when I have Nicole and we will start over in America—together.”
***
The putrid taste of bile rose in Nicole’s mouth. The fight had been gruesome. Karl had taken a beating from Masterson, but in the end, the giant had won.
Karl’s blood drenched his shirt and pants. Multiple lacerations criss-crossed his body, making it difficult to find a place he’d not been struck by Masterson’s sword.
But … it was Masterson lying on the ground with his head detached from the rest of his body, not Karl. A third suitor was dispatched within minutes. Catching a lucky break when the other man had slipped in Masterson’s blood, Karl had removed the man’s head in the blink of an eye. Three fights in and the huge bodyguard was still upright.
“He won’t be for long. He’s lost too much blood,” her wolf whispered.
I know.
She caught his gaze from the arena floor and he raised the short sword to salute her. His light skin was stained red with his blood and his chest heaved up and down in an attempt to cat
ch his breath. It was a brave front he was putting on. A good show for the royals, but he knew he wouldn’t last through the last fight. She could see the resignation in his eyes.
The salute had been a goodbye.
The last of the four suitors stepped into the ring. His loose-fitting linen clothes were clean, no sweat beaded his brow, and he swung the Spartan sword like it weighed mere ounces instead of pounds.
He glanced up at her and smiled. A wicked, cruel smile that made her blood run cold. Shit. The bastard knew he’d win. Everyone in the arena knew he would be the winner.
He knew he’d get to claim her … well, at least a chance to claim her. She’d fight with everything she had left to keep his arrogant paws from ever touching her skin.
These witches were draining her energy, though. She’d almost succumbed once. Holding back the spell was taking so much out of her and her wolf.
Steel scraping against steel brought her out of her mind and she watched in horror as Karl was knocked backward. He landed flat on his back and the other fighter closed in. Karl rolled to the side, narrowly missing being skewered by his opponent’s sword. He rolled again and raised his sword to parry another nearly fatal blow.
Again and again, the last suitor came closer and closer to dealing a deathblow. Until it happened. Karl missed blocking a thrust and the suitor’s sword sank hilt deep into Karl’s chest. Blood spurted from the wound and leaked from Karl’s lips.
“Nooooooo!” she screamed.
He met her gaze and mouthed the word fight. She nodded, her lip trembling.
Applause drowned out any other sound.
He shouldn’t have died. I cost another man his life. He shouldn’t have even been in the fight.
“It was his choice. He was fighting for you.”
I don’t care!
“I will kill you!” Nicole jumped from her seat and screamed, letting his death and Henrick’s fuel her anguishing wail. Because of them, she’d never know a true mate bond. It was the Council’s fault. The shout echoed through the arena and everything stilled.
She leapt from the platform where she and her grandparents were seated, landing with a soft thud in the sand of the arena. Another growl tore from her lips and she flung her arms out, hoping there was enough energy left in her to push him back like she’d pushed Carlotta at the palace.
Taking Nicole (Vegas Mates Series)(#4) Page 10
