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The damn assassin was nearly to the exit. He pushed himself faster, then tackled the scaly bastard. He punched the vile reptile in the face and pinned the bastard’s arm to the ground. The heap of shit just laughed a raspy disgusting sound, blood dripping from his snout as he let his disguise drop.

Jyk!He’d been wanting to get his hands on this vasta for a long time.

“What are you laughing about, Jyk? You are done,” Aculus snarled at the Jurou Biljana as Scala and several guards converged on them.

“That.” Jyk nodded toward his comm.

Aculus stared at the countdown sequence, horror filling every ounce of his being.

“But we swept the arena for incendiaries,” Scala said, desperation churning in his eyes.

“Where is it?” Aculus gripped Jyk by the neck and slammed him against the ground again.

The bastard just continued laughing. Aculus snarled. They didn’t have time to play these games.

“The explosive must be on him.”

As he spoke it dawned on him that had to be exactly the case. Why else would the reptiles participate in the Trial except to get close to him. With all the security in place the bastards knew they wouldn’t be able to plant an incendiary any other way.

But Jyk’s too selfish to carry the explosive himself, it has to be one of the others.

Aculus looked at the countdown on the comm. He leapt off Jyk and raced toward Nadzia. They only knew who one of the other assassins was, and there wasn’t enough time to get the heap of dung out of here.

“Nadzia, run. Goddess, run!” he screamed.

How was it possible that everything wonderful in his life was slipping through his fingers?

Nadzia

She was about to insist the assassin try telling his story again when Aculus’ panicked voice echoed through the arena speakers.

“Nadzia, run. Goddess, run!”

Her gaze swung from Aculus to the assassin. ‘I don’t know. Jyk planned this,’ the reptile’s words suddenly hit home.

Oh God, the dumb fuck doesn’t know about the plan because he is the plan.

“Go!” She swatted Momma’s flank and quickly backed up.

“Wait, no,” the reptile screamed as Momma tossed him into the air.

Another Xerocle swooped in and grabbed the screeching assassin, dangling him by the leg. A melee swiftly ensued midair, the raptors tearing the bastard apart one piece at a time. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, knocking her to the ground.

“I’ve got you.” Aculus wrapped around her.

He had her completely shielded but the sudden explosion still rocked them. Then everything was dead quiet.

“Aculus,” she released the incoherent ragged cry as she realized she’d survived. But at what cost?

“Nadzia,” Aculus rasped anxiously as he climbed off her and picked her up.

“You’re okay!” Her arms flew around his neck, squeezing him tight as she smashed her lips against his.

Aculus soothingly rubbed her back as he kissed her. His hands were trembling, or maybe that was her.

“I love you,” she sobbed in between kisses.

“I love you, too, weakness,” he murmured against her lips.