Page 37

Ella’s voice was in his head. He leaned against the curved wall, breathing hard, and surveyed his surroundings. Down below, the dragon lay unmoving, a blackened shape draped over a low marble base.

“Does it really matter right now?”

“If I’m dead, you’d stop fighting.”

“Like hell I would.” He registered the glint of a sword tip behind the pillar directly in front of the tower. “Can we talk about this afterward? I’m rather busy.”

“But I have a feeling it’s important.”

“Well, let me know how that goes for you. Can you see anyone near the half-ruined leaning tower?”

“Only you at the top . Wait. Red’s opposite you at ground level.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

“Baldy’s still out cold, and Blondie is advancing toward the opposite side of the tower.”

Vadim shifted his stance and looked backward. There was no sign of the blond male, but he didn’t doubt Ella’s words. “And Adam?”

“Just hanging back, waiting to see if the others can kill you, I guess.”

“Reassuring as ever.”

“Hey, I’m doing my best!”

He didn’t reply, as Red had broken cover and was moving steadily in a zigzag pattern toward the bottom of the tower.

Vadim waited for as long as he dared and then sent off a bolt of magic, bringing a teetering column down, hopefully on the male’s head.

Unfortunately, when the dust cleared, Red was still advancing.

A flash of blond hair behind him made Vadim aim a similar strike at his other opponent, who was also creeping closer.

“Be careful, Morosov, they’re psychically linked.”

“I got that.”

“That means they can join their magical power together, right?”

“Right.”

Vadim drew his sword. Should he descend or stay put?

He’d be in a far better position if they came up individually, but he didn’t believe they were going to make it that easy for him.

Malevolent magic enfolded the tower from either side and closed over his head, the two powers merging and pressing down on him like an enormous weight.

With a roar, he channeled his powers into resisting the invaders, aware even as he fought them off that the stones beneath his feet were growing warmer by the second.

“They’ve set the tower on fire!”

He didn’t bother to reply as he sheathed his sword, raised both hands over his head and punched his way through the shield like a diver launching himself from the high board.

Inside his head, the two men screamed as if he’d physically assaulted them while they tried to gather the shreds of their powers and re-form the trap.

But it was too late. Vadim opened his wings and flew low over the burning tower, spied Red and sent another lash of power into the man’s body.

Behind him, the tower disappeared below the surface of the checkerboard; the flames extinguished.

Only a cloud of smoke was left marring the perfection of the painted ceiling.

He alighted on a large rock and looked back at where the tower had been.

There was movement in the rubble. Neither of the males was dead yet, but he had significantly reduced their powers.

“Dammit, Baldy’s awake again. That’s what Adam was doing.”

Vadim rubbed a hand over his smoke-rimmed eyes and spotted the gleam of a domed head running toward the spot where he’d located the other two males.

“If two didn’t work, he’s going to want to try three.”

“Agreed.”

There was a pause. “Do you think you can handle it?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t need me?”

“Not yet.”

“I wonder if that’s why they kept me alive, because they know I can’t do anything to affect the outcome and can only distract you.”

“You’re not distracting me.”

“Sure I am.”

“You’re helping me, Soul Sucker.” He took the opportunity to breathe deeply before the next assault came. “Your ability to read their minds and predict their movements is invaluable. And I might still need your magical power.”

“Don’t they suspect I can help you?”

“I doubt they ever imagined that their Death Bringer would be mated to an empath. Who the hell knows what will happen?”

An arrow sizzled past his ear, and he ducked just in time, crouching low on the exposed surface of the rock.

This wasn’t a good place to defend himself.

His gaze fastened on a series of ruins farther up the hall, and he took off, his wings opening to help him glide across the vast space.

Ella would have a clearer view of him now, which would also be useful.

He had a sense that he was being driven toward the end of the arena where the spectators were sitting.

It would be just like Adam to want a big finale in front of those who hated and loved Death Bringer the most. His overconfidence astounded Vadim.

What weapon did Adam think he had that could match his and Ella’s combined power?

Whatever it was, he would soon find out.

* * *

Ella stared as Vadim swooped low over the arena, alighted near a ruined templelike structure and promptly disappeared.

Considering Adam had designed a series of structures that were all of pale stone or rock, Vadim was doing an amazing job of not standing out.

The golds and silvers of his opponents blended in far better.

“Duh.” Ella muttered to herself.

“What, my dear?”

The queen mother, who was seated on Ella’s left, looked up.

“It’s okay, I was just marveling at Adam’s ability to manipulate the odds in his favor.”

“He has good reason.”

“Because he’s afraid that if he doesn’t, Morosov will beat him in a heartbeat.”

“You care for my grandson, don’t you?”

“He’s okay.” Ella kept her gaze on the arena, where the three sect members were slowly advancing toward Vadim’s hiding place. “He’s my SBLE partner. We take care of our own.”

“He’s also your mate.”

“I know. That was your fault, wasn’t it?” She turned slowly to look at the old queen’s composed face. “Did you know all this would happen?”

“I had some inkling.”

“Do you think I can save him?”

“I have no idea, Soul Sucker. That is entirely up to you.”

“Great. Thanks for your input.” She strained to catch a glimpse of Vadim. “If I’m so important to him, why aren’t I already dead?”

“Because they need you. Don’t you know that?”

Ella thought about the unpleasant little dagger buried deep in her backpack.

Should she get it out and put it in her pocket just in case?

Would Vadim prefer to die at her hand or to be captured and killed slowly?

She really should’ve asked him before all this began.

It wasn’t the easiest topic to bring up.

A flicker of movement below startled her.

Another attack was building, and this time Vadim would be at the mercy of three of the sect members.

She focused her empath powers on the minds of the attackers and started to relay her opinions to her mate.

* * *

There were three of them now. They were testing him.

Did they sense he was reluctant to kill any of them—that for the first time in his long existence, he craved answers rather than destruction?

Maybe Ella was right. She had changed him.

Did he have the stomach for slaughter anymore?

In the seats at the end of the arena, his father’s familiar laughter rang out.

Yes, he would kill. That’s what he’d been trained to do.

The reason he was in this precarious position today was because he’d executed his father’s favorite son.

He had a far better reason to kill now.

For his mate, and for himself.

The sound of beating wings had Vadim looking up as the blond Fae dived down at him, sword at the ready, and attempted to detach his head from his shoulders.

He parried the killing blow, ignoring the shock of magic that shuddered up his arm, and sent power of his own back through the metal to attack his opponent.

An arrow lodged itself in his already-injured shoulder, impeding his movements, allowing the blond Fae to land and continue the fight.

He snapped off most of the arrow shaft with his teeth and carried on fighting, one eye on the movements of the unseen redhead Ella was also relaying to him in his mind.

A blur of motion and Red was beside his attacker, his sword also drawn.

Concentrating on pulling down his magical powers, he almost missed the arrival of the bald man.

Only Ella’s screech gave him that vital second to step back as the three sect members now advanced toward him.

Magic beat at him from all sides as he was slowly backed against a wall. The blond male in the center was smiling as he progressed, his blade jabbing at Vadim’s chest, while the other two sought to hack and disable his wings.

“You’ve got this.”

Damn, Ella sounded rather more confident than he felt. He risked a glance around the terrain and smiled. Baldy was wavering, Red was focused and Blondie was too angry with the other two to be effective.

She was right. He did have it.

Without disengaging his sword, he focused his magic on the wall behind the three males and blew it sky high. Rocks and chunks of mortar shot up in the air and rained down on his hapless attackers, leaving him unharmed and protected by a shield while they all staggered and fell to their knees.

* * *

“Adam’s right below the chairs.”

Even as Ella shrieked the message to Vadim, her elbow was grabbed in a punishing hold and the Fae king glared down at her.

“What are you doing, Soul Sucker? You have no right to interfere in this matter.”

She tried to pull out of his grasp. “Like you’re not? I can sense your power blending with the sect’s!”

“Be silent.” His grip tightened and she almost blacked out.

“Let her be, Fergal.” The Fae queen stood up, then put her hand on the king’s arm, her expression furious.

“You support this attempt to suborn us? This traitor in our midst?”

“He’s my son. I should never have let you take him and use him as a weapon.”

“It’s too late for regrets now. I created a killing machine! Your guilt can’t change that. He needs to die, and his mate needs to stop meddling.”

“Stop being so melodramatic!”

Ella felt like a bone between two ravenous dogs as her mind was bombarded with the intensity of the king and queen’s power.

The moment the king’s grip slackened, she slid down to the floor, leaving the Royal couple nose to nose, and crawled back toward the view of the arena.

Had the queen intervened deliberately to free her, or had she been spoiling for a fight over her son for centuries?

She tried to repair her link with Vadim, but nothing happened.

Either the Fae king had alerted Adam to her interference and strengthened the force field, or she was too debilitated from the Royal psychic screaming match to help.

She fought a sudden wave of panic. Had the king done that deliberately?

Held her fast so that she couldn’t escape his thoughts?

Whatever had happened, she needed to reestablish the link pronto.

Vadim might think he didn’t need her, but she still wasn’t sure what new tricks Adam had up his sleeve.

He looked far too confident for her liking, and she needed to be alert.

While everyone else, including her guards, watched the king and queen fight, she kept creeping forward through the ranks of empty chairs toward the fighting.

She peered over the balustrade. Dammit, they were about to surround Vadim!

If she remained blocked from his mind, she could only hope he really did have the strength to fight off all four members of the sect by himself, because God help her, she wasn’t sure if she’d reach him in time.