I didn’t need anything else getting in the way of that.
He held out his hand, sensing my capitulation.What choice did I have?If I wanted to win this thing, we’d have to find a way to work together.“Truce,” I forced out.
He took my hand.His was huge and warm and rough, and I barely suppressed a shiver.Quickly pulling my hand from his, I stepped up to the glowing door made of light and slid the key into the lock.As soon as I did, the door dissolved, melting away, and we were no longer standing behind Central City Sports.
No, we were standing on a huge field, the sun bright in the sky.I spun, watching as teams appeared out of nowhere, one after the other.Witches, shifters of different breeds, vampires, and, of course, angels.
Silas stiffened at my side when Nathaniel and another angel, one I’d met before named Eloa, appeared on the opposite side of the field.I hadn’t seen the female for a very long time, but I knew her well.She was as fucked up as her teammate.
“Of course they’d send Nathaniel, the prick,” I said under my breath.
The male was a twisted creep.
“He’s ruthless,” Silas said.“He’ll do anything to win.”
I rested my hand on my battle-axe, strapped to my thigh.“So will I.”
His silver gaze slid to me, and my heart did a humiliating flutter.I quickly stifled the weak, pathetic reaction with anger.My fingers tightened on the smooth wooden handle.
“You planning on using that axe?”he said to me.
“More than likely.”
“In the next few minutes?”
“Probably not.”
“You attack them now, we’re disqualified,” he said evenly.Always the voice of reason.“And I assure you, no one would love to maim that fucker more than me, but I’m thinking that’s maybe not a good idea,” he said, surprising me.
Good.If he hated that prick, he wouldn’t pull back when it came time to drop the hammer and end those fuck-sticks.“We can’t let them win,” I said.The way Lucifer wanted this, meant losing would be bad.I didn’t need to know the whys.I knew Lucifer too well to doubt it.
“Then we’ll beat them, but we’ll do it according to the rules.”
I blew out a frustrated breath.“Killjoy.”
His brow quirked.
“Always the rule-following geek boy, aren’t you?”
He smirked, and my heart did another leap.“If that were the case, I’d still have my wings.I also wouldn’t be here, now would I?”
Thankfully, my second humiliating reaction to the infuriating male was interrupted by a beam of light bursting from the sky.
Holy shit.
Something slid down it at speed, plummeting to the ground.
A male.
He landed like Thor, posing on one knee, clenched fist below his chin.When he straightened to his full height, he was well over six foot.His body was heavily muscled, and he flexed, showing those muscles off before a broad grin split his unnaturally red lips.He looked like a caricature, everything exaggerated.His hair was a shock of glossy orange waves, not red or auburn,orange, and framed an angular face.His eyes were the same vibrant color, except a shade darker, and he was dressed in a gold-and-emerald cloak, trimmed with gold thread, that billowed out behind him, even though there wasn’t a breath of wind.
He lifted his arms and laughed, the same deranged sound we’d heard after we left the bar.“Welcome to The Tartarean!”He laughed again, and it sent a shiver of unease down my spine.“I am Felditch, and you may address me as such.I’m here to preside over each event and ensure everyone complies with the rules.”He motioned behind us, and we all turned.“But first allow me to show you to your lodgings.You will stay here at the manor for the duration of the tournament.”
A large wooden dwelling now sat at the edge of the field, behind it a wild sea raged, both of which hadn’t been there a moment ago.I turned back to Felditch, and a dense forest had sprouted behind him.Beyond that, mountains loomed over everything, so tall that their snow-covered peaks were surrounded by wispy clouds.
Yeah, this guy was seriously powerful.He’d literally moved mountains, or even more impressively, created his own.I could see why a favor from him would be a prize worth winning.
“Please, follow me,” Felditch said and strode toward the manor.With every step he took, a path of black slate formed in his wake.