That last comment caused a snarl to rise in Brynleigh’s throat. She wanted to dive into the crowd and punch the person who dared comment on Ryker’s physique. True, he was handsome, but he was hers. Not theirs.
Unfortunately, she was already at the stairs leading up to the wooden platform.
Dimitri smiled down at her, but there was no warmth in his expression. This was a cold, violent man.
As a bringer of death, Brynleigh recognized darkness when she saw it. And darkness clung to the Alpha.
This is for me and Ryker.
If passing this test would bring Brynleigh one step closer to fixing things with her water fae, then she would do it. She would do anything for her husband.
“Welcome, Miss de la Point.”
Dimitri extended a hand to Brynleigh to help her onto the stage, but she didn’t take it. The last thing she needed was for someone to perceive her as weak. She climbed on the platform, wincing at the full force of the blinding lights.
From here, the crowd was barely more than a black blob. If the excitement in the air was any indication, they were bloodthirsty.
The Alpha turned to Brynleigh. “Would you like to know who your opponent is?”
Sensing that it didn’t matter whether she said no or not, Brynleigh shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
After all, how bad could it be? She was a powerful, doubly blessed vampire. She could take someone on in a fight and win. Besides, the sooner she completed this test, the better. She was already over this.
The Alpha smirked and turned to the crowd. Someone turned off the music.
“What do you think?” Dimitri yelled. “Should she battle The Champion?”
Brynleigh’s eyes widened, and she swallowed. She was all for bravado, but this didn’t sound good. If she’d had time to prepare for this fight, it would be a different story. But she’d come here expecting a meeting, not… this.
A thousand curses ran to the tip of her tongue, and she wished she was anywhere but here.
The crowd screamed their approval.
Brynleigh’s heart raced in her chest, and dread swirled in her gut.
“Wonderful.” The werewolf grinned, and the sight would havefrightened most children. “Join me in welcoming our Champion, The Crimson Shade.”
If the crowd’s cheers had been loud before, now they were deafening. Screams of delight, catcalls, and roars of approval echoed off the steel warehouse walls.
Brynleigh’s gaze swiveled around the crowd, but even with her vampire-blessed sight, she couldn’t make out any faces. All she could see was the crowd parting assomeoneapproached the stage. The people stepped aside, letting the man move through unencumbered.
Whoever this Champion was, he was taking his time. That was fine.
Brynleigh used the opportunity to harden her heart and prepare herself as best she could. She would win this fight, pass the test, and get one step closer to getting the information Ryker needed.
Her resolve was firm enough that even when her opponent finally came into view, she didn’t shake. Much.
A slight tremor ran through her because,come on.
This man was barely a man. He was a mountainous elf who made the bulky guard from the back entrance look like a child. He had to be at least seven feet tall. Naked from the waist up, his muscular, sun-kissed chest was mottled with scars. Swirling crimson markings ran from his waistband to his neck. Between his red tattoos and pointed elf ears, his Death Elf heritage was apparent.
Gods damn it all.
Brynleigh’s chest tightened as unbidden memories of Preston, the Death Elf who’d participated in her torture, rushed back to her. She recalled the way he had pulled red threads of magic from his palms, molding them into various instruments of torture.
Death Elf magic was malleable, painful, and a tool for ending lives.
Famously, the Crimson King had used his Death Elf magic to terrorize Ithenmyr during the time of the Four Kingdoms. He’d destroyed the balance and thrown the entire continent into darkness. It was only because the High Ladies of Life and Death had restored the balance that the Republic existed today.