Bianka growled, Taliyah tensed and Kaia gritted her teeth as she faced her nemesis.
Juliette stood in the center of the stage. Tall, toned and stunning, she had shoulder-length black hair and eyes of the purest lavender. She wore a tank top and a short skirt that revealed the tattoos inked into her legs. Ancient godly symbols that bespoke revenge. Loosely translated, each one meant the redheaded bitch must suffer. Nice.
Pretty soon, youll have to kiss your gold goodbye, Kaia told her. Its mine this time around.
Juliette grinned slowly, smugly. Actually, no. No, I wont. In case you didnt know, I wont be participating this year. Im running things. In other words, Im top dog. The elders met, decided, and I am now the be-all and end-all.
That so did not bode well for Kaias victory. As the woman who called the shots, Juliette would decide who broke the rules and who didnt, and in the end, she would tabulate the final scores. No wonder Kaia had been invited to participate. Nothing was stacked in her favor.
Well, youre definitely a dog, she managed to say through her apprehension. How many times over the centuries had she apologized to Juliette? Innumerable. How many fruit baskets had she sent? Hundreds. What more could she do? Nothing. And she was sick of trying when this was the result.
Rage flickered in those lavender eyes, but Juliette offered no retort. Your men must sit with the others. Motions jerky, she pointed to the back of the auditorium, where a large group of men perched side by side in the balcony, mere spectators.
Actually, our men stay with us. And that is not something we will discuss. Taliyah stalked forward, every inch the predator. Now, you may continue with the meeting. The command was not lost despite the polite delivery.
I will, Juliette huffed. Have no worries on that front. She launched into a speech about proper behavior before, during and after the games.
Ignoring her, Kaia and company followed her oldest sis. They stopped to the right of the stage, beside another clan. The Eagleshields. Juliettes family. Her chin lifted another notch. Every member stepped back, away from her, as if she had a contagious disease they didnt want to catch, and a blush heated her cheeks.
No, not every member widened the distance, she realized a second later. Neeka the Unwanted had stood alone on the groups fringes and now stepped forward, closer to the Skyhawks. She was grinning.
Taliyah. Neeka inclined her head respectfully. She was deaf, having been stabbed in the ears during a raid. Shed been a child and hadnt healed from her wounds, and her own mother had later tried to slay her for daring to live with such an infirmity.
The woman must have trained at the Tabitha Skyhawk school of Mothering.
The two females embraced, patting each other on the back once, twice. When they parted, Neeka looked at Kaia. Shockingly, her grin of pearly whites remained in place. She had hair on the softer side of jet and rich brown eyes. A few freckles dotted her nose, darker than her mocha skin, the only flaws in an otherwise too-perfect face.
All grown up now, Neeka said in a perfectly modulated, very soft tone.
Yep. She waited for the insults to start flying.
None were forthcoming. I hope youre as lethal as gossip claims.
Wait. What? Probably more so, she said modestly. Well, modestly for her.
The grin widened. Clearly, Neeka had taught herself how to read lips. Good. Thatll make the next few weeks bearable. So, tell me. About a year ago, someone mentioned you hung a human outside a sixty-story building. By his hair. That true?
Well, yeah. And she wasnt sorry. Gwennie was missing, and he was the last one to see her. She shrugged. I wanted answers.
Rock on. What about
Enough, Juliette snapped. You are wasting our time with your exaggerations when you should be listening to me.
Exaggerations. Please. Rather than defend herselfand look as though she protested too muchKaia repeated what had been said. Juliette was behind Neeka, so the poor girl had no idea everyone now watched them, quietly waiting for their cooperation.
The admonishment didnt send Neeka back to her clan. She remained beside Taliyah. Odd. What was
From the other side of the spacious room, another set of double doors opened. And then Kaia was staring across the distanceat her mother. Tabitha the Vicious. Juliette quieted as gasps of awe abounded.
A legend had just arrived.
Kaias stomach knotted, and she gulped. Shed known this moment would come, had thought she was prepared for it. But Oh, gods. Her knees knocked together, and she had to press her weight into her heels to steady herself.
Damn it, her sudden case of nerves needed some outlet. Her skin prickled as though little bugs with white-hot legs were crawling all over her.
Over a year had passed since shed last spoken to her mother, and that final conversation had not been pleasant.
I dont know why Ive stuck by you as long as I have, Tabitha had said. I push and I push and I push, yet youve done nothing to redeem yourself. You remain in Alaska, fighting with humans, stealing from humans, playing with humans.
Kaia had gaped. I didnt realize I needed to prove myself to you. Im your daughter. Shouldnt you love me no matter what?
You have me confused with your sisters. And look where their indulgence has gotten you. Nowhere. The other clans, they still hate you. I have guarded you, protected you all this time, never allowing them to act against you, but that ends today. My indulgence has gotten you nowhere, as well.
Their definition of indulgence varied greatly. And, to be honest, that variation cut her so deeply she didnt think shed ever heal. Mother
No. Say no more. We are done here.
Footsteps had echoed as her mother walked away. For good. Thered been no phone calls, no letters, no emails or texts. Kaia had simply ceased to exist. Juliette still hadnt attacked her, so she had assumed her mother had continued to protect her despite that fact.
Maybe shed assumed wrong.
Maybe thats why she now found herself in this place.
And yet, even knowing Tabitha might want her hurt and broken, her gaze drank her mother in, her first glimpse in all these months, unbidden though it was, and gods, Tabitha was lovely. Though shed lived for millennia and given birth to four (beautiful) daughters now past legal drinking agewaaaay pastshe appeared to be no more than twenty-five. Beautifully tanned skin, a silky mass of black hair, amber-brown eyes, and the delicate features of a china doll.
A few times over the years, shed dyed her hair red and Kaia had thought, hoped, that meant But no.
Tabitha Skyhawk, Juliette said, her tone reverent. She inclined her head in greeting. Welcome.
Thats your mother? Sabin suddenly demanded of Gwen. I mean, you told me she hated you and thats why she stays away, but that woman looks like she only hates broken nails and stocking runs.
Shes only my mom by birth, so dont hold it against me, Gwen replied. And I assure you, shed break your face without a thought to her nails.
Gwen had always been the sensitive one, the one in need of safeguarding. Yet she hadnt cried the day Tabitha had called her unworthy. She had simply shrugged and moved on. Not once had she looked back.
She cant be all bad, Sabin said. Not with those legs.
Men. She has the heart of a child, you know. Yeah, its in a box beside her bed. And guess what? Its mine!
After the Unfortunate Incident, Kaia had dogged Tabitha for centuries, desperate, willing to do anything, battle anyone, to earn back her mothers respect and love. She had failed, time and time again. Finally shed realized the fruitlessness of her efforts and turned her attentions to the humans. An act that had once again earned Tabithas castigation.
You remain in Alaska, fighting with humans, stealing from humans, playing with humans. The words ran through Kaias mind a second time. Among humans, she was a prize among prizes, thought to be lovely, courageous and fun. Of course shed played with them.
Youre over the rejection, remember? You dont care.
Her mother entered the room the rest of the way, nine Harpies filing in behind her. When the doors shut with a soft whisk, the group stopped and surveyed the room, the occupants. All ten gazes zoomed past her without even the slightest pause, as if she were invisible.
Look at me, she thought frantically. Mother, please. For those few, pregnant seconds, she felt like a needy little girl again. Of course, those golden eyes never returned to her. Worse, they landed on Juliette and sparked with pride. Pride. Why?
Did it matter? A bitter laugh welled in Kaias throat. Then she noticed the matching medallions hanging from each of their necks, and the laugh escaped on a choke. Small wooden discs, intricate wings carved into the centers, the precious symbol of Skyhawk strength. Kaia had always been fine with the fact that her mother had trained Juliette, as well as other members of allied clans. But giving someone other than a Skyhawk a medal? Oh, that burned!
Another memory surfaced. Suddenly she felt the scrape of leather against her nape as her necklace was ripped from her.
Our flight was delayed, Tabitha explained, her hard voice echoing from the domed ceiling. We apologize.
Even so stiffly utteredan apology? From Tabitha the Vicious? That was a first. Was Kaia dreaming? Had she entered some sort of parallel universe and just didnt know it? No, she couldnt have. If so, Tabitha would have smiled at her. She hadnt.
So the apology had happened.
Her knees started knocking again, and there was no stopping them.
Sorry Im late, a husky male voice said from behind her.
And back to the dream theory. No way Strider was here and apologizing. That would mean he was her lifelinea line to more than just insanity. Kaia whipped around, certain there would be no change in her surroundings. To her eternal shock, her eyes supported her ears.
Strider was here in all his warrior glory.
A smile from Mother Dearest or not, she had entered a parallel universe. There could be no other explanation. Could there? What are you doing here? The scent of cinnamon wafted from him, and as she inhaledpanted, reallyher heart skidded into an uncontrollable beat.
Thank gods, Sabin muttered. Gwen almost had my balls for breakfast when she heard Id let you leave the fortress this morning.
Gwen blushed. Sabin! Now isnt the time to spill our bedroom secrets.
Bianka chuckled behind her hand. I dont think thats what he meant, Gwennie-bo-Bennie.
As she spoke, Lysander inserted himself between her and the two demon-possessed immortals. He might have agreed to a truce with the Lords of the Underworld, but that didnt mean he liked them. And as hed cut off their good buddy Aerons head, the Lords werent his biggest fans, either, and he clearly didnt want them taking out their dislike on Bianka. As if they would. Demon-possessed or not, the warriors treated the Skyhawk girls like family. Irritating cousins whod overstayed their welcome, but family nonetheless.
Another round of gasps suddenly echoed. The men had finally been noticed, really noticed as more than blood donors and carnival ponies, and murmurs of angel and lords arose. The first was filled with amusement, as Kaia had feared, the second with jealousy.
Jealousy. For her. She tried not to puff up like a peacock.
She failed.
What are you doing here? she repeated in a low whisper. To Strider. Who was here. Here, with her.
Ask me tomorrow, and I might have thought up an answer, he replied dryly.
Once again, she found her heart swelling. Not with love, not this time, but with equal measures of lust, joy and relief. He was sexier than ever in a bloodstained white T-shirt and ripped-up jeans. Dirt streaked his fallen angel face and his blond hair was plastered to his scalp and dripping with sweat.
I would have been here sooner, he added, but my final perimeter check at the fortress proved fruitful.
Hunters?
Yeah. Bastards. Always trying something sneaky.
You killed them all?
His blue eyes glittered, revealing hints of the victorious demon inside him. Every last one.
Thats my man. Good girl. Yes, she had just called him a girl. And he was here. He really was here. She couldnt get over that amazing fact. Did that mean hed realized they belonged together? Had he forgiven her for sleeping with Paris? She fought the urge to throw her arms around him, to hug him tight and never let go.
He must have read the questions and desires in her eyes because he said, Just dont get the wrong idea, spoiling everything. You needed a medicine cabinet, so here I am. As soon as the games are over, Im gone. I dont tell you that to be rude, but to be honest. Gentle, so gentle. Okay?
Yeah, sure. Th-thanks. Not wanting him to witness the withering of her joy, she turned back around. I will not cry. Her mother hadnt broken her (for the most part); he wouldnt, either (not again).
Once more she was the center of attention, every gaze fastened on her. She raised her chin exactly as she had the first time, refusing to reveal her upset.
So whatd I miss? he asked.
See the rocking brunette over there? Sabin pointed to Tabitha. Thats their mother.
Thats their mom? Strider gasped out.
Kaias hands curled into fists, her sharpening nails cutting past skin. Warmtoo warmtrickles of blood slid between her knuckles before dripping onto the floor. If you arent careful, Im going to There was no threat mean enough. Justdont compliment her.
Dont challenge me, Red. You wont like the results.
Red. From anyone else, that would have been a term of endearment. From Strider, it was a curse. Why? You planning on spanking me?
Ill leave. The words were firmly stated.
She pressed her lips into a mutinous line. His absence was the one thing she wasnt willing to risk. Whether she liked him or notcurrently not. He might be a pain in her ass, he might be stubborn and sometimes hateful, but he was the best chance she had of winning this thing, and she knew it. With Juliette in charge, she needed someones head on a swivel, watching her back 25/8.