Give it to me. Now, he said. Then he recalled what Kaia had said to him, not so long ago, and he paused.
If he stole the Rod, she would be humiliated in front of her people. Except, while shed been passed out and sick, writhing in pain from her injuries, she had babbled about stealing it herself. So he suspected shed been planning to do so. For him. He should walk awayfor herbut he couldnt. Too many lives were at stake. He would find a way to make it up to her, he told himself. He would.
Black eyes became flat. Icant.
Like hell. Pull it out of the goddamn air. Like you did that first night, during orientation.
I cant, Lazarus repeated.
Why? His voice lashed like lightning.
Part of my soul is trapped inside the Rod. Physically I cannot do anything Juliette has forbidden me to do. I just cant, no matter how hard I try. Believe me, I have tried. That is the only reason she entrusted me with the Rods care. And so I am to die before I allow the Rod to be taken from me.
Strider withdrew a dagger from his ankle sheath. I dont want to fight you.
A stubborn chin rose, reminding him of Kaia. And I do not wish to fight you. I have considered this so many times Ive lost count, and always the solution is the same. Juliette controls the Rod, and therefore controls me. She will never willingly part with either. I am her consort, and as I am sure you have learned, the Harpies do whatever is necessary to keep their consorts by their sides. Even if the impossible occurred and I managed to escape her a second time, she would never cease searching for me. I have decided I would rather die than help her in any way. I would rather die than make her happy. A decision you should support, since she wants me to seduce and hurt your woman.
Dude was so not doing the seduction/hurting thing. Just to be clear. Youre saying
I am saying I have been used as a sex slave before. I will not be so used again. I am saying your woman once set me free, and I hurt her for it. I will not hurt her again. I am saying Juliette killed my mother. Now I will kill her dreams.
Shock pounded through him. You
Want you to slay me. Yes. More than destroying Juliette, I cannot live as a slave any longer. Ive spent too many centuries inside a cell, and now Im supposed to while away the rest of eternity with a woman I despise? No! I crave freedom, even if I can find it only in death. Lazarus dropped to his knees and tilted his head to the side, exposing the length of his vulnerable neck. Do it. Before I change my mind.
In that moment Strider realized he had never admired a being more. Self-sacrifice had never been a big part of his life, but here was Lazarus, giving up everything. Not for love, but for revenge, and that motive was a hell of a lot better.
If anyone deserved a second chance to live a long and happy life, he thought suddenly, it was this man.
Strider had done a lot of despicable things in the name of victory, done even worse as a consequence of the war with the Hunters, but thisputting a good man downwould top them all. In another life, they might have been friends.
Death doesnt have to be the end, he said to make himself feel better.
He saw a spark of regret in the other mans expression. For me it will be. Much like you Lords would be incomplete without your demons, I am incomplete without the part of my soul that is trapped inside the Rod. When I die, the best I can hope for is that that part of me will wither and die, as well. As Ive been led to understand, it is improbable to hope for the two pieces of my soul to unite and journey to heaven.
So basically what youre saying is that you dont know what will happen to you?
A blink of bafflement. Is that what you need to believe to do this deed? That theres a chance for me to be happy in the afterlife? Because I must admit I am confused by your reluctance to end my life. I expected more from a fearsome Lord of the Underworld. Dont make me challenge you for this, Lord of Defeat. Just do it. Set me free.
He raised the blade higher, watched that pulse batter. His wrist twitched, but he remained exactly as he was.
Damn it. He couldnt do it. He couldnt end this creature forever.
Lazarus must have sensed his waning determination. Should I live, I will find a way to get your woman into my bed. Should Juliette live, she will kill your woman when Im done with her. And that is only if shes feeling generous, which she never is.
The plan now, as I know it, is to finish the games, humiliating your woman with her many failures. And then, when she tires of the ridicule, Juliette will take Kaias free will, just as she has done to me. Kaia will be unable to stop herself from joining the Hunters under Juliettes command. Oh, did I not tell you that part? Juliette will force Kaia to destroy you and all that you love. Do you understand what that means? You will be at war with your woman.
Just like that, the decision to act solidified. Not because Kaia would come after him, but simply because Kaias happiness was everything to him, and she, too, deserved a second chance.
He would not let Juliette humiliate her. He would not let the bitch play with her mind, her emotions. And allowing Juliette to further screw with Lazarus, a guy who was noble enough to jump ship to save someone else? A guy whod been hurt enough? Not going to happen.
Thank you for your sacrifice. It will not be in vain. Juliette will be punished, he vowed. You have my word.
Thank youfriend.
Strider struck.
CHAPTER THIRTY
A few minutes earlier
HER TEAM MIGHT HAVE STARTED out at a disadvantage, Kaia thought, panting from exertion, but theyd certainly evened the odds. And quickly, too. Right now, only members of the Eagleshields and Skyhawks were still conscious.
At first, insults had been hurled at her. Weak. Stupid. Bitch. For once, they hadnt distracted her. Maybe because shed been locked on a single thought: save Strider from pain.
The man who hated being challenged had challenged himself. For her. If shed harbored any doubts about his love, that would have convinced her.
She had to win this. For him. Hed threatened to kill anyone she did not defeat, but she knew he wouldnt follow through with that one. He loved her too much to hurt a member of her race. So, if she failed, and then he failed to deliver punishment, would he experience twice the pain?
Win, win, win.
Oh, yes. Her strategy? Beat and run. She hadnt let herself engage a single person. Well, no longer than it took to punch onceokay, sometimes twice. Shed struck, and then shed moved on, never allowing herself to be surrounded. When more than one Harpy had converged on her, shed simply moved out of the way and let them slam into each other. That had, of course, sent them into a fight of their own, effectively doing the work for her.
Their determination to end her, and her alone, was going to be their downfall. Fitting, she mused, swinging around to face her next opponent. When she spotted the Harpy, her anticipation withered.
Her mother.
Kaias throat dried. For the first time this round, sparks of heat lit up inside her. Shed been so careful.
Tabitha dropped the motionless body she held by the hair and faced off with her forgotten daughter. Around them, the battle continued to rage. Bianka noticed what was happening, though, and alerted the others. Soon Team Kaia was moving the rest of the females outward, giving Kaia and her mom a wide berth.
At long last, the daughter I once spent an entire morning praising, telling my competitors that you would one day be stronger even than me, only to find youd nearly ruined us all, Tabitha said. Her anticipation was palpable. Finally you will be punished for that. I will put you in your place for the humiliation you caused.
Shed spent an entire morning praising Kaia? Had claimed Kaia would be stronger? Dont soften. Thats what she wants.
And where is my place? She had to be cold. This fight was necessary, and centuries in the making. Use might, not fire.
One seemingly delicate shoulder lifted in a shrug. At my feet. Of course.
At one time, that would have destroyed Kaia. Today, however, she experienced only the mildest twinge. She was loved, and by a man who didnt love easily. He considered her worthy. That was enough. You can try.
Oh, Ill do more than that.
Talk, talk, talk. Kaia waved her fingers, the fire beaten back. We just gonna stand here or are we gonna do this?
Surprisingly, Tabitha remained where she stood and arched a dark brow. Ill give you five seconds to run away, a chance Ive never offered another. For old times sake, you could say. And Kaia, thats the only handicap Ill give you. After that, I will take your head. She tossed a dagger in the air. A dagger already coated with blood.
One, Kaia said.
If she wasnt mistakenand she had to be mistakenpride flickered in her mothers amber eyes. Youre weaponless. Do you really expect to win?
Two.
Another flicker. Trying to impress your man? Too bad hes not up there. He disappeared several minutes ago.
No reaction. She wouldnt fall for such tactics. Wouldnt be distracted from her purpose. Three.
The corners of Tabithas mouth quirked. Do you recall when you were a girl and I spent hours training with you? I had you laid flat every time.
No damn reaction. Four.
All right. No more conversation. Tabitha threw her gaze at the crowd. No one is to interrupt us. Is that clear? With that, she assumed a battle stance, her legs apart, her knees bent and her arms at the ready. Its just you and me now, daughter.
Her heart skipped a beat. Five.
They flew at each other.
Tabitha hadnt earned the name Vicious for nothing, and slashed at Kaia the moment they were within striking distance. They were too close for her to avoid being hit and Kaia knew it, cursing herself for expecting her mother to try and get her on the ground first. So she did the only thing she could. She lifted her arms, allowing the blade to slash at her forearms rather than her neck or her chest. As the sharp pain tore through her, skin splitting open, her mother struck again, lightning fast, aiming for her stomach this time.
Kaia counterattacked. She caught Tabithas hand midway, gripping her wrist in her elbow and twisting up, using the momentum to her advantage. When their arms reached shoulder level, she pressed Tabithas wrist and the blade against herself and punched her mother in the temple with her free hand. She could have used the flat of her other hand to bat at the dagger and send it flying, but better to strike now, while she had the chance, than to remove the weapon from her mothers possession.
Why fight as if they had forever when she could do something to end things now?
Tabitha stumbled from the impact and dizzily dropped to her knees. Of course, she regained her footing in the few seconds it took Kaia to close the distance between them. Before she could strike, Tabitha spun, avoiding contact. Then, within a blink, Kaia was struck from behind. In the skull. She staggered, thinking fast. Knowing her mother as she did, she was sure the woman would fly at her, try to push her to the ground, cutting her neck while her weight smashed her wings. Only one way to combat that. Kaia used those staggering steps to push off and back flip.
Below her, for less than a blink, she saw the top of Tabithas dark head. Saw that shed been right. Saw Tabitha stop, realizing she wouldnt be winning so easily. Then Kaia landed and kicked out, aiming for her mothers kidney. Score.
Grunting, Tabitha fell to her knees. Kaia kicked againno mercyaiming for those fluttering wings. Boom. Her mothers body was flung forward, the cartilage in the right wing snapping on impact. Again, the entire action happened so quickly, anyone watching would have missed it if theyd blinked.
That should have slowed her mother down, but Tabitha had about a million years on her and had fought with a broken wing before. Seemingly impervious to the pain she must be feeling, the woman rolled, stood, turned.
That all you got, baby? Tabitha was smiling, but there was blood on her teeth.
Cold. Merciless. Lets find out.
Once again they launched at each other, meeting in the middle. There was a flurry of punching and blocking. Cold, stay cold. With every shot of her mothers left arm, the dagger she held made a play for Kaias jugular. Kaia was nicked a few times, but the blade never sank deep enough to do much damage. And that wasnt because her mother pulled her blows! Kaia had skills even she hadnt known about.
Tabitha currently had the lead, pushing Kaia backward. She held her owncold, cold, so cold, tamping down any new flickers of heat that tried to spring from heruntil she tripped over an unconscious body. Down, down she fell. Tabitha was on her in an instant.
When the dagger arced toward her, she knew there was only one way to save her neck. And her life. That dagger needed a target. She met the metal with the palm of her hand, allowing the tip to spear her flesh all the way through, going in one side and coming out the other. Hurt like a son of a bitch, but it was totally worth it. Even though her bone was splintered, the dagger was stuck between the pieces and Tabitha drew back an empty hand.
That didnt stop her. Fist after fist battered at Kaias face so swiftly she couldnt avoid them and she was almost knocked senseless. Still she remained cold and finally gathered the strength to roll backward, to her shoulder blades, scooting her mother off her stomach and allowing Kaia to swing her legs.
She locked her ankles around Tabithas neck and jerked down. The woman fell to her back and lost a lungful of oxygen. Or would have, if Kaia hadnt jammed the heels of her boots into her mothers throat, crushing her wind-pipe and preventing the air from escaping.
Without a pause, Kaia stood, her field of vision shit as blood dripped into her swollen eyes. End this. With all of her might, she jerked the dagger from her palmand damn, it hurt worse coming out than going in!then tossed the weapon out of the circle. Now they were both unarmed.
She stalked forward, hoping she would be on her mother before the practiced soldier had time to heal or strategize. That didnt work out for her. Tabitha was on her feet in an instant and they were facing off for the third time, circling each other.