FORTY-SEVEN
Quin crouched at the edge of the competitor’s platform, his vitals on hold, his hands dragging down his tense face as he watched the barrier descend around a cylinder of ice.
“Come on, baby,” he whispered, desperate to see her. “Show me you’re okay.”
He’d kept his cool through the first phase, cheering her on as they bombarded her with spells, and his chest had swelled with pride when she destroyed their forest, but by the time they tried to bury her alive, he was about to come out of his skin. It had taken everything he had not to slaughter the challengers, bust down the barrier, and pull her from the watery grave. Or at least lie down with her, either help her through it or hold her hand ’til the end, but he had to just stand there and do nothing as she panicked, her aura nearly doubling in size with foreboding colors. When she suddenly stilled, he’d poised to take flight, but it was his heart that sprouted wings. She’d cast a shield over her windblown body and found a way to sever her restraints.
Her success had given him a burst of relief that lasted through her ascent from the trench and her dive through lightning-laced smoke, and no one celebrated louder than him when she calmly landed on her feet. The cheers were replaced by gasps as jet streams repeatedly tossed her into the rising tide, stinging Quin’s eyes and nose as surely as the water stung hers, but she stayed calm, countering the threat with mind-blowing magic and angelic grace.
Nevertheless, Quin had worn down a line of moss from pacing in front of the platform, and it got worse when she began battling a barrage of fire spells. The lake soon rose too high for him to see her. Then the final vestiges of his patience slipped away as the water started boiling. He wasn’t permitted to fly, so he’d grabbed a nearby usher by the collar and demanded he take him higher.
Following a frightened nod, the usher made sure everyone was on the platform before hovering it up the side of a pillar, and Quin found Layla’s back as she tried to fight off a fire devil. The tail whipped toward her, forcing her to the far side of the field. Then he lost sight of her again when the twister charged. All he could do was spit curses as flames overtook her, and by the time they rotated away, he’d nearly pulled out his hair. She remained safe within a shield, which she dropped as Quin sighed his relief, but then the challengers went too far.
Quin could only see two of them at the time. The other three had been on the other side of the barrier, and one of them attacked as soon as the fire devil let her breathe. She wasn’t ready. Quin could tell by the terror that flashed across her face before she squeezed her eyes shut. His heart had stopped, the world in slow motion. Then the overwrought organ lurched as an echoing trill pierced the air. Confusion held him hostage as a loud blast scorched a circle in the wall, but Layla moved away from it unharmed. Then they both figured out why. The bastards had triggered the blood ward on her wrist.
Heat had rushed Quin’s face as his blood pressure spiked, and someone took hold of his neck guard, keeping him from soaring around the arena and dispatching her opponents. But Layla’s anger was unrestrained, and she used it to push back the fire devil before burrowing a tunnel into the boiling water.
Quin lost her again, and he didn’t know if she was raising the waves to the roof or if the challengers were filling the barrier. When the lake suddenly froze, nearly everyone in the coliseum did the same, and Quin crouched on the edge of the platform, linking his fingers together in front of his mouth as he begged the Heavens to keep her alive.
Hope fluttered when the challengers began attacking the ice, proving it was hers. Then his head jerked up as the gong resounded.
Waiting for the barrier to drop was the longest three seconds of his life, and his skin crawled as the arctic wall slowly melted, forming winding rivers that seeped back into the muddy earth.
“Lower us,” Quin demanded, his frantic gaze searching the shrinking glacier.
The usher obeyed, returning the platform to the ground, and Quin tugged on his hair while approaching the wall of ice. When its crest neared eye level, he vibrated with the urge to soar over it. Then the entire slab melted at once, soaking his legs as waves rushed the edges of the field.
And in the middle, dripping wet and sinking into mud, Layla stood victorious.
“Yeah!”
Quin’s leap took him over the flooded moat. Then he soared across the messy field, scooping her into a hug that swept her off her feet. He only spun her once before landing, and they both dropped to their knees as he took her cheeks.
“You did it.” He kissed her trembling lips then scanned her body. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she assured, and it sounded like a heavenly song.
He kissed again and again. Then he touched his forehead to hers. “You did it.”
“I did it,” she repeated, letting her survival sink in.
Healers, judges and family members crowded around them, but Quin ignored the invasion, keeping her gaze on his and her beautiful face in his hands. “You were amazing, Layla. Absolutely stunning.”
“I won, right?”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “You destroyed their shitty challengers. You win.”
“Ha,” she boasted, but she was too sapped to put any oomph into it. “Help me out of this mud so these bastards can declare me an angel.”
Several of her allies quietly laughed, but the nearby council members narrowed their eyes, already sour over their loss.
“That is what we agreed upon,” Kyanna offered. Then she conferred with one of her peers, who eventually turned to the spectators and magnified his voice.
“On behalf of the council and the ancient city of Maganthia, it is my honor to declare Layla Callaway a level five gauntlet champion.”
The crowds cheered and whooped and stomped, but Layla didn’t even look up. Quin had helped her from the mud and vanished it from her legs. Now she smoothed her messy hair while waiting for the council to fulfill their deal.
Once the stadium quieted, the announcer glanced at Layla and continued. “Naming her champion is indeed a cause for celebration, as it is the council’s belief that, in modern times, only a Heaven-sent angel could achieve such a feat.”
Cheers erupted once more, and this time a satisfied smile curved Layla’s lips. But the councilman had more to say.
“The angel has requested access to our Dark Vault to advance her quest, and it is our duty as the foremost magical city in the world to aid her.”
Arena officials had been repairing the field, and nearly everyone standing in its center was ushered to the side. Only the spokesman remained, and he nervously tugged at his cloak as he went on. “That is why we have organized an additional challenge in the event of her success.”
Quin glanced at Layla as she glanced at him, mirroring his confusion. Then they returned their attention to the mossy field, watching as the speaker burned a large ring into the greenery.
“The angel’s prophesy tells of seven men, demigods sent to earth to protect her, and from those seven, she must choose one guardian.”
Quin’s throat swelled as his pulse slowed, no longer keeping time with Layla’s despite their clutching hands, and his ears rang, muffling the rest of the announcement.
“She has found three of the men and believes the decision has been made, but we would be doing a disservice to the Heavens if we failed to reveal that our great city has a demigod of its own. And today”–he swept out a hand, welcoming an armored wizard onto the field–“he’s here to challenge the other three for a place by the angel’s side.”
~***~
Quin vibrated with a growl as Layla scowled and tightened her grip on his hand. “Bullshit.”
Nobody heard her. The crowd had gone wild, thirsty for another event.
Layla narrowed her eyes on the council’s so-called demigod, finding the guy who’d entered Sawyer’s pub spouting poetry, and her temperature spiked as she shook her head. “No.”
“Wait a minute,” Drexel countered, drawing closer. “Let’s talk about this.”
Layla set her jaw and looked at him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“You have their favor. If you flatly refuse their hero, their support will waver.”
“I don’t care. I’ve made my choice.”
The councilman and his candidate approached in time to overhear that last part, and the latter bowed before responding. “The title of guardian is and will always be yours to bestow. I simply wish to shed light on your choices. My name is Ryker, a bonded child born in March of ’88. I believe your allies in blue were searching for me the same time they found those two.” He motioned to Tristan and Emrys then held his hands out beside him. “So, what do you say, guys? Shall we meet in the ring and see who’s the better man?”
Layla released Quin’s hand and walked forward, nearly standing toe-to-toe with the new guy. “The fact that you just asked that question tells me it isn’t you.”
His breathing hitched, but he stood his ground, his lips thinning as he blinked dark, almond eyes. “I hope to prove you wrong.” He searched her face while breathing her in. Then he took a step back and bowed again. “I’ll be waiting.” He looked over her shoulder before turning away, daring Quin to follow, and the crowd’s excitement grew as he took his place within the ring.
Layla braced to face Quin, to endure the pain she’d find in his eyes, but she didn’t get a chance to look. A scuffle broke out on the second level of the coliseum. Then a wizard flew from the stadium, chased by a group of lagging guards as he headed for the field. Next thing Layla knew, she was surrounded by allies, who readied for an assault as the invading wizard shouted.
“Wait!”
Quin stood directly in front of Layla, drowning her in his angry aura, so she hovered high enough to peer over his shoulder, watching the stranger land and cast a shield.
“I…” He ran a hand into his hair, tugging as he glanced between the guards and Layla. “My name is Jantzen, and I… I think I’m supposed to be here. I think I’m one of the seven.”
Layla gritted her teeth and returned to the ground, closing her eyes so they wouldn’t roll out of her head, and she stayed that way as Drexel questioned the newcomer, confirming his March birthday, bonded child status, and recurring dreams.
Layla turned her back on them all, pushing through the human barrier for a breath of fresh air, which she took while swiftly vanishing tears. Coming to a halt, she slowly exhaled, bracing to put up a fight. Then the councilman amplified his voice and further complicated her plans.
“It looks like we have five challengers!”
Layla whirled around, her fingers curling at her sides as she searched for the announcer, and her gaze landed on Jantzen as he hesitantly entered the ring with Ryker.
Drexel turned to Kyanna, making a last-ditch effort to get them out of this tactfully. “She needs backups. We can’t let them kill each other.”
The witch flashed a smug smile. “Who says they must fight to the death? All they have to do is force one another out of the ring. And just as our hero said, the choice will remain hers. Though it will be quite worrisome if she chooses the weaker man, even more so if she chooses a man unwilling to fight for her.”
Bitch.
Tristan and Emrys swallowed, and before Layla could open her mouth to put an end to the madness, Quin unclasped his cloak and let it fall to the ground. Tears stung her eyes as he rotated. Then he held her gaze as he closed the distance between them and pulled her hand to his armored chest.
“Win or lose, I will always fight for you.”
She wanted to tell him he didn’t have to do this. Then she realized he wasn’t just doing it for her. The council had planted a seed of doubt, and he needed to destroy it before it took root and annihilated him.
Stepping closer, she stood on her toes and took the back of his neck, urging his ear to her lips. “They don’t stand a chance.”
She kissed his jaw before flattening her feet, and he watched her eyes while touching the trace left behind by her lips. When he turned away, her heart tried to leap from her chest and follow, but Aradia and Brietta kept her in place by taking her hands.
“He’s got this,” Brietta soothed.
“He’s going to kick their asses,” Weylin added, but he displayed no hint of his typical humor and competitive spirit.
Tristan and Emrys seemed unsure what to do as they glanced from Quin’s back to Layla’s face. Then they looked at each other before heading for the charred circle.
Translucent shields went up around the stadium, blocking spectators from the competitors’ magic, and a similar spell formed a wall in front of the bystanders on the field. Layla approached it as the announcer introduced the challengers. Then her throat swelled shut when she realized there were no rules. If they had to resort to murder to knock one another out of the ring, they could, and the only negative repercussions they’d face would be their own broken souls.
Keeping her gaze on Quin, Layla called for Skyla, who responded from the other side of Brietta and Kegan, all of them practically glued to the shield.
“Get your bag ready,” Layla instructed.
“It’s in my hand,” Skyla assured.
Layla tried to calm her labored breaths as the crowd chanted for the start of the match. Then she pulled Aradia’s and Brietta’s hands to her chest as the gong rang.
She expected Ryker to immediately attack, but the five competitors proved just how similar they were by remaining calm and patient, more concerned about defense than offense, and none of them felt the need to throw the first spell. They just watched one another, ready and waiting for an attack, wondering who would be the fool to start the war. Ryker and Jantzen were the leading candidates, their every move tracked by the other three. But then Tristan and Emrys took a knee, their heads bowed toward Quin as they placed their right fists over their hearts.
The coliseum quieted, and Layla’s chest warmed as tears flooded her eyes. The brave display of loyalty to both she and Quin was one of the most touching moments of her life, but it didn’t sit well with the council or their hero.
With a quiet snarl, Ryker threw out a hand, and a wave of energy broke the cavern’s hush, uprooting the earth as it rolled toward Tristan and Emrys, who did nothing to stop it. The ground beneath them exploded, and Layla gasped as the blast tossed them out of the circle and across the field. Their backs hit the surface of the moat at the same time. Then they both went under as debris rained down on them.
Several members of Layla’s family left the safety of the magical wall and soared toward the splashing water, but Brietta and Aradia remained stuck in Layla’s grip.
Ryker had turned his attacks on Jantzen, who wasn’t wearing armor and couldn’t stop defending long enough to fight back, so the council’s candidate was able to shield himself from Quin.
Out of the corner of her eye, Layla watched Kegan, Weylin and Banning dive into the moat, and Skyla dropped to her knees on the soggy bank, reaching out as Weylin and Kegan surfaced with Tristan.
“Someone shield them,” Layla ordered, returning her attention to Quin.
He had yet to throw a spell, content to save his energy while Ryker depleted his by eliminating the competition.
A quick glance over assured Layla both Tristan and Emrys had been pulled from the water and were receiving treatment, so she stopped worrying about them and narrowed her focus on the fight.
Quin stayed on the move, avoiding ricochets while looking for a chance to target Ryker, who was proving his skill, always shielded while keeping Jantzen on defense. The latter wasn’t ready for the challenge on any level. Not only was he lacking the proper attire, he obviously hadn’t trained for battle. He’d just ended up at the right place at the right time, stumbling upon his fate, and if he didn’t leave the circle soon, the first time he met her would be his last.
He faltered, casting an inadequate shield, which busted under the pressure of Ryker’s magic and threw him out of bounds. City guards shielded healers long enough for them to rush onto the field and retrieve Jantzen’s limp body. Then all eyes turned to Ryker as he turned his sights on Quin.
Ryker needed to catch his breath, so there was a nerve-racking lull in the magic as they slowly travelled around the outer edges of the circle, keeping as much distance as possible between them.
“I have no desire to kill you,” Ryker insisted.
“That’s the only way you’ll get to her,” Quin countered. “You could have done this right and gotten to know her. Now, the only way you’ll touch her is over my dead body.”
“I didn’t want it to be like this.”
“Then walk away.”
“I can’t.”
“You’re not pushing me out of this ring,” Quin fumed. “Her power already flows through me.”
Ryker’s nostrils flared. He knew. He knew he was overpowered, but he wouldn’t… couldn’t back down.
He flew forward while throwing out his palms, casting multiple elemental attacks, but Quin was ready, planting his feet while blocking with his wrists. The combination of his magical shield and ancient armor deflected the assaults with ease, and as Ryker drew close, Quin stepped to the side and forward, clutching the challenger’s neck guard and hurling him toward the boundary.
Ryker flipped and flailed, trying to combat the momentum and gravity. Then he crashed to the ground with one hand in the ring. He clawed his way forward as Quin released a string of non-lethal spells meant to push him back, but Ryker dodged by rolling to the right. He shielded the next attack while getting to his feet, and Quin switched back to defense, blocking and evading a barrage of spells that lasted several seconds and surrounded them in a haze of smoke. When the magic ceased, Quin wasn’t even winded, but Ryker struggled, which pissed them both off.
Quin’s aura flared as his muscles bulged. “You fool! You’ve already lost!”
Ryker stopped moving, face red, eyes shiny, his shoulders heaving over heavy breaths. Then he unhooked his neck guard and tossed it aside. “That means I have nothing left to lose and everything to gain.” He settled his lungs and composed himself. Then he returned to the fight with vigor. “Let’s get this over with.”
He unfolded his right arm and bent back his wrist, casting a wave of fire. Then he pushed out his left palm, fueling the flames with a gust of incendiary wind as he moved forward. Though rash, his advance was smooth, his body flowing with this hands, which never stopped throwing finely crafted spells.
For the first time since the challenge began, Quin felt the heat, too close to the border for comfort as he fought the onslaught, and he had nowhere to go as his competition pushed closer. If he didn’t stop defending long enough to attack, they’d soon come face to face, and it would be Quin’s back against a wall.
He continued blocking with his right hand while casting offensive magic from the left, but Ryker had entered a heightened state of awareness and was able to dodge with little consequence to his speed and spells.
Layla’s heart raced as the gap between them narrowed and flashed with exploding elements. Then the sparks fizzled out as Ryker reached to the right. Quin’s gaze followed, but it was too late for him to block the dark energy that soared in from the side. Instead, he lunged forward, hooking the edge of Ryker’s chest plate in his deadly fist, and the blast threw them both through the air.
Quin maintained his grip, using Ryker’s weight to ensure his own feet flipped toward the center of the ring, and they hit the ground together, facedown, with Quin inside the circle and Ryker’s legs out. Had Quin let go at the right time, he probably could have flung the asshole into the moat.
Swiftly releasing the chest plate, Quin stretched his fingers, launching a blast of air in his opponent’s face while shifting the topsoil beneath him, but Ryker managed to push off the ground and flip his legs toward the ring. He rotated in mid-air, landing near Quin’s feet. Then he extended both palms and released a torrent of fire.
Layla gasped as Quin rolled, casting a shield that only blocked a portion of the flames, but it kept him alive, and his armor helped protect him from the edges of the blaze.
Ryker was forced to guard against the blowback from his own magic, and Quin pressed one hand to the earth while kicking out. His ankle band caught Ryker’s leg, swiping it out from under him, and Quin followed through, ending up on his feet. Ryker started shooting deadly spells as soon as his back hit the ground, but Quin flicked them away like flies. Then he swept his right hand in a circle, lassoing Ryker’s wrists in a foggy cord.
The cavern fell silent as Quin shed his neck guard and pauldrons, dropping them with a loud clang, and Ryker rolled onto his stomach, fighting to free his hands and rise. Quin’s foot came down on his back, flattening him into the moss. Then he used magic to flip him over.
Flames poured from Ryker’s palms, and Quin growled as he deflected the heat away from them both. As soon as the blaze cleared, Quin lifted Ryker by the breastplate. Then he pulled his right fist back and delivered a jarring punch.
Layla cringed as something in Ryker’s face cracked, but Quin wasn’t done and followed it with another hit. Ryker’s head wobbled as he tried to focus, and Quin gave him a shake while letting the thunder loose.
“You asked for this! This is on you.”
With that, he unleashed another punch before pulling back for more, but Ryker’s head stayed down as blood oozed from his nose and snaked across his busted face. He was out.
Quin growled again as he stretched the fingers of his raised fist, aching to release the rage within. But instead of following through, he grabbed Ryker’s armor with both hands and pushed him out of the ring.
The shields came down as Quin dropped the challenger in front of the council members, and Layla rushed forward as her true hero turned toward her, faltering in his drained state. He stumbled and fell to his knees at her feet. Then he embraced her hips while pressing his flexed face to her stomach.
“You chose me,” he breathed, as if he still needed to convince someone. “You shared your power with me.”
She slid her fingers into his hair, easing his head back as she knelt. “Look at me, Quin.”
He blinked and focused his bloodshot eyes on her, and she wiped dirt from his face while leaning closer. “You didn’t just get my power. You got my heart. Every single beat. Feel it?”
His chest rose with labored breaths as he concentrated on their shared pulse, and his gaze glistened as he nodded.
She smiled and kissed. “You can say it.”
He took her cheeks in his desperate hands, breathing her in as he closed his eyes. “You’re mine.”
“Yes, I am,” she agreed. Then she went in for a deep kiss that sizzled through their lights.
The stands erupted with cheers, but neither of them gave a shit if the city approved of their bond, so they ignored the praise, and Quin refused to tear his attention away from Layla. Even when she called Skyla over to heal him, he held tight to Layla’s hands and kept his gaze on her face.
“Did I kill him?” he whispered.
Layla glanced over his shoulder, finding Ryker sedated and surrounded by healers. “No.”
“Did he kill the others?”
Layla searched out Tristan, Emrys and Jantzen, all of whom had received enough healing to sit or stand.
“No,” Layla answered, pulling Quin’s knuckles to her lips. “They’re fine.”
“Are you?”
She laid her cheek in his palm and smiled. “I will be, as soon as we get out of here.”
Once the city’s healers confirmed Ryker would recover, he was taken off the field, but Quin refused to watch, his attention glued to Layla. The councilman who’d announced the event approached the two of them while shooing everyone else away. Then he magnified his voice and officially declared them an earth angel and guardian.
Returning his voice to normal, he gestured toward their clutching hands. “Would it kill you to raise those?”
They glanced at each other, sharing a silent moment of frustration. Then they looked forward and did as they were told, putting on a show for the fans.
Once the cheering faded and the spectators shuffled toward the exits, Layla turned her focus on the council. “I played your game. Now I want access to the Dark Vault.”
“Of course,” Kyanna agreed. “Right after the winner’s ceremony tomorrow evening at the Equinox Gala. We must make it official. You’ll be our guest of honor, you and your guardian. As soon as the gala’s over, we’ll have Mekhi show you to the vault.”
Layla considered arguing, but both she and Quin needed a break, and if she could play their game this long, another day wouldn’t kill her. “Fine. Quin and I will attend the gala. Then your excuses are gone. If I’m not in that vault by midnight, I’ll blow the lid off this city’s corruption, and everyone will believe me, because you just convinced them I’m an angel.” She smiled at their scowls. Then she wrapped an arm around Quin’s waist and walked away. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
She and Quin retreated to the suite below the main level, where they once again embraced, relieved to be out of the public eye, but allies poured in behind them, so Layla cast a hazy barrier to create a private room.
She fumbled for the straps of his armor, aching to hold more than metal. Then he vanished everything they were wearing, leaving them both nude, but the lack of dirt, soot and bruises proved where the ancient protection had been.
She pressed her lips to his warm heart while stretching her hands over his bare back, and he tightened one arm around her shoulder as the other gently cradled her head, his forefinger and thumb pressed to his eyes. She blindly summoned a nearby chair and placed it behind him. Then she urged him to sit before curling up on his lap and burying her face in his neck.
“Today was tough,” she noted, giving credence to his emotional reaction.
He wiped his face and turned his lips to her temple, but he didn’t reply. He just kissed and ran a hand from her shoulder to her toes.
She glanced at his aura then whispered over his thrumming pulse. “You know it wouldn’t have mattered, right? If he’d pushed you out. I’d still be yours.”
He nodded while vanishing her hair tie and loosening her braid. “I know.”
“But it wasn’t all about me, was it?”
He drifted a palm down her messy curls. Then he pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear. “I need to be the best, because that’s what you require. I want to be the best, because that’s what you deserve. And I can be the best, because I know how it feels to hold you, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to pull you back in. I would have killed them all, Layla. In a heartbeat, because I’m the man who’s going to help you through this. They can’t do it better than I can.”
She sighed and ran her fingers into his hair. “No one does it better than you.”
By the time they cleaned each other up and dressed in loose clothing, Drexel had informed them that the coliseum had cleared enough for them to leave. Only a few dozen fans remained, hoping to get a glimpse of them.
When Layla vanished her hazy barrier, her gaze fell on Tristan and Emrys, whose faces reddened as they bowed their heads. She wasn’t sure if they were mad, sad or ashamed, but she wished she could erase all their burdens.
She squeezed Quin’s hand before letting go. Then she approached Tristan and Emrys and kissed their cheeks. “I can’t properly express my gratitude for what you two did out there. I’m aware it couldn’t have been easy. Just know that today, more than any other day, the two of you truly are my guardians. Your respect toward Quin is a display of your loyalty toward me, and I’ll never forget the moment you proved both to an entire city. Thank you.”
“We live to serve you,” Emrys returned, “in whatever capacity you need.”
“I need Quin alive, so you did well. If I’m the angel you think I am, surely the Heavens noticed your good deed and will reward you in ways I cannot.”
“A bonus,” Tristan dismissed. “There’s fulfilment in your approval.”
“You have it.”
Quin reclaimed Layla’s shoulder, but he extended his right hand to the men across from her, clasping their wrists as they shook. “It wasn’t a surrender,” he assured them. “Three men won her favor today. You’re my brothers in battle. Not my enemies.”
“We agree,” Tristan replied. “And we think Jantzen would, too, if given a chance. I don’t believe he had any ill intent when he revealed himself. Maybe when tempers cool down, the three of you can properly meet.”
“Tomorrow,” Quin conceded. “If he’s half the man you guys are, he might be all right.”
Drexel took a break from organizing their departure to join the discussion. “What about Ryker?”
Layla scowled. “He colluded with the council to spring a trap on us. He threw deadly magic at Quin. If he gets near either of us again, he’ll have to deal with me, and I’m not as nice as my guardians.”
She slipped her fingers into Quin’s waistband, anxious to peel away the layers between them so they could heal the bruises and kiss each other better. “Come on. Let’s try to get out of here without running into a crowd. We’ve earned a break.”