Rapture (25 page)

“It looks like they’re getting along just fine.” Raine chuckled as
she nuzzled her face against his chest.

“I would have to agree—”

“Maybe a little
too
fine,” Lisette sneered, ducking out from under the tent flap. “Father will be
none too pleased with either one of you.”

Raine hastily extracted herself from Ferox’s arms and peered at
her sister. “Father won’t know about it.”

Lisette scowled at her for a moment before looking away. “It’s
time to sleep.”

“You’re right.” She nodded. “You should be in bed. Go along,
Caleen and I will be in shortly.”

Her sister’s nose flared as anger washed over her. The fires of
Hel practically burned in her acid stare. She huffed and turned on her heels,
shoving her way into the tent.

As soon as she disappeared, Ferox’s arms were around her again. “I
don’t think she likes me much.”

“I don’t think she likes anyone much. Not here, anyway.” Raine
faced him and peered up into his warm eyes. She wasn’t sure what she would do
with Ferox now that he’d become a constant in her life. She’d all but ignored
her sisters, only seeing them when she returned to sleep, or woke up and left.
“What are we going to do?”

“About Lisette?”

“No. About everyone. This … I mean, what we’re …
doing
.” She just couldn’t form the
words.
 
“How will we ever find a way?”

Ferox’s lips curled up in a smile, and he smoothed her hair from
her face. “We’ll figure it out. Who knows, there could be other interracial
mates out there that we just don’t know about.” He lifted her chin. “All I know
is that Fate worked to bring us together, and I won’t go against my heart or my
Instinct because it makes others uncomfortable. I want you, above all others,
Caalia
. I won’t let you go.”

Raine averted her gaze, attempting to hide the blush that heated
her skin. And when she returned her eyes to his, she both saw and felt his love.
It was a tangible thing they shared, and she didn’t want to let it go either.

The siren sounded, breaking through the silence of the night just
before Raider and Caleen reached them, all four of them looking in the
direction of the arena as Ferox held Raine to him and the other two held hands.

“Well,” Raider said. “It sounds like the last victor made it
back.”

Raine nodded as excitement and sadness crept through her heart.
This could very well be the last night they had together. “Tomorrow morning,
the final round begins.”

****

Raine blinked at the brightness that lit the sky.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Aldric said. The tournament’s compere had finally
told the winners his name as he had so graciously welcomed them to the final
round. “You mustn’t touch the veil.”

“Why not?” another contestant said. Raine peered over her shoulder
at him before scanning over the others. All of them were males. Four of them
she recognized from a few nights ago, the bastards that had planned to take her
and Ferox out of the competition in a more permanent way. The leader of that
failed attempt peered at her now in a constant sneer. Well, he could just hold
a grudge then, it wouldn’t do him any good anyway. Within the final
contestants, there was also a werewolf and werepanther, a Rage demon, and a
Salvo. The other, she wasn’t exactly sure what he was as he’d shown no
indication any of the times she’d seen him. He did seem to prefer a
bow-and-arrow as his weapon of choice. Not the way she’d go exactly, but she
couldn’t fault him for what he was comfortable wielding.

Honestly, she didn’t know any one of their names, besides Ferox
and Raider. It was easier not to know the name of someone when she planned to
kick the immortal life out of them.

Aldric tsked and answered, “Because no one knows what the final
round entails until the veil is lifted. And need I remind you, there shall be
no killing.”

Raine rolled her eyes and quirked her brows at the vibrant red
cloth that separated the contestants from the outside world. They must be
inside the arena, she thought, for the cheering crowd was nearby, the sounds of
their screams and chants reaching her from all sides.
She focused on the shield she’d extracted from the caves over a week
earlier, ensuring that it was bound tightly to her arm.

 
Roars and cheers from the onlookers turned
into all-out silence as a hush came over the crowd. Raine looked up at the sky
as clanging sounds drew her attention upward. She scowled, seeing bars clasp
together far above them, and she got the unnerving feeling that they were now
in some sort of cage.

And
why had the crowd grown silent?

She
glanced at Ferox at the same time he’d peered at her, and then the curtain rose
upward in a flash as a massive beast roared. They were in a cage, and were
completely surrounded by beasts. She’d done a quick tally of just how many
there were. One for each of them. Just in front of her, at the edge of the
arena, was the dragon she’d out-maneuvered in the chamber. Its gaze found her,
and it lowered itself into a crouch as its fangs made an appearance. Almost as
quickly, the creatures’ binds released, and they were freed.

There
was chaos all around. Twelve beasts, twelve contestants, and all were running
maniacally around the arena. Her dragon bolted toward her, and Raine ran
straight toward it. There really was no other way. If she’d gone in any other
direction, she would have run headlong into another beast, and more
contestants. Best to get her own dragon squared away.

With
her shield strapped tight to her left arm, and her Hjörr in her right hand, she
faced the dragon. It let out another roar, which was no different than the
other beasts within. All of them growled and snapped, facing their own
contestants—or at least, she assumed. The dragon’s chest heaved and it dropped
down low, releasing a breath of fire that reached her in an instant. She ducked
too, and rolled, the flames licking over her before she rose to her feet again.
She was close now, so close that it was no longer safe to run in a straight
line. Instead, she dodged back and forth, and the dragon’s snout moved to
and fro as it tracked her.

It
snapped its jaws as she rushed it, barely passing by its front paw as it
swiped. And then she was under it, glancing upward at the underside of the
gigantic beast. It tried to look at her, failed, and stepped sideways to
make another attempt, but by then she had reached the cage and hurled herself
upward, gripping the thick bars as she propelled herself higher. She’d learned
rather quickly in the chamber that she’d been able to inflict more damage when
she was eye-to-eye with creature, and she didn’t see any reason why it wouldn’t
be the same now.

She
heard a loud shuffling behind her and peered over her shoulder just as the
dragon collided with the cage. She held tight, but the impact sent her spinning
to the outside of the cage, much to the delight of the crowd. They cheered her
name, screaming it, growling it, whistling and clapping.

Okay
then, she thought from her new vantage point. She could likely scale the cage
much better on this side since the ceiling domed. She clambered up as the
dragon huffed and puffed, sending a few fireballs her way. Jump, grab, climb,
shimmy, jump, grab, climb, shimmy. Her shield did cause a few problems along
the way, but she quickly learned to keep it hiked up her arm as far as it would
go, in hopes of leaving her hand free. She’d made it above the dragon’s
head, peering down at it as she formulated a plan.

The
dragon, now fully enraged, lifted its head and roared bone-chillingly loud,
enough that it had silenced the crowd—and the other beasts, she noted, seeing
that all of them glanced at it momentarily. Her dragon was the largest beast of
them all.

The
distraction cost her. The dragon crashed into the cage once more. Raine lost
her grip and fell. There was nothing she could do, nothing to hold on to,
nothing to save her, and then she landed smack on her stomach. She sucked in
the breath that had left her on a rush and came face to face with the beast’s
yellow eyes. She’d landed on its snout. It threw its head around: up, down, and
side to side as she held on for her life, even having to stab a dagger into it
for extra purchase. The dragon released fire from its mouth and nose, though
she felt nothing besides a bit of heat from its skin. And with that, she realized
she was protected, here on the dragon’s nose.

When
its shaking slowed, she pushed forward, now climbing its snout, getting closer
to its eyes. It obviously hated it and tried to shake her free, but now that
she knew it couldn’t harm her, she moved up until she reached the top of its
head and—

An
arrow whizzed past her, and she stumbled, looking down in the direction it had
come from. Down below, on the arena’s ground, was the male demon. He aimed and
shot at her again. She dodged it. As if fighting the dragon wasn’t enough, she
now had to watch her back as well. One arrow stuck into the dragon and she used
it to climb farther upward. There, now the bastard would have a much harder
time shooting her with a damned arrow.

Her
back slammed into the cage, bending her backwards. She slid off of the bars and
fell downward, barely having the presence of mind to jab out with her dagger.
It sank into its skin, halting her descent as her body slammed against its
chest. Gods, now what was she to do? Her body shook from the pulverization
she’d just been forced to withstand, and yet still, she peered up, spotting its
snout as it tried to find her. And just below it, midway down its neck was
a.... No, it couldn’t be.

It
was.

A
collar. And on it was the same design as what the shackle had. Her heart leapt
at the sight. Now, if only she could find a way to bind him.

Her
pack! Did she still have it? Yes, she did. She could feel it hit against her
back with every jar of movement. Decided, she scaled the dragon’s chest and neck
until she reached the collar. Using it to help brace her, she let go of her
hold with her right hand, letting one of the straps on her pack slide free. She
maintained her grip on the dragon with her left hand as she turned, reaching
into the bag from under the shield. Withdrawing the shackle, rope, and
grappling hook, she cinched up her pack and set into motion. A quick tie here,
go around this and pull tight. The dragon threw itself back and forth the whole
time, nearly sending her flying off, but she’d anticipated that and had
prepared for it. Now, she just needed to reach the cage again. Keeping a tight
hold on the collar, she swung the grappling hook fast, releasing it high. She
watched as it soared upward, curving down a little just before it hit the cage
bars. It hit one and spun around the bar a few times before the hook took hold.
She was on the rope the next instant, hanging tight as it was tossed side to
side from the dragon’s fury. Her legs bicycled as she moved, hand over hand,
along the rope until finally—finally—she reached the cage and had the hook in
hand. She tugged it hard and the dragon—obviously not expecting that move,
otherwise she was sure it wouldn’t have worked—took a stumbling step toward
her, and was able to attach the hook where she was certain it wouldn’t slip
free.

She
sat on the bar for a few minutes—a few seconds maybe—watching to see if the
leash would hold. It had been a gamble, but one that had clearly worked to her
gratified benefit. Had the treasures from the previous round not been all
mystically enhanced, then her plan would have surely failed. Though the dragon
continued to breath fire and snap, it could no longer move outside a small
area. She shimmied down the cage, reaching the battleground and rushing toward
where she’d last seen Ferox.

He
met her halfway, their chests heaving as they caught their breath.

“You
made it,” he breathed.

“Of
course.” Had he thought she wouldn’t? “You did too.”

“Of
course.” He smiled. “Where were you going?”

“To
help you.” She bent and placed her hands on her knees as she exhaled slowly.

He
shook his head and snorted a laugh, but even she could tell that he was
exhausted. “And I was going to help you.”

“Was
that it?” she asked, glancing around the arena. “I mean, not that it wasn’t … I
just mean … was that the final round?”

Ferox
shook his head as a single shoulder rose in a shrug. “I’ve no idea.”

As
she peered around, she saw a few other contestants had beaten their beasts, and
were glancing around as she was doing herself. An arrow struck her in the arm,
and she whirled around as Ferox’s answering growl howled through the arena. He
flashed toward the demon and pounded him to the ground as Raine extracted the
tip of the arrow. Her vampire was beside her in the next instant, and she noticed
that Raider was nowhere to be found.

“Where
is your cousin?” she asked, stepping closer to Ferox.