Rise of the Gryphon (32 page)

Evalle left the pincer stuck there and turned around. The tentacle her dagger held in place had begun to shrivel.

Swaying toward the Gate Two exit, she called the dagger back to her hand, catching it as she stumbled down the hall.

She exited the hallway limping badly and lurching from side to side. Storm was running toward her.

When he reached her and made a move for her legs, she gave a wobbly shake of her head. “Don’t even think about picking me up.”

Cursing, he opened the door to her holding area.

The minute Evalle stumbled into the room, Storm kicked the door shut and lifted her in his arms, heading toward the shower area. “Don’t start with me.”

She didn’t have it in her to complain. She moaned at the movement and didn’t want to look at her hand, which throbbed as if it had swollen to the size of a baseball catcher’s mitt.

She wanted to calm Storm down. “I’m not dying.”

“Really?” Icy sarcasm dripped from his one-word question, but she heard fear beneath all of it. He was afraid for her. “You left a trail of blood that looks like a carotid artery’s been slashed, and you’re dragging your leg.” He lowered her to a bench outside the showers and slipped her boots off, then her socks, lifting one that
dripped red, then tossing it aside. The coppery smell of fresh blood soaked the air.

He ripped her jeans apart with his bare hands, removing the denim in pieces.

She fumbled with the ragged shirt, trying to drag it over her head before the blood dried to her back. Storm took over, lifting it gently even though he was so tense that lightning should be popping all around them. He tossed the bloody shirt over with her socks. That left her in panties and a bra.

She had to get up and shower on her own. “I’ve got it from here.”

When he didn’t move, she said, “Please.”

Storm stood up and backed away, arms crossed and frustration pouring off him.

She could do this and would, just as soon as the room leveled itself out. Pushing up, she felt a moment of arrogant pride that she could stand on both legs. Then she took a step, and her gashed leg buckled.

Cursing, Storm caught her under the arms. “Your skin’s turning green. Probably a poison in your bloodstream.”

“Bathroom.” She barely got the word out before he swung her around and into the bathroom stall, where she unloaded her sour stomach.

Her head spun. She sat back against the wall.

Storm handed her a cup of water she used to rinse her mouth. Anything sent south would come right back up.

With that done, he helped her up until he could put
his arm around her and walk her to the shower stall, where the water jets already gushed water.

Cold as ice.

She jerked at the shock to her hot skin.

“Easy.” Storm started speaking in the strange language she’d heard him use before.

Heat swirled inside her chest just above her breasts. She looked down at the emerald, a blurry green shape. The stone glowed a little, then got brighter the longer he chanted.

She could feel the venom receding.

Pausing briefly, he told her to use her Alterant beast to start healing herself, then kept chanting as he held her under the cold water. She managed it again, but this time took longer. Not an encouraging sign when she had to face off with an Alterant next.

Strength slowly returned to her arms and legs. Her shoulder stopped aching and her vision cleared. “Think I’m good now.”

“I’m not.” He turned her around and held her against him. He reached out and shut off the water, then his hand pressed her head to his chest. “
Watching
you fight is torture.”

She’d feel the same way if he had fought instead of her. “I understand and I appreciate what you did, but you can’t do that again.”

He eased her away, staring down at her. “What’re you talking about?”

She pulled free and stepped out of the stall, where
she found a thick bath sheet to wrap around her. “When Sandspur was stuck.” She wiped her face and started drying her body. “You did something to hold him in place and weaken his tentacle.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Lowering the towel, she asked, “Who else would have . . .” Evalle figured it out at the same moment Storm said, “Lanna.” Was the girl trying to get killed? “That means she’s escaped her safe zone and is running around with her cloaking.”

Storm frowned, pondering on something. “If she broke free of the spell I used and intervened with Sandspur, that means she’s a hell of a lot more powerful than we realized. I should have realized that when she got past the Domjon.”

“But she possesses untrained energy, which means she’s still no match for that wizard Grendal. We have to find her before he does.”

L
anna snuck around the edge of a crowd gathered to watch security capture a witch who had given aid to her Alterant during a beast fight.

Two scary men dressed in warrior clothes similar to those worn by the guards outside the entrance rushed to grab a young witch with long white hair.

Her gold mask hid all her face except her mouth and chin.

“Let go of me.” The witch yanked her body back and forth.

Another guard walked up in front of her with his hand out.

Dame Lynn’s translucent head appeared on his palm. “Imogenia of the Carretta Coven, you were observed aiding your fighter—”

“I didn’t do anything,” Imogenia cried out, struggling against the powerful guards, whose grips did not budge.

“—and will forfeit said fighter, plus face sanction for your transgression.”

“How can you eject me when my fighter didn’t even win?”

Lanna agreed with Imogenia, whose fighter had shifted from a skinny young man to an Alterant beast large enough to battle a were-bear, but then had run in
fear. The witch lied about causing the were-bear to trip, but she told the truth about losing.

Her Alterant had rolled into a ball and begged for relief.

Imogenia’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits inside the holes of her mask. “I demand to see Kol.”

Dame Lynn merely said, “If you insist.”

Fine hairs along Lanna’s neck lifted at something unsaid in Dame Lynn’s pleasant tone.

A centaur—part man and part horse—appeared next to the guard holding Dame Lynn’s head. Dark hair fell past the centaur’s neck. Strong face and attractive, but frightening, too. He had no shirt, just lots of muscles under olive skin covering the human upper body that grew where the neck and head of a horse should have been.

“I am Kol,” he boomed to the crowd, muscled arms outstretched and front hooves prancing. He grinned his appreciation at greetings being shouted. His goatee gave him a wickedly sexy appeal. He dipped his head in a bow to Imogenia. “Your wish is granted. I am here. What can I do for you?”

The witch’s lips curved with coy intentions. She breathed deeply, which pushed her bulging breasts even higher above her low-cut neckline. Lusty noises murmured through the crowd. On her exhale, Imogenia said, “I would appreciate a
private
moment to discuss my little mistake.”

Kol had blue eyes the color of a deep sea that twinkled, but not in a nice way. “If only that I could grant this one
small wish, but to do so would have more women vying for my affections than I have time for now.”

Imogenia’s smile faltered.

Kol’s tone took a deadly turn. “And to be honest, I hold affection for no one. You have broken my laws. You will pay the price.”

“No, please don’t, I—” Imogenia arched her back as her arms jerked above her head, and her face muscles strained against some invisible assault. The black hooded cloak tied at her throat flew off and over the crowd, landing behind Lanna, who gathered it up quickly, then stood on her tiptoes again to see.

Veins beneath Imogenia’s skin bulged, breaking her skin in blue and purple lines that fingered out like lines on a map. Blisters boiled on her chin and arms. She screamed when her hair ignited, burning down to the scalp. In the next second, she had a bald head covered in angry sores and welts.

Her dress poofed away in a cloud of gold dust that fell to the ground, leaving her naked for the world to see sagging skin and hideous, oozing blisters.

Finally, her arms dropped, free of whatever had held her in place. She looked down at herself, eyes rocked with horror. “Noooo, oh, nooo . . .” Tears streamed down her face, then her mask disappeared. It had hidden a purplish-red birthmark that covered her right cheek.

Kol shouted, “I have granted you another favor. The flaw you’ve kept hidden now draws no attention.”

Imogenia moaned, weaving where she stood until her knees started to fold.

Kol shouted, “No! You will walk out of here.”

“Pleeease,” she begged, but her legs locked straight and started walking stiffly toward the exit. The crowd parted, drawing back to avoid touching her. She twisted around, her upper body fighting against her legs. “Please, Kol, I’ll do anything you want.”

“You already have, my sweet. You’re preventing anyone else from testing my rules again, because—” He paused, taking in the crowd. “Let it be known that the next one to cross me will not get off with such a light punishment.”

Imogenia’s sobbing could be heard all the way to the exit.

Lanna shuddered at the idea of getting caught.

She backed away from the crowd on shaky legs. Had anyone seen
her
help Evalle? Hands damp, she kept moving until she found another space beneath the towering steps and rushed inside it, sitting down hard when her legs gave out. She could not get upset and lose control or she would draw Grendal’s attention.

But neither could she stay here.

First, calm down and think
. Imogenia had been caught immediately. Evalle had fought over an hour ago. If anyone had noticed Lanna’s help, they would have shouted foul then, right? She started breathing easier, but she still had to get moving.

She looked at Imogenia’s cloak still in her hands.

Crawling forward, she peeked out to make sure no one was standing nearby and scooped up a fist of gray-brown dirt. She sat back and dropped the wadded-up
cloak on the ground between her bent knees. Sprinkling the dirt over the cloak, she gently called upon the earth, asking to dull the color of the cloak.

A color no eyes strayed to.

Finished, she lifted the material now the color of dirt and stood, wrapping the covering around her shoulders. Lucky for her that Imogenia was short, too.

Pulling the hood over her head, Lanna took a tentative step away from her hiding place. She should return to the place where Storm and Evalle had left her, but she did not want to be locked up again in his spell. Breaking out had hurt, and she might not escape next time.

Storm and Evalle did not understand that she could not sit in one place and risk being caught by Grendal.

He had eyes everywhere.

Dame Lynn’s voice announced, “
Elite matches will begin in ten minutes. Eligible Alterants are to be in their respective holding areas at the times designated.
”

Lanna listened for Evalle’s battle as Dame Lynn called out matchups. Evalle’s was one of the last fights, same battle dome as her first two matches. With Storm and Evalle free to move around the event until Evalle had to fight, Lanna had to own the scent on Imogenia’s cloak or Storm would find her. Weaving slowly through the crowd, she kept her head down, searching for a place to watch Evalle’s fight.

She did not want to face Kol, but she could not let Evalle die.

Dame Lynn announced, “
Moonlight Warrior the Alterant versus Boomer the Alterant in ten minutes.
”

Spotting a vendor setup that faced where Evalle would battle, Lanna considered the table draped with a cloth and displaying silver jewelry. Not an ideal spot to hide, because the vendor might lift the drape to look under the table for inventory.

It would have to do. Lanna waited until enough customers surrounded the table to shield her slipping underneath at one end. She could not waste energy cloaking when she would need it later to leave undetected, or she would put Evalle and Storm in danger.

But what if Evalle needed her help again?

Lanna had not been seen helping Evalle.

She could do it again.