Page 146 of Vengeance of the Gods

Bridger would never forget the feel of it creeping into his mind, dragging him out of a dreamless sleep to the sound of Vega screaming down the bond.

Then the cylinder shield transformed before everyone’s eyes, earning gasps from those who had taken a moment away from their training to watch a couple of Tolevarre’s new gods spar.

No longer was the ring a fighting mat. It had turned into exactly what Arlet wanted it to be. The fucking sky.

It was as if the girls walked through the clouds of Vega’s power.

Arlet ducked in time to avoid a lightning strike to the chest but took her eyes off Vega for a split second, not watching the backside of the electricity channel waiting to be recalled by Vega in the cloud Arlet rolled through.

Arlet’s cry of pain couldn’t be heard through the shield, but the bulging veins in her neck were proof enough Vega had landed the first blow.

“I thought you said powers wouldn’t hurt us inside the ring, Dimico,” Khort growled from behind, grabbing him by the shoulder.

Bridger glanced down at Khort’s hand, sneering at his touch. “No, I said they couldn’t kill you. I never said anything about the pain.”

Meyer gripped Khort by the wrist and seared a handprint where he’d wrapped his hand. “Hands off, you giant gecko.”

Khort hissed and rounded his fist, ready to strike at Meyer.

Bridger sighed, turning his back to the ring where Vega and Arlet continued to fight. Without missing a beat, Bridger caught Khort’s fist in his hand. “Would you two like to step on a mat?” He wouldn’t let Khort pull his hand back, holding tight. “That’s the only place we fight now.” He made sure to look them both in the eyes. “We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to fight on the same team.” He let Khort’s hand go. “Learn to get along.”

He turned back to the fight in time for Vega to take a fist to the jaw. He cringed at the blood spilling from her busted lip.

“I don’t take orders from you, Bridger,” Khort grumbled, turning away to focus on the fight too.

Rolling his eyes, Bridger slapped Meyer on the arm as he snickered. “Enough.”

Meyer cleared his throat and went serious. The three of them watched Vega and Arlet continue, Arlet changing the vision everyone saw to something much darker. Billowing night swirled inside, stealing the ability to see inside the ring, and for the briefest of seconds, Bridger felt the sheer panic shoot down the bond to him before a crack of her lightning lit the entire shield up in a blue glow. The crack that followed shook the gym.

The dark. He didn’t need her to tell him it took her back to the place she’d been stuck inside her head.

“Did you get the chance to talk to anyone?” Bridger asked, pushing his shield to block the three of them from wandering ears.

Khort’s head snapped to Bridger immediately, and Meyer eyed Bridger like he was nuts, peeking around to glare at Khort suspiciously.

“He knows. So does Arlet.” Bridger shrugged. “You wanna be the one to deal with the backlash from Vega if I find the information I need?”

Meyer didn’t have to respond for Bridger to know the answer would be a resounding no. “You’re serious about this.” Meyer hadn’t phrased it as a question.

“Dead.”

Sighing, Meyer looked ahead at the ring, where it seemed Arlet might have the upper hand for the moment. “My contact can be here in four days.”

Bridger almost questioned who he’d reached out to, but Khort interrupted.

“And what about Ardor?” Khort added.

Meyer’s brows pinched together. “What about Ardor?” he asked with a much different inflection.

Khort raised both his brows, realizing what he’d done. A smile slid across his lips. “Oops.”

“Meyer, you know we have to take Ardor, right?” Bridger asked, diving into the conversation he’d planned to have with him later in the day when they’d decide what to do about the people in the mines. Thanks, Khort.

“Why would we need to overthrow Ardor? My parents—my mother won’t bother us here.” Meyer leaned against the control board to the ring beside him.

“We can’t share a territory with the enemy,” Khort interjected.

Bridger wasn’t sure Khort had ever thought before speaking a day in his life.