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“That’s good, because you don’t have a chance.”
“Ferocious for something so little,” he said. “One swipe with my claws and you’d be done for. Worse, you aren’t entirely mortal, are you? Do you evenhavea spirit? Would you go to an afterlife? Immortals give that up, but you?” He spoke as if the answers were all hypothetical and not talking about my real, actual life. He also moved on as if the answers were all together unimportant. “Tell your precious team to back out. They can forfeit, giving me the win I deserve.”
“You wouldn’t be asking for that unless you thought you couldn’t win fairly. Youknowthey’ll beat you, don’t you? You don’t have any leverage.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. They might win, but so might I. If I come out on top, and if you don’t do as I say, if you don’t have them forfeit, then I’ll spend the weeks I have there peeling your flesh from your bones. I can’t touch you here, but we both know you won’t be here forever. And, if I win, that means you won’t have your protectors anymore.”
My chest grew tight, especially because the seriousness in his gaze told me he damned well meant it. This was a creature capable of exactly what he was claiming.
I looked to the side, to spot Kase who stared right at us, that red rimming his eyes showing he didn’t care for the creature to be so close to me.
I lifted my hand to tell him I didn’t need him riding in to save the day.
After another sharp look, he turned back to his conversation.
The competition was our only chance at real answers, at figuring out where the spirits were going and who was behind it. Even if Lucifer didn’t know anything, his favor could help us stop it. I could ask him to help us fight the shadow once we found it.
Plus, if my team forfeited, they’d be gone and unable to help me.
Or, more realistically, they’d be going through that dead zone on foot to get back to the palace, something that was probably more dangerous than the creature in front of me.
I shook my head and forced myself to meet the gaze of the creature from the blue team. “Not a chance.”
His eyes widened as if he’d been certain he could threaten me into compliance. “You’re making a very foolish choice.”
“Probably,” I admitted. “But that’s for tomorrow Ava to deal with. Today Ava says to go get ready. My team is about to kick your ass.”
He straightened to his full height, and for one split second I thought he’d lose control, that he might just forget that whole ‘no killing honored guests’ thing.
“I suggest you follow her exceedingly good advice.”
I never thought I’d be happy hear Lucifer’s voice, yet there we were.
The competitor nodded, then bowed before leaving, his hands curled into tight fists.
Once he was gone, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
Lucifer snorted. “So not quite so brave as you pretend?”
“I learned early that it’s more important tolooktough than it is to actuallybetough.”
“I’ve found that lesson sounds reasonable until forced to back it up.”
I recalled trying that with a bully once, and how I’d put my hands over my nose to catch the blood after they’d put me down with one punch. “Do it well enough and you won’t need to back it up.” I turned to actually look at Lucifer, finding him in a similarly fantastic suit—this one a navy blue rather than the black pinstripe from before.
I hated to admit he was handsome, but he was. Not in the way where I wanted him, but in the way where I couldn’t really deny it.
“Why did you not take his offer? You said you would do anything to keep your team safe.”
“Because until I can stop what’s happening with the spirits, they won’tbesafe. Until I can figure this out, until we can fix it, no one is safe.”
He tilted his head, as if surprised that I’d answered without manipulation. “And you believe youcanstop it? Because, from what I know of your attempts so far, you’ve had little luck. You have failed to even locate a suspect. Well, besides me, and I think you know you missed the mark there.”
“Like you’ve done any better. I’m your only hope and you were wrong about me, too. Looks like we were both shitty detectives. “
“I never believed you were behind it. “
That caught me off guard. “What?”
