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“You can’t enter the ring. It’s a death sentence. Raine cannot stop Maddock from killing you.”
Maddock shot her a contemptuous sneer before he launched at Raine. They growled and grappled one another before Raine sliced Maddock’s thigh, wiping the snide smile from his face.
“They’re evenly matched. This could take hours,” she snapped.
Ryder glanced at the hundreds of clan members surrounding the ring. Every clan was represented, most of them in the clearing.
“No, Dannika. This could take days, even months. We’re not human. Our demon souls are invigorated by fighting. They will even forgo feeding for a trial by combat.”
Dannika blinked. “Months?”
Her eyes remained on the shadow alphas as they assessed one another for weakness. Maddock was larger and more experienced. He moved like water in a stream, flowing from one attack to the next. Raine was just as fluid, but he held a hesitancy that Maddock lacked. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a part of Raine that still respected and loved his adopted father. Was Ryder wrong? Would Raine’s reluctance end in his death?
“We shouldn’t fight each other,” she said. “There has to be another way.”
Ryder shook his head. “There’s no way out for either of them now, and there are no reapers to fight while a death match is underway.”
Her eyes narrowed on Ryder. “Reapers don’t attack during a death match?”
“They don’t attack us. All clan members are here protecting the trial. The human world will take considerable losses during combat. It’s unavoidable.”
Dannika didn’t bother to reply. Ryder had been a clan leader for centuries, and nothing she said would change his mind. She pushed her way through the crowd, leaving her mate. She trusted him. She had to. While the shadow shifters were willing to leave the human world to its own defenses, she wasn’t.
She ran toward the tunnels, flicking the rune on her wrist to activate the map. It glowed in front of her, moving as she did, perfect and pristine. She would’ve kissed Darren had the shy cartographer been there. Like everyone else, he was watching the trials, leaving the caves empty. That worked for her, considering what she was about to do.
The room, surrounded by gray rock, looked like the rest, but according to the map, the dark pathway had a direct route to the cell in cougar clan territory. She studied the map before merging with her shadow. She’d promised Raine she wouldn’t travel the pathways alone, not yet, but that was a promise she couldn’t keep.
Her body dissolved, bones cracking, tissue ripping as she entered the shadow slipstream. The dark mass that had once been her body moved at incredible speed, making her feel as if her skin was being peeled away layer by layer. It was difficult to focus on the intricate curves and connections of the shadow pathway, but in seconds, she emerged inside the cave.
The light cell illuminated the room, leaving only one corner with a shadow for her to enter. She coalesced within the darkness, letting the light burn her with its purity.
Gavil stood up when she stepped from the shadows. “Hello, little girl.”
She huffed. “I’m not a girl. I’m a woman who would kick your ass given the chance.”
Gavil laughed. “You have no idea who or what you are. You will weep at the feet of our king before your life ends in pain and misery. But not before you watch the humans from your former life die, screaming your name for the destruction you have caused them.”
Her head cocked to the side. “You seem to know a lot about me, considering you’re just a pawn in Killian’s game.”
Gavil’s eyes flared red. “I am not a pawn. I will be a lieutenant in the king’s new army, feeding on the blood of the innocent. Soldiers will fear me, and virgins will beg for my favour.”
Dannika burst out laughing. “Oh, my God. I thought Killian was deluded. You could start your own reaper version of Looney Tunes. They make special jackets for people like you. They’re white and have really long arms.”
Gavil punched the wall of the light cell. His blood streaked the glass as he hissed at her. “You deceitful wench. I will laugh when the king kills you and reaps his revenge on the human world.”
Dannika pretended to yawn. “Boring and unimaginative. I seriously doubt you know anything about Killian’s plans.”
“I know he wants you and will do anything to acquire you,” Gavil said.
Detecting no lie, she put her finger on the exterior of the cell, tracing it as she circled the structure. Gavil’s eyes remained locked on her.
“What is Killian’s interest in me?”
Gavil’s lip twitched. “You will find out soon enough.”
Her smile was fake, and Gavil knew it. “Do you want out of that cell?”
His lip curled, exposing his fangs. “Of course, but I assume my freedom comes at a price.”
