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“Maybe not, but the guild is the reason why you are about to enter into some ridiculously dangerous and unnecessary competition that could kill you. Therefore, it is guild business.”
“I’m sorry, Kane,” Gunther said. “I had to help my sister. I didn’t want her to get in trouble.”
“Or you,” Kane added sharply. “Let’s not forget that you didn’t want to get in trouble either, which is why you went behind my back. Never do it again. And whatever you agreed to pay Miss Clay, I order you to double it.”
“This is all my fault,” Dusty said. “I knew Magnarella’s reputation, but I thought I was smart enough to outwit him.”
“Take your feathered friend and go,” Kane advised. “I’d like a word with Miss Clay before she puts herself in harm’s way.”
The swan jumped into Gun’s arms, and he whisked her away, leaving me alone with the enraged demon.
“Don’t be angry with them. If you want to be mad at someone, I’m the one who lied to you.”
The demon snarled. “Don’t you dare tell me how to handle my affairs. Gunther Saxon is an assassin under my care. I will deal with the situation as I see fit.”
His temper pissed me off. Here I was about to step into a dog fight where I could end up as a divine Rottweiler or a poodle, and Kane was worried about his precious ego. “Maybe if you handled situations better, Gun wouldn’t have felt the need to go behind your back.”
His nostrils flared with indignation. She shoots and she scores.
“It’s one thing to keep secrets,” he said. “It’s quite another to lie.”
“I lied to protect them from your wrath, and judging from what I just saw, I was right to do it.”
He drew closer. “Miss Clay. Lorelei, please. You don’t understand.”
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Is that it? Believe me, Kane. I understand more than you know.”
His whisky-colored eyes threatened to burn a hole straight through my heart. “You’re still going to compete.”
“I have no choice. This is Dusty’s ticket to freedom. I won’t screw it up for her.” Even though I might screw up my own in the process.
“I’ll speak to Magnarella.”
“It’s too late. I drank the elixir. There’s no way he’ll agree to stop the fight now. There’s too much money at stake for him.” Not to mention the repercussions of interfering could be a higher price than Kane was prepared to pay.
The demon moved his hands to cup my face, prompting me to step backward out of reach.
“You can’t kiss me, Kane.”
He attempted a wry smile. “Your lips look chapped. I thought I’d moisten them for you.”
“I appreciate the good luck gesture…”
“It isn’t for luck.” He paused. “It isn’tonlyfor luck. Have I gotten our signals crossed? Because I was beginning to feel confident you were right there with me.”
As much as I hated to admit it, I was. Every step of the frustrating way.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It just isn’t possible.”
“I assure you it is. I can demonstrate if necessary.”
Somewhere in the distance, a bell clanged. “The fight’s about to start.”
“Clay, you’re up!” A voice jolted me out of my own head. Albert looked startled to see Kane. “How did you get back here?”
“He got lost trying to find his seat,” I said.
“Hurry up and go through the door at the end of the hall. If anyone else sees you, they’ll toss you out, and you might not make it with all your limbs intact.”
