Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
“You’re too honorable.” Brosh says it like it’s an insult. “Which is why you’ve taken us down a route we may never recover from as a people. That stops now.” His grin is downright mean. “I challenge you for leadership of this territory.”
I expect Azazel to curse him. Maybe to attack right here and now. He certainly looks like he wants to. Instead, he laughs in disbelief. “You bloody fool. You actually think you can beat me.”
“I know I can.”
Azazel shakes his head. “So be it. I accept. I’ll have the square cleared within the hour. Get out of my sight until then.”
Brosh backs up slowly, still smiling. “Best say goodbye to your little human. She won’t survive to see nightfall.”
I flinch. I can’t help it. I’ve had some truly horrific experiences with exes, but I’ve never been threatened so casually—or intentionally. The doors slam shut in Brosh’s face, then the lock clicks loudly in the sudden silence. It won’t be enough to keep him out, not when Azazel has accepted his challenge.
Azazel has accepted his challenge.
“Don’t do it.” I step up and into the hallway, crossing to Azazel. “Don’t fight him.”
His brows go up when he sees me, but he doesn’t chastise me for eavesdropping. He just pulls me into his arms, holds me close like he may not get another opportunity to do so. “This was always the plan, Eve.”
Eve. Not baby girl.
There’s no reason for that distinction to hurt, less reason for it to worry me even more. I cling to him and bury my face in his chest. “Please, Daddy. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.” We might be broken to a degree that there’s no fixing, but I still love him. I don’t want him hurt. I sure as fuck don’t want him dead.
He strokes a hand up my spine and cups the back of my head. “You’ll be safe as soon as he’s dead. I intended to challenge him, but he’s made things even simpler. He challenged me. No one in my family, my territory, or the entire damned realm can say it wasn’t fairly done.” He kisses my forehead and steps back. “And when he’s dead, I’ll nullify the contract and send you home. You have my word.”
I stare up into his handsome face. This is what I wanted, isn’t it? To be safe. To return home and regain my freedom. To get my life back.
So why does the idea of it feel so empty?
Azazel doesn’t give me time to process. His attention snags on something behind me. “You heard.”
Ramanu’s voice sounds just as troubled as I feel. “I heard. You sure about this?”
“Yes.”
Ramanu sighs. “Then I’d best get to work on getting the square ready.” They clear their throat. “Eve, I’d like to introduce you to Lenora. She’s been here a little while, but you’ve been distracted and I didn’t want to intrude.”
Distracted. That’s one way to put it. I make myself drop my arms and turn away from Azazel to find a pretty white woman standing next to Ramanu. She’s got lightly tanned skin, long dark hair, and a sharply curious look on her face. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good things, all good things.” Though Ramanu is trying to put a good face on things, their tone is distracted and worried. “Keep an eye on her.”
“Of course.” Lenora accepts their distracted kiss and then they sweep away, slip through the doors and out of the castle. She raises an eyebrow at Azazel. “Don’t you have some preparing to do? I have a spell or two that could come in handy if you’re interested.”
“That would be cheating.”
There’s the soft sound of movement behind me, and when I turn around, Azazel is gone. I can’t help the way my shoulders drop at the realization. “What if he loses?”
“Then he dies, and Ramanu and I spirit you back to the human realm before that bastard Brosh has a chance to lay a single finger on you.” She takes in my stricken expression and winces. “Right. Wrong priority. You’re not worried about your freedom—you’re worried about him.”
“Of course I’m worried about him,” I snap. It’s not fair to take my fear and frustration out on this woman I just met, but I can’t help it. “I love him.”
“Hmm. Have you told him that?” She holds up her hands when I glare. “Guess not. I’d advise against any last-minute declarations of feelings until after he wins. That kind of thing gets distracting.”
“You are not helping,” I hiss.
“Right.” Lenora shrugs. “Look, if Azazel is half as good as Ramanu is, he’ll have this in the bag. Did you know Ramanu ripped off my ex’s head in a similar tournament battle? It was deeply impressive, even if the blood got everywhere.”
I blink. Obviously I am aware of Ramanu’s and Azazel’s prowess as warriors. The fight in front of the castle all those weeks ago was proof enough of that. But while that experience traumatized the fuck out of me, apparently violence excites Lenora. She’s practically vibrating as she recounts the battle, giving me entirely more detail than I need. By the end of it, I’m feeling woozy. “That’s . . . something.”