19. The Second Game #3
He nods across the arena, a few layers up where Yuvi walks with Ravi and they trail the last few of his recruits to make it down the endless levels of the game.
Ravi sees me and wags her tail but stays next to her owner.
“You’re a distraction,” Silver says, not looking at me, keeping his eyes on the hellhound. “But Yuvi’s the one who has her loyalty. The one who owns her.”
I feel a stab of something in my chest, but before I can say anything, the Overlord looks to the wave of cadets rolling in behind me. It seems not only Ferrum, but most of Aes and Stannum are hot on our heels.
“You made it to Acedia’s heart,” Silver announces to them. “Good to see so many of you didn’t get caught up in the vines. A few casualties but mostly scrapes and close calls. You’re not free of this game yet though. So, who’s going to ring the bell first?”
Az turns his huge body to block the school of cadets and waves Diana forward.
“Wanna do the honors, Angelo?” he asks her.
“We wouldn’t have made it had you not worked it out, Angel girl.
” Then he looks at the rest of the cadets.
“And don’t even try to give the Overlord any bullshit that says otherwise. ”
Diana smiles and steps forward.
She grabs the clapper rope and tugs three times, truly grinning by the time she makes the third loud DING.
Khali looks at Az like she might have just fallen in love with him.
He didn’t need to let Diana have that moment.
He led the whole way, he reached the bell first, fair and square.
It hits me that if, no when, I see my father again, and he insists all cambion are evil, I’ll forever remind myself of Azazel Thorne and know that simply can’t be true.
I’ll tell him as much, that it isn’t that simple.
So he can call you a traitor and have you killed for it?
No. He wouldn’t.
Wouldn’t he?
I shake the thought away as Silver opens a hellgate and Diana steps through first.
Then Az, Khali, Reiva, me, Lilliana…
The moment she steps out the other side, back onto the solid ground of The Meet, I move into step beside her, batting away friends as they try to follow, mouthing I’ll be right back.
Rather than getting suspicious or insisting on following, they let me go, and as soon as we push through the doors into the East corridor of Vulcaris, I grab Lilliana’s arm to stop her.
“On your way to get my book?”
“That’s not how being owed one truth works.”
“We made a deal.”
“We did.”
“You owe me,” I insist.
“I owe you a truth. So, ask.”
I quickly glance around the corridor to make sure we are alone.
“Fine. My book, where is it?” I demand, my voice low and serious.
A smirk pulls at her lips, twitching a few times at the corners before she can’t help herself and a full smile spreads across her face. “Oh, Halo-rat. Poor, poor, Halo-rat.” She giggles. “You’ve not made many deals, have you?”
I frown.
“No need to answer that. It’s obvious you haven’t. If you had, you’d know to be much, much more specific.”
My frown deepens and an uncomfortable feeling settles in my stomach. “Just tell me where the book is Lilliana.”
“Fine. It’s here.” She lifts her arms wide open in the air. “In Vulcaris.”
My stomach drops. “Where exactly in Vulcaris?”
“Oh, no. No, no, no. You didn’t ask that, did you? And I only owe you one truth. I guess you’ll have to start searching.”
She twirls on the spot, still giggling and way too pleased with herself.
“Maybe it’s under my pillow in the dorms,” she taunts as she skips away. “Maybe I gave it to our delicious Overlord, and it’s locked away in his desk drawer,” she suggests unhelpfully, not even bothering to look over her shoulder.
I clench my fingers into fists at my sides, desperate to wrap them around her neck.
The fire inside me is set alight as rage races through my veins.
A dagger is still in my boot from the game.
Angel Azraella knows, it will be so good to kill her.
I reach down…
“Scarvo!” Silver’s deep voice calls from behind me and I freeze.
By the angels, I was so close to killing her!
I can picture her death playing out before my eyes.
It’s quick and clean, beautifully executed…
My hand skims the dagger, but I don’t take it. I don’t trust myself to, as I whirl on the man who stole my kill, my braid completely falling out now so my hair whips around my face as I catch my furious reflection in a suit of armor.
Rather than retreat like anyone with any sense, he walks toward me.
Then he smiles that gorgeous, heart stopping smile, and I’m even more angry.
“What?” I snap.
He chuckles, the sound like a soft rumble of thunder from many miles away. “There she is,” he looks me up and down, and I could swear the gold in his eyes ripples and the gray glows more silver than normal.
I glance behind me. “Who?”
He’s so close all of a sudden, and his voice drops to little more than a growl.
“The girl from the sparring yard.” He reaches down and pulls the dagger from my boot like he’s concerned I might not plan to return it now the game is over.
Not when I’m this worked up. “You left that part of her, this part of you, behind today, Little Nephilim. Don’t do that again. ”