20. The Alliance #3
Yet every pair of eyes in the Sparring Yard remain on the two warriors.
Enthralled.
I realize that Yuvi, Zaheer and the cadets from Stannum and Aes even joined us around the ring at some point for this fight.
“Fuck me,” Az complains. “You’re a hard bastard, aren’t ya?”
He’s not wrong. The lock Silver has him in could kill a lesser fighter.
Silver doesn’t answer, just lets him fall to the floor, straightens and unscrews the lid of his canteen, gulping water.
“Careful what you wish for,” Yuvi says, his tone jovial.
He looks as captivated as the rest of us.
“Your Overlord might take you up on the offer after that.” The head of Stannum smirks, tilting his chin toward Silver.
“If there’s ever a way to melt Silver’s iron heart, it’s gotta be watching someone move the way you just did, mate. ”
Silver laughs. Actually laughs a real laugh. I can tell by the way the water he glugged almost comes out of his nose.
“I don’t fuck cadets,” Silver eventually shoots back, the hard F making something spasm in the depths of my stomach.
“Unlucky Az,” Reiva calls out.
Az feigns a sigh. “But if you did, it would be me, right?” he raises his brows, giving Silver a smirk.
Still catching his breath, Silver manages a suggestive wink.
Our Overlord is powerful, but this version of Silver is enough to start wars and end worlds.
Half of the sparring yard swoons, but Lilliana scoffs. “You have a little too much meat in your trews for Silver’s tastes,” she says, fluttering those damn eyelashes and shamelessly winking right at him.
An ugly twinge goes through me. So ugly it can only be envy.
How does Lilliana know what Silver’s tastes are?
I shake my head.
It doesn’t matter.
You sure?
Mmhmm.
Khali growls, like the idea of Lilliana so much as thinking about what’s inside Az’s leathers is enough to make her want to start snapping necks.
Az locks eyes with her and must find something unexpected in them, because he tilts his head as though needing clarification and Khali mouths something like, “Later.”
He shakes his head and gestures for her to come over.
Between one beat and the next, she is at his side, and his arm is snaking around her body, pulling her up toward him as he leans down to whisper something in her ear.
She softens against him, and Az looks like he could die happy in this moment.
Thank the angels.
The tension between them has been enough to make anyone within a mile of them sweat. Even I’ve wanted to bang their heads together more than once and insist they wake up to each other's feelings.
“Nice work, Thorne,” Silver says. “We might make an Overlord out of you yet.”
Khali steps back and Az smiles like a fool at the compliment before accepting the canteen of water our Overlord offers.
He takes a few deep swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing as sweat trickles down his neck like Silver’s had, only there is a black outline of a kiss there now, courtesy of Khali’s lipstick.
A warning to any and all who might be enjoying the sight of him too much.
Lucky for her, you only have eyes for The Iron Flame.
I ignore the ridiculous thought and focus on Az.
He wears Khali’s mark proudly like a tattoo, as he does his new cuts and bruises too.
I kind of admire that about him.
Az pours what’s left in the canteen over his head to cool off, then gives Silver a nod as he hands it back.
Maybe it’s the adrenaline pumping, but demons be damned, the two of them had been magnificent in that ring. I feel sorry for whoever has to follow that.
Az shakes the cool liquid from his mane of hair.
Cupid slap me, why is it suddenly even hotter than the normal furnace temperature out here?
Khali’s back at my side, letting out a purring sound, and I know her black eyes will be swimming with lust.
I could use a flask of cold water of my own before Khali catches me gawking at what’s hers.
I almost snort at how normal that logic feels now. A fortnight ago, perhaps even a week, I’d have shivered at the thought.
Worse still is the fact that I’m only looking so hard at Az to avoid looking at the one who’s really demanding my attention, unbeknown to him.
Drooling over the Tamer of Beasts, Seraphina?
No.
Liar.
Stupid unreasonably handsome, unsufferable Overlord.
Az did well to hold his own for so long against such an opponent.
Though there’s a nagging feeling I can’t shake telling me that Silver, to some degree, allowed it to be that way.
The Overlord probably didn’t need all three rounds to finish it. Not that I will ever make my suspicion known.
Az is very much a force in his own right, but no one here is a match for an Overlord.
And not even the other Overlords seem to be a match for ours.
Az looks toward Khali and I, and smiles.
I’m still staring.
But if I let my appreciative gaze leave my friend, it might land on Silver instead.
I shake myself and return the smile, giving him a congratulatory nod of respect.
Who are you, Seraphina? Respect for a demon… Next, hellhounds will fly!
Silver clears his throat.
“Valtren. Scarvo. You’re up. The winner will be entered into today's Triad.”