Eva was unable to respond, her nails searing down his arm as she tried to break free. They broke skin, but still Augustine didn’t budge.
“If you treat everything with such disregard then maybe I will make you wear nothing at all.”
Eva stopped struggling, dropping her arms as he pulled her into the bedroom, his hand remaining tight until he pushed her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“She’s losing her fight,” Dutch said from the doorway. “Disappointing.”
“Fuck you,” she rasped, unable to stop the curse.
Augustine stared, his eyes sweeping across her exposed skin. It was foul, his attention like hornets crawling. His hand was deceivingly soft when he brushed it along her shoulder, finger teasing the strap of her bra as she fought the urge to react with violence.
“Will you scream for me?” he whispered, fingers continuing their journey down.
Eva froze, panic swelling low in her stomach once more. “No,” she said between gritted teeth.
His eyes shot up, the inky depths showing her fate.
But she had already decided she would fight fate every step of the way.
Her body tensed, hands curling into fists as her fangs pierced into her bottom lip. She knew she had little chance of winning, but she could still make him hurt.
Dutch cocked his head as if he could read her mind, his smile spreading as he chuckled in a manic way. He stepped closer as if to join before a bang rattled the floor. Augustine whipped around, barking orders at Dutch who had already moved towards the noise.
“Stay here,” he demanded her, disappearing after his nephew.
Eva sagged against the bedsheets, arms shaking as she covered her face.
Chapter23
Kace
Just like the first round, the audience were morosely calm as they waited for the remaining fighters to step on to their designated ‘X’s’ on the edge of the arena. Curiosity of the game’s event quieting the fighters too.
‘I have to get back to Augustine’s bed.’Eva’s words had caught him off-guard, and even his beast was outraged into silence. Crimson had teased his vision, and he had almost lost it entirely, the edge of sanity calling him into its dark depths. He jerked himself back from the oblivion, the crimson gradually residing until he could think of anything other than death and destruction, but by then she was gone. His beast hadn’t understood why he didn’t allow them to fall, not realising he would risk not only Eva in his actions, but Hunter too.
There had been no delay to the day’s show, not that he expected there would be considering the bomb he had set off created only minor damage. It was shockingly easy to make something go pop with little supplies, especially considering he had smuggled in a few temperamental crystals. What many people didn’t realise was that red tiger eyes were highly reactive under the right circumstances. Kace had forced his aura into the small stones, more than they could handle. When met with a catalyst such as a flame they burst, and the concentrated arcane he had forced them to hold escaped with a satisfying bang. Not that he allowed himself to express himself in bombs very often. At least nothing more than a small, inconvenient pop.
There was something so satisfying in watching things explode, and sometimes it was enough to keep his beast at bay when there was a break in physical fights.
‘Looks like an obstacle course,’Riley’s voice drifted into his mind, acknowledging the structure that had been added to the arena overnight.‘There are lower platforms that you may not see from your position, open beneath the construction. Some pits with spikes.’
‘Noted,’Kace replied the same way, spreading the telepathic connection as he looked up expecting to see his brothers, but instead was met with reflective glass.‘Tell me Sythe is already inside. We need to push up the plan.’
‘What happened?’It was Xander who replied, his tone sharp.‘Eva isn’t with Augustine, which messes up the fucking plan.’
‘Sythe has been and gone,’Riley added. ‘Three implanted and charged.’
Kace let out a steady breath, thankful that his brother was able to sneak into the most secure areas unnoticed. A fucking ninja.‘And the others?’
‘Everyone is placed at the exits, ready to assist with the evacuation.’
‘Good. You have until the end of this round, make it count.’Kace felt his eyes shift to those of his beast, and he decided to leave them as they were. Mikayla frowned when she looked his way, sparks brightened her fingertips.
Rolling his shoulders he called on his chi, the arcane burning in his palm. He had full access to his magic, which meant they had lifted the ban. At least temporarily. Cillian realised at the same time, smile widening as his wild magic tickled Kace’s nose.
‘K, we need to discuss…’
‘You guys grab Eva, I doubt she’s far from Augustine.”Kace interrupted just as Augustine began his opening speech over the tannoy.‘I’ll find Hunter.’
