He simply nodded.
“But I have a plan.” I lowered my voice, leaning my head against the bars.
“So do I,” he whispered with a slight grin.
One second he was reaching for me through the bars and the next he was yanked backward with a growl. Brayden stumbled away from me, knocking into a group of people, and my gaze landed on Silas.
“That’s enough. She’s stillminefor the time being,” Silas told Brayden as he sneered at him.
Brayden lunged for him but Silas pulled on my power and threw an invisible wall of magic at Brayden.
A growl tore from my lungs as the magic knocked Brayden to the ground and pinned him there. The crowd went wild with excited roars and clapping. Maddy and I threw ourselves forward, grasping the bars in anger.
“You bastard!” I spat at Silas.
He’d usedmypower to hurt the man I cared about, and it felt so wrong.
A twinkling laugh filled the space, magnified by the PA system that I couldn’t see. It was Lynette, the annoying announcer lady. “I think the boys are ready to get started. What do you say?” she purred into the mic.
The gathered fae stomped their agreement, and by the time I looked back at Brayden he was already standing and taking off his shirt.
“Now remember,” Lynette trilled, “this is a centennial fight, and so the Fae Lords have released the protection curse on Silas so that he could be killed tonight without repercussions.”
They’d already released the curse? I wished I’d known that. I would have killed him already.
“Ten thousand on Brayden!” someone screamed from the crowd and ran to the betting corner.
The second cage appeared from nowhere and I watched as one by one Brayden’s pack walked inside in single file. August, Maddy’s fiancé who she’d now been separated from fortwoyears, gave her an excited wave, as did her little sister, Nora.
Maddy silently wept as she waved back at them, and I gave her a side hug. Our cage was raised higher up into the air as the crowd rushed underneath to get closer to the main fighting cage that Brayden and Silas would be entering shortly.
I tried to mentally send to Natalie:‘Brayden’s here. The fight is starting. Tell Castiel to be ready.’
‘You got it,’she said back instantly.
This fight could take sixty seconds or an hour. I had no idea. When these cuffs fell off and I had free use of myfullGreywolf power, I would have only seconds to act.
As the men slipped on the rings of power, I began to get nervous. Not only did Silas have the cuffs that gave himmypower, he now had Maddy’s power too.
My gaze reached across the space and landed on Leah, who looked determinedly back at me and nodded.
I have a plan too, Brayden had said.
I found myself wondering if maybe Leah also had full power.
“Psst,” a familiar voice called from below, snapping me from my thoughts. I peered down through the bars at my feet, and sure enough, it was Artemis; just like last time.
I cast a worried glance around for anyone watching, but all eyes seemed to be on Brayden and Silas. I bent down as if checking my shoe, expecting Artemis to hand me another note, when instead he reached out and placed a portal egg in my palm.
I froze, unsure what to do for a second, then tucked it into my tube sock so that it rested against my ankle. Thank God I was wearing my sneakers under my dress as I knew I would have to fight tonight and possibly run for my life. Otherwise I didn’t know where I would have put this thing to conceal it.
A portal egg? Where did it lead to?
Before I could think to ask him, I realized he was gone, mixed in with the crowd. I stood, facing the fight and wondering when the heck I was supposed to use the egg!Now?Did it transport me out of the cage? Or after the fight and it would take me to Artemis’ house and safety? I gave Maddy a nervous smile as Lynette announced that the fight had begun.
The projector display screen that was there before now appeared on the far wall, showing an up-close zoom of Brayden and Silas.
One second I was watching the two men in the cage, and the next I was brought to my knees with a drain of power so great it completely zapped my energy.
