Nola approached her other side, and Delilah turned away from the dragon. An insult, she knew. As if he were so insignificant he did not bear watching. She kept her ears tuned to him, though, in case he decided to strike.
He growled low in his throat, but never moved for attack.
'This cannot end well,' Nola muttered. Strands of her dark hair brushed her cheek and whipped over her eyes. 'I hate that we have been separated. My team leaves much to be desired.'
Though they had never been close, Delilah's loyalty belonged to those of her own race. Do not forget. 'No matter what we are ordered to do, I will not betray or hurt you. You have my word.'
Nola's gaze fixed on the gauntlet. 'I want to believe you. I do. But—'
'No. No god is going to change my allegiance.'
'I cannot believe this is really happening. I want to go home. I want to hold Lily. I want my life back, riotous as it was.'
'Everyone here wants to return to Atlantis, but we can't. So you're going to put those things out of your mind and concentrate on the task at hand. That's an order. It's the only way to ensure your survival.'
Nola bristled, but a moment passed and she gave another nod. 'All right. Yes.'
Delilah's relief was short-lived.
'The time has come.'
The god-voice came suddenly, without warning, and Delilah's already stiff body gave a jerk. This voice sounded different, deeper than the one yesterday had been, raspier than the one before. A third god? She faced the ocean, where the air and water beside the gauntlet mixed, thickening and dappling and already taking the shape of a man. Again, no face was visible.
'Citizens of Atlantis,' came the voice again. 'We hope that you have had sufficient time to prepare for this first test of your mettle. If not, you are not the warriors we thought you were and we will be highly disappointed.'
Thunder suddenly boomed in the sky. A second later, dark clouds formed above the warriors and the gauntlet, and fat droplets of rain fell over the group in a hard pelting. Delilah didn't bother to wipe the water from her face; she wouldn't give the god the satisfaction.
'In life, as in this game, there are many obstacles. One wrong move and you could be destroyed. Remember that…'
Lightning streaked brightly, illuminating the god for a split second. Underneath the mask of water, Delilah thought she saw the visage of a gloriously handsome man. Eyes of bright blue, hair of honeyed silk. Perfect lips curved into a perfect smile of delight.
'Line up,' he commanded. The rain mixed with ice, beating against them, bruising.
At first, no one moved. Were they, like her, disgusted by this god's behavior? What would happen if they continued to refuse?
Unwilling to find out, they finally trudged up three separate tiers one by one. Soon they stood on a flat platform. There were two identical paths in front of the scaffold, each leading to identical treachery. She was shivering, cold misting with her every breath, as she studied the gauntlet from this new angle. How had she gotten to this point? She might have devoted her life to mastering the art of combat, but never had she imagined being involved in something as sinister as this.
Tagart elbowed Delilah out of the way and claimed the first position for their team. She thought about protesting, then shrugged. Let him lead. He could be the first to fall, the first to be pushed.
In the other line, Brand assumed the lead and Layel floated to the space right behind him. His arm brushed hers, a slow stroke of fire. Unintentional? And why was he warm? He was usually as cold as the ice now falling from the sky. Don't look at him, don't you dare look at him. He would distract her, perhaps destroy her resolve.
'A successful team player will work to ensure that all members walk away from a battle, not just himself,' the god said. 'I suggest you use whatever means necessary to buoy your team along, for every one of you must reach the end.' A crack of thunder boomed, and the god cleared his throat. 'The first team to reach the end wins. Not only will you bask in the glow of our approval, but as a reward for your efforts, we will gift you with something you surely crave even more than another tomorrow. A glimpse of your home, your loved ones.'
A glimpse of her loved ones…of Lily. She shook with the sudden force of her determination, all the while continuing to fight the desire to face Layel, gauge his reaction to the god's announcement. Was there someone at home, waiting for him? A woman, perhaps, snuggled in his bed?
Don't look, don't look, don't—she did it, willpower broken by need. She looked. Breath caught in her throat. The vampire was watching her, and their gazes clashed as sharply as the storm.
That quickly, her blood heated with renewed desire. Renewed? As if the sweet hum had ever left her.
Her nipples pearled again, her knees weakened.
Before he could turn away from her, dismissing her, she refocused on the god. Instantly her eyes mourned the loss of his decadent face.
'Before we begin, there is one rule I must mention. If one participant falls into the water, that creature must return to the beginning and start over. A little punishment for failing, if you will. Help your team or not. Hinder your team or not. The choice is yours. Just know that we will be watching, judging. Deciding.' With barely a pause, the god added, 'Go.'
A moment passed before Delilah realized the contest had begun. Tagart, too, hesitated, even when Brand sprang forward.
'Go, go, go!' she shouted, shoving Tagart over the threshold. Her heart raced in her chest, adrenaline surging hard.
He tripped, sliding on the ice-covered wood. When he caught himself, he whipped into fervent motion. She stayed close to his heels, barely able to see past the pounding rain. The first spiked lance swung at her, and she ducked. Whoosh. One of the spikes sliced her shoulder blade. There was a sharp sting, a rush of warm blood, and she winced.
She didn't slow.
'Jump,' Tagart shouted.
She did, a gaping hole suddenly underneath her, sharks swimming just below it, snapping up at her. Their teeth were long, white and jagged. As she landed, knees absorbing the impact, she threw over her shoulder, 'Jump!'
The minotaur didn't react as swiftly as she had and failed to obey in time. He began to fall, down, down, swiftly. Not knowing if she would do more harm than good, Delilah stopped, spun and dropped to her stomach, grabbing for his arm. Their palms clapped together, and he latched on to her with frantic desperation. His heavy weight nearly slid her from her perch.
The team member behind the minotaur jumped and landed on Delilah's back with his hooves—a centaur— shoving the air from her lungs. The bastard kept galloping, obviously deciding she wasn't worth the effort. So much for buoying his team along.
'Pull me up,' the bull-man screamed, his eyes darting between her and the hungry fish below him. Sweat dripped from his dark fur, and she lost her grip. Their fingers slipped.
'Hold tighter, damn it!'
A grinning merman swam to the bull and reached up, trying to grab his ankles. All the while she did her best to hoist him up. She was strong, but he was so heavy it felt as if her arms were being torn from their sockets.
'Kick him,' she commanded through gritted teeth. She dug her booted toes into the wood planks and rolled her hips. Slowly, with every roll, she inched backward. 'Don't let him latch on to you.'
Another team member slapped into her back, and she nearly lost her hold again. So much for team players. Somehow she managed to maintain a solid hold this time, even as the minotaur flailed to avoid the laughing merman.
Layel appeared beside her, startling her. She glanced up, embarrassed that she needed help but happy to see him all the same. He didn't touch her or say a word as he kicked his leg into the hole. His foot slammed into the bull-man's face.
'What are you doing?' she shouted, rain filling her mouth.
The minotaur sobbed and grabbed for her wrist with his other hand.
'Let him go.'
'No!'
