Javad struggled to stay upright, knowing that he’d won the battle as Frack dropped to his knees and then fell flat on his face with a mighty thump.
This was it. He’d defeated his enemy. It was time to escape. All he had to do was leap toward the opening at the top of the cage and grab Terra.
Then they could…
They could…
Javad swayed, his brain filled with fuzz as he glanced up to see Terra stretching out her hand toward him.
He’d always known they could never have a happy ending. She was a Seraf who was trapped in her crystal temple, while he was a vampire stained with the blood of his opponents. Just like Romeo and Juliet, they were destined by fate to be forever parted.
The sappy thought faded away as blackness consumed him, and he tumbled on top of the orc.
* * * *
The crowd went wild as Javad collapsed. As if the sight of the two bloody and broken demons was the greatest thing in the world. Terra cried out, trying to jerk from the troll’s grip. She was desperate to get to Javad.
At the same time, Vynom entered the cage, smiling with cocky delight at the carnage he’d created.
The…scumbag.
Waving his arms, he encouraged the screams of raw violence. At last, the shouts died away, and Vynom moved to kick the dead orc in the head.
“As I promised, the battle of the century!” There was a brief roar of approval. “But I also promised you a once in a lifetime surprise,” Vynom continued, holding up a wooden stake. “An opportunity for the highest bidder to claim the honor of killing Javad the Vanquisher.”
Terra’s blood ran cold as the demons jumped to their feet.
“Ten gold coins,” shouted a voice from the back.
“Twenty,” another answered.
“Fifty.”
“One hundred.”
Terra blocked out the bids being shouted by the crowd, a slow calm coming over her. When she’d still been in the fighting pits in Athens, Javad had entered a room where she was healing an imp who’d had his ribs shattered by a blow from an ogre. He watched in silence as she’d peeled back the flesh to inspect the damage before healing the ribs and knitting the skin back together. When she was finished, he’d asked her why she didn’t use her magic to fight against the demons holding her captive. She’d told him that she had sworn a pledge when she was taken to the Seraf temple. No matter what happened, she would never use her powers to harm another.
Even if it meant saving her own life.
But this time, it wasn’t her life in danger.
It was Javad’s.
And no pledge or promise or destiny would stop her from doing everything in her power to save him.
Closing her eyes, Terra sank into the magic that bubbled inside her. It was light and bright and glorious. It was also potent. Concentrating on the troll’s fingers digging into her arm, she used the connection to send her magic into the demon. It swirled and fizzed, dancing through his bloodstream until it reached his heart.
Terra opened her eyes and turned her head to watch as the troll frowned. He could feel the magic, but he would have no way of knowing where it was coming from or what it was doing.
Not until his heart came to an abrupt halt.
The creature’s eyes bulged, his mouth dropping open, and his skin changing to a weird blue color as he struggled to breathe. Terra turned away, pulling her arm from his loosened grasp.
The troll wouldn’t die. Or at least, she didn’t think he would. She’d never used her magic like that before. But he would be incapacitated for the next few minutes, at least. Long enough for her to escape.
Leaping forward, she dove headfirst through the space Javad had created between the bars. She managed to twist as she dropped through the air, landing on her feet next to Javad.
A stunned silence filled the vast chamber, every gaze locked on her as she lifted her hand. Clearly, they expected her to perform some magnificent feat of magic. Even Vynom stepped back in shock.
Ah, if only it were so easy.
Her magic wasn’t magnificent. It was barely more than functional.
But the breathless sense of anticipation gave her the opportunity that she needed. Waving her hand in a grand, flamboyant motion, Terra created a portal. She couldn’t get through the magical barrier, but she could take them to another part of the caverns.
Pulling Javad through the opening, she slammed it closed and glanced around.
They were away from the crowd, but that didn’t mean they were safe. With care, she lowered the unconscious vampire onto the hard ground and quickly inspected the cramped cave to make sure there were no hidden dangers. There was no sense rescuing Javad from one deathtrap only to land him in another.
She’d just managed to convince herself that they were safe for the moment when a familiar smell caught her attention. What the heck? She glanced around, her brow furrowed. Then, bending down, she scooped an object off the ground and held it in the palm of her hand.
What was going on?
Momentarily lost in her dark thoughts, Terra was distracted by the sound of a soft moan. Shoving away the questions that thundered through her, Terra tucked the object into the pocket of her gown and rushed back to Javad.
“Javad.” She dropped to her knees beside him.
He hissed in pain as he forced his eyes open. “Terra?”
“I’m here.”
He studied her in silence as if trying to memorize each line and curve of her face. Then, he grimaced. Was it another wave of pain? Terra’s heart squeezed with fear.
“Where are we?” he demanded.
“Somewhere in the caverns,” she said. “I think it’s close to where we were being held in the
