The silver door slammed shut and time sprang forward. Matthias and Leo moved in circles around the outer edge of the cage, each careful not to bump against the bars. Matthias’s eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them. The anger rolled off him in thick waves. He’d refused to meet my gaze before going into the cage and now it was all I wanted. I needed to see him and know he’d seen me too. The reassurances he’d given me were worn thin and falling apart.
Leo faked left and then dove right. Matthias dodged. They were feeling each other out. I didn’t want to watch the fight, but my eyes were glued to the two men. Their bodies moved so quickly, it was hard to keep track of what was going on. The intensity was higher than either of the previous two matches. Matthias matched Leo blow for blow until both vampires were worn down and moving slower. Blood streamed from Matthias’s nose. Broken, from the looks of it. He favored his right leg and winced with every step. Leo wasn’t in much better shape. He would have his own set of black eyes the next morning, and a cut on his forehead was gushing blood into his eyes. Every few seconds he had to swipe it away so he could see.
Matthias caught this and timed it to wait for Leo to reach up to clear his sight. The second he did, Matthias made his move. Calling up a reserve of speed and strength, he delivered three blows to Leo’s body, a nasty hook shot to his temple, and when Leo reared back to get clear of him, Matthias whipped around, jumped, and sent Leo to the bars with a charged side kick. Leo howled as the silver bit into his skin. Matthias moved in, not giving him room to get away from the pain at his back.
Another flurry of punches and Leo dropped to one knee. A pained tension appeared at Matthias’s face. I could see the lines etched at his temples as I stared at his profile. He didn’t want to hurt Leo, but he knew it was the only way out. Or, was it something else? Was he debating whether or not he wanted to even win? He’d not made it a secret that his entrance into the tournament hadn’t been his choice. And sure, we’d kissed and flirted, but that was far from the commitment that would be expected if he walked out of the cage and into the next round.
As if he could hear my racing thoughts, Matthias looked away from the man at his feet, and his eyes found mine across the room. A fist grabbed my heart and squeezed. Our gaze held for what must have been only a shattered fraction of a second but when it broke, he kicked out, his foot driving into the side of Leo’s head. The vampire flew halfway to the other side of the cage and remained still.
The crowd went insane, even as Matthias stood, his shoulders slumped. His bare chest heaved as he caught his breath. The gloved man opened the cage and raced in. He knelt at Leo’s side and then raised his hand, signaling that he was breathing. Matthias closed his eyes and I imagined the relief flooding into him as he drew his next breath.
Then, without a word, he turned and left the cage.
Confused whispers skittered through the room, but the hushed questions were quickly consumed by another round of applause as Leo Parrish weakly pushed to his feet and hobbled from the cage.
My father gave me a meaningful look and then stood to address the crowd and announce that in two weeks’ time, the finale would feature Jerrod and Matthias.
After the final announcement, the crowd dissolved, everyone forming pockets around the cocktail tables the servants had set up to one side of the ballroom. When my father was distracted, replaying the fights with his friends, I slipped away and traced the path the fighter’s had taken at the end of their rounds.
I knew every inch of the mansion and easily found the room where Matthias and the other fighters were being patched up. A few people gave me strange looks as I entered the room, walking purposefully to Matthias’s side. He was facing the wall as a doctor applied some soothing balm to the cuts on his back where the silver bars of the cage had bit into his skin deep enough to leave marks.
“Well done, Lord Hartford,” I purred, rounding the exam table.
Matthias’s face illuminated when he saw me but he quickly tamped it down and offered a respectful nod. “My lady,” he said, eyes glittering. “I trust you enjoyed the fight?”
“Oh, yes. I was telling my father that it will be nearly impossible to find new ways to spend my Friday nights once this tournament is over.” I gave a casual shrug. “Although, I suppose I’ll be married off by then, so maybe I won’t be bored after all. You think you’ll be able to keep me occupied, if you’re the winner?”
Matthias choked.
The doctor excused himself and I giggled at his retreat. “What? It’s a perfectly legitimate question.”
Matthias turned and scanned the room. Finding us alone, he pulled me into his arms. A wince pinched the corners of his eyes.
“Are you all right?” I asked, starting to back away.
He held me firm. “I’m fine, but that silver was nasty.”
“I don’t even want to know what my father has cooked up for the final fight. He’ll probably have you battling to the death while simultaneously running some Herculean gauntlet and juggling wine glasses.”
“Is this your idea of a pep talk?”
I smiled. “Sorry.”
“You know what might actually help?”
“What’s that?”
“Some fresh air.” He glanced at the door. “You think your dad will go postal if we go out for a walk?”
I flapped a hand. “He probably doesn’t even realize I’m not in there.”
Matthias took my dangling hand and I helped him off the exam table. He slipped into a t-shirt, wincing slightly as the fabric touched the sore welts on his back, and we headed out a side door. Magical orbs of light illuminated the grounds, I chalked them up to another visit from Kimber.
“Any second thoughts about all that?” I asked him when we’d walked a few yards away from the mansion.
He shook his head. “Only that you’re having to go through all of this.”
Warmth slid over my skin, wrapping me in a summery breeze despite the chilly spring evening. “I met with a wedding planner this week,” I told him.
He snorted. “How’d that go?”
“About as well as can be expected, I guess.” I shrugged. “I let my mother do most of the heavy lifting. It’s hard to really care about centerpieces and custom engraved invitations when I have all this in the back of my mind.”
Matthias nodded. “I’d imagine.”
“You ever think about what you’d like for your wedding? You know, if it were up to you.”
He smiled at me. “I kind of figured I’d hand those particular reins over to my fiancé. I don’t know the first thing about flowers or procession order.” He looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and a blanket of stars was rolled out, on perfect display. “If it weren’t for Court and the expectations, I think it would be more romantic to elope. Run away in the middle of the night, wake up in another country, and get married in some hundred-year-old chapel during a full moon.”
His words painted a picture and I shivered.
“You cold?” he asked, gathering me closer.
I shook my head. “It was a good shiver. I like your idea.”
He kissed me, there under the stars and crescent moon, and for a moment, I let it all go. In my mind, we were standing on that hillside, a stony chapel behind us, our vows still fresh in our ears and forever etched on our souls.
Snap.
We jerked apart. “What was that?” I asked, whipping around toward the source of the sound.
“Lacey! Look out!”
A blur appeared at the corner of my vision and I turned back just in time to see Matthias collide with a huge man. The man held something against Matthias’s side and I heard a buzz and watched Matthias collapse to the ground. The man kicked him in the ribs before stepping over his body.
I opened my mouth to scream but it was snuffed out when a body pressed against me and slid a gloved hand over my mouth. I bucked and kicked but the arm wrapped around my waist might as well have been an iron bar. Matthias lay crumpled on the ground, his eyes closed. He wasn’t moving.
I screamed again, but it was soundless. Tears blurred my vision. Then something slammed into the side of my head and everything went black.