mouth tightened. “I’m afraid of nothing. I thought only to spare your pet.”
“We are undefeated. I have nothing to fear. Do you?”
Knowing what was coming, Gryff swore under his breath. And sure enough, she said the words he dreaded.
“Very well, to the death, then.”
The crowd roared its approval.
The hellhound grinned.
At a word from Serepta, the collar fell from his neck and into her hand.
Gryff glared at her as she tucked it into the pocket of her skirt.
“Remember, the girl’s life is in your hands. If the wolf runs away, she dies. If you lose, she dies.” Serepta lifted one brow. “Do you intend to fight the beast in human form?”
Gryff shook his head. Quietly cursing Serepta for agreeing to a fight to the death, he transformed — not into the black wolf, but into a hellhound the same size as his opponent. He hated to let Serepta know he could transform into something besides the wolf, but there was no way he could defeat Jarrod’s hound in wolf form.
A gasp rolled through the arena as he bared his teeth.
Startled, the witch stared at him in disbelief, then vanished from the arena. Serepta appeared in the front row moments later. Staff in hand, she stood behind a wide-eyed Marri, a reminder, no doubt, that if he lost, Marri’s life would be forfeit.
Teeth bared, Gryff faced his opponent.
Growling, hackles raised, teeth bared, the hellhound charged.
Gryff met him head-on. It was like hitting a brick wall.
They came together time and again, teeth and claws rending flesh. In minutes, both were bloodied. Gryff’s jaws closed on the hellhound’s ear, tore it off with a jerk of his head, and spit it out.
With a roar, the hellhound renewed its attack. When they came together again, Gryff’s paws slipped on the bloody ground. Before he recovered his footing, the beast’s jaws locked on his left foreleg.
The sound of cracking bone brought the crowd to its feet.
Knowing he had to end the fight soon or die, Gryff gained his feet, then stood, his left foreleg useless, his tail tucked between his legs in a gesture of defeat. When the hellhound charged again, he rolled onto his back, waiting for the just the right moment. When it came, he lunged upward, teeth closing on the hellhound’s neck. A vicious twist ripped out the hound’s throat. The beast stumbled backward, then fell and lay still.
Gryff staggered to his feet, stood there, breathing heavily, blood dripping from numerous wounds, while the crowd stomped and cheered.
* * *
A short time later, he was back in his cell, shivering and soaking wet after being hosed down by one of the guards. He had thought fleetingly of shifting into a hawk. With luck, he might have made it to safety before one of her knights shot him down, but he couldn’t leave Marri behind to face Serepta’s rage.
As though reading his mind, she had entered the arena, replaced his collar. Then, with a murmured incantation, she had healed his leg and handed the chain to one of the guards. Now, he stood passive as one of the guards secured the chain to the floor.
His head jerked up when he heard Serepta’s footsteps coming down the corridor.
A moment later, she stood outside his cell, her eyes gleaming with speculation. “Can you transform into any animal you wish?”
He nodded, his expression sullen.
“That’s how you escaped before, isn’t it? You transformed into a smaller creature? Very clever, my pet. I see that I will have to conjure a new collar, one that will grow larger or smaller as you do.”
Dammit!
Serepta laughed softly, inordinately pleased with her cleverness. “The girl will bring your dinner shortly.” Shoulders slumped in defeat, Gryff stared after her. Once Serepta fashioned a new collar, he would never get away from her.
Chapter 14
Marri sat on the floor outside Gryff’s cell, watching him sleep. She had brought him a tray earlier. He had eaten, then stretched out on the cold stone floor, asleep as soon as he closed his
“We are undefeated. I have nothing to fear. Do you?”
Knowing what was coming, Gryff swore under his breath. And sure enough, she said the words he dreaded.
“Very well, to the death, then.”
The crowd roared its approval.
The hellhound grinned.
At a word from Serepta, the collar fell from his neck and into her hand.
Gryff glared at her as she tucked it into the pocket of her skirt.
“Remember, the girl’s life is in your hands. If the wolf runs away, she dies. If you lose, she dies.” Serepta lifted one brow. “Do you intend to fight the beast in human form?”
Gryff shook his head. Quietly cursing Serepta for agreeing to a fight to the death, he transformed — not into the black wolf, but into a hellhound the same size as his opponent. He hated to let Serepta know he could transform into something besides the wolf, but there was no way he could defeat Jarrod’s hound in wolf form.
A gasp rolled through the arena as he bared his teeth.
Startled, the witch stared at him in disbelief, then vanished from the arena. Serepta appeared in the front row moments later. Staff in hand, she stood behind a wide-eyed Marri, a reminder, no doubt, that if he lost, Marri’s life would be forfeit.
Teeth bared, Gryff faced his opponent.
Growling, hackles raised, teeth bared, the hellhound charged.
Gryff met him head-on. It was like hitting a brick wall.
They came together time and again, teeth and claws rending flesh. In minutes, both were bloodied. Gryff’s jaws closed on the hellhound’s ear, tore it off with a jerk of his head, and spit it out.
With a roar, the hellhound renewed its attack. When they came together again, Gryff’s paws slipped on the bloody ground. Before he recovered his footing, the beast’s jaws locked on his left foreleg.
The sound of cracking bone brought the crowd to its feet.
Knowing he had to end the fight soon or die, Gryff gained his feet, then stood, his left foreleg useless, his tail tucked between his legs in a gesture of defeat. When the hellhound charged again, he rolled onto his back, waiting for the just the right moment. When it came, he lunged upward, teeth closing on the hellhound’s neck. A vicious twist ripped out the hound’s throat. The beast stumbled backward, then fell and lay still.
Gryff staggered to his feet, stood there, breathing heavily, blood dripping from numerous wounds, while the crowd stomped and cheered.
* * *
A short time later, he was back in his cell, shivering and soaking wet after being hosed down by one of the guards. He had thought fleetingly of shifting into a hawk. With luck, he might have made it to safety before one of her knights shot him down, but he couldn’t leave Marri behind to face Serepta’s rage.
As though reading his mind, she had entered the arena, replaced his collar. Then, with a murmured incantation, she had healed his leg and handed the chain to one of the guards. Now, he stood passive as one of the guards secured the chain to the floor.
His head jerked up when he heard Serepta’s footsteps coming down the corridor.
A moment later, she stood outside his cell, her eyes gleaming with speculation. “Can you transform into any animal you wish?”
He nodded, his expression sullen.
“That’s how you escaped before, isn’t it? You transformed into a smaller creature? Very clever, my pet. I see that I will have to conjure a new collar, one that will grow larger or smaller as you do.”
Dammit!
Serepta laughed softly, inordinately pleased with her cleverness. “The girl will bring your dinner shortly.” Shoulders slumped in defeat, Gryff stared after her. Once Serepta fashioned a new collar, he would never get away from her.
Chapter 14
Marri sat on the floor outside Gryff’s cell, watching him sleep. She had brought him a tray earlier. He had eaten, then stretched out on the cold stone floor, asleep as soon as he closed his
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