true?” Riora asked.
“I do not align with them.” Who to represent now that he’d renounced the Forbearers?
That left the Horde, which was as unthinkable an option as the Forbearers.
Then... an idea. A gamble. He turned to Riora. “I represent you.”
Riora pressed her splayed fingertips to her chest. “Moi?”
Murmurs erupted. The nymphlike women snickered.
Kaderin shot to her feet. “He can’t represent you, Riora. You are not a faction.”
“Why, my cold Kaderin, I think you are deeming it impossible.”
Kaderin seemed to flinch at the word, parting her lips to argue—
“He was a knight,” Riora said.
How in the hell does she know that? Suddenly, he recognized the only explanation.
Because she is a goddess.
“He has pledged his sword to me, and I accept.”
More murmurs. Kaderin looked as if she’d been slapped. She shot him a look of pure
menace.
“Excellent,” Riora said with a clap. “Two powerful newcomers to the games.” Riora gave
Kaderin a speaking glance. “Finally, we might have a real competition.”
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) 12
B y entering the Hie, the vampire had just safeguarded his life from every competitor,
including Kaderin, at least until the finals.
By representing Riora—a bloody brilliant move—he’d protected himself against the most
egregious treacheries from all competitors.
The infuriating vampire was proving difficult to dismiss.
Kaderin was beginning to really remember infuriating. Quite akin to frustrating. She had
those two down.
She dropped from the rail once more, intent on reaching the altar to collect her scroll. She
waded past obsequious beings, desiring to pay their respects to her, to the Accord, and to
the great Freya and mighty Wóden—as if Kaderin could simply text-message two sleeping
gods.
“Katja,” the vampire said, cutting a path through the crowd as beings dove and cowered
from him.
“That’s not my name,” she snapped without slowing, but he easily fell into step with her.
When did it get so hot? She found herself knotting her hair up. “Tell me, leech. Did you
enter to keep Bowen from killing you or to prevent me?”
“Leech?” He frowned, then seemed to shake off her insult. “We’ve established that you
can’t kill me.”
She glared at him over her shoulder. “I ache to make those your last words.”
“I am beginning to understand this.” He was calm on the exterior, gentlemanly even, but
she knew the ferocity that lurked within him—tonight she’d seen it. “If this contest is
important to you, then let me help you. I could trace you to many of the places, and you
could defeat everyone.” He hesitantly reached his hand to her shoulder, but he saw that
she was about to hiss, and he drew it back.
“I’m going to defeat them anyway.”
“But why not take an easier path?”
“Okay, I’ll play.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and his gaze dipped to her
cleavage. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.
When his eyes met hers, he scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “I apologize.” But his
expression said he found it worth it. “You were about to... play?”
“Have you ever been to New Orleans ?”
“In the United States ?” At her nod, he said, “Not yet.”
“What about South America ?” she asked. “ Africa ?”
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“Vampires can only trace to places they’ve already been. So, where were you planning to
trace me? Around your backyard?” she asked, with a deceptively pleasant mien that faded
in an instant. “Vampire, this game is for the big kids only.” She glanced up at the cracked
skylight to the lightening sky. Dawn would come in less than an hour. “And it’s almost
your beddy-bye time.”
“I could travel with you, to keep you safe.”
“Travel with me? Do you think I would stop and wait around every single day? To cut my
time in half
“I do not align with them.” Who to represent now that he’d renounced the Forbearers?
That left the Horde, which was as unthinkable an option as the Forbearers.
Then... an idea. A gamble. He turned to Riora. “I represent you.”
Riora pressed her splayed fingertips to her chest. “Moi?”
Murmurs erupted. The nymphlike women snickered.
Kaderin shot to her feet. “He can’t represent you, Riora. You are not a faction.”
“Why, my cold Kaderin, I think you are deeming it impossible.”
Kaderin seemed to flinch at the word, parting her lips to argue—
“He was a knight,” Riora said.
How in the hell does she know that? Suddenly, he recognized the only explanation.
Because she is a goddess.
“He has pledged his sword to me, and I accept.”
More murmurs. Kaderin looked as if she’d been slapped. She shot him a look of pure
menace.
“Excellent,” Riora said with a clap. “Two powerful newcomers to the games.” Riora gave
Kaderin a speaking glance. “Finally, we might have a real competition.”
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) 12
B y entering the Hie, the vampire had just safeguarded his life from every competitor,
including Kaderin, at least until the finals.
By representing Riora—a bloody brilliant move—he’d protected himself against the most
egregious treacheries from all competitors.
The infuriating vampire was proving difficult to dismiss.
Kaderin was beginning to really remember infuriating. Quite akin to frustrating. She had
those two down.
She dropped from the rail once more, intent on reaching the altar to collect her scroll. She
waded past obsequious beings, desiring to pay their respects to her, to the Accord, and to
the great Freya and mighty Wóden—as if Kaderin could simply text-message two sleeping
gods.
“Katja,” the vampire said, cutting a path through the crowd as beings dove and cowered
from him.
“That’s not my name,” she snapped without slowing, but he easily fell into step with her.
When did it get so hot? She found herself knotting her hair up. “Tell me, leech. Did you
enter to keep Bowen from killing you or to prevent me?”
“Leech?” He frowned, then seemed to shake off her insult. “We’ve established that you
can’t kill me.”
She glared at him over her shoulder. “I ache to make those your last words.”
“I am beginning to understand this.” He was calm on the exterior, gentlemanly even, but
she knew the ferocity that lurked within him—tonight she’d seen it. “If this contest is
important to you, then let me help you. I could trace you to many of the places, and you
could defeat everyone.” He hesitantly reached his hand to her shoulder, but he saw that
she was about to hiss, and he drew it back.
“I’m going to defeat them anyway.”
“But why not take an easier path?”
“Okay, I’ll play.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and his gaze dipped to her
cleavage. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.
When his eyes met hers, he scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “I apologize.” But his
expression said he found it worth it. “You were about to... play?”
“Have you ever been to New Orleans ?”
“In the United States ?” At her nod, he said, “Not yet.”
“What about South America ?” she asked. “ Africa ?”
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“Vampires can only trace to places they’ve already been. So, where were you planning to
trace me? Around your backyard?” she asked, with a deceptively pleasant mien that faded
in an instant. “Vampire, this game is for the big kids only.” She glanced up at the cracked
skylight to the lightening sky. Dawn would come in less than an hour. “And it’s almost
your beddy-bye time.”
“I could travel with you, to keep you safe.”
“Travel with me? Do you think I would stop and wait around every single day? To cut my
time in half
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