‘Nessa cannot go against a direct order from her brother,’ Arianna quickly relayed what Nessa was telling her mentally. ‘He is a king, and they must all obey him.’
‘She already went against the law of the sidhe.’ Devin glanced to Nessa. She was looking only at her brother while conversing with Arianna. Rhys wouldn’t expect her in the least to side with Arianna. Sidhe tended to be a very loyal clan in general. Insubordination was not expected. That was why Devin didn’t trust the sidhe girl. She was actually a pro at deception.
‘She says this is different,’ Arianna replied again. ‘She said she can break the law, since it’s written by the council, but she cannot break her pledge to follow her brother’s word.’
‘So be it, then we don’t use his blood,’ Devin glared at Rhys, who was now sitting across the room pretending like he didn’t know the conversation that was going on was about him.
‘Remember what Mori said,’ Arianna pleaded. She needed Rhys’ blood to complete the transformation. ‘He said I’m almost stabilized. Almost. I need the blood from everyone to not become that monster you fear.’
Devin sucked in a breath as her words hit him. She used the one argument he couldn’t go against. He did fear her becoming a monster. Not because he feared it would happen, or who she would be, but because it meant he would have failed her. He couldn’t be the man she wanted. He couldn’t prevent the competition that was now going on. All he could do now was protect her from herself. In his hesitation, she had won. Andrew also saw it.
“But I’m not leaving,” Andrew replied. Rhys moved to object at the same time as Arianna. “As her mate, I get a say in this. And I am staying.”
‘Andrew,’ Arianna began to protest, feeling like she was losing her chance to finally get her night human powers under control.
‘Wait for it,’ Andrew replied, without taking his eyes from Rhys.
Rhys wanted to push harder to get everyone out the room, but Andrew was right. In sidhe tradition, especially, Andrew had a claim. He couldn’t deny her mate. Rhys waited a few more tense minutes. “Fine, the baku mate can stay.”
‘How’d you know?’ Arianna asked Andrew, as she turned back to stare at Rhys.
Andrew didn’t reply. Devin looked to Andrew and nodded, again doing their male-bonding by silent talk. Devin turned and helped Turner escort Gabriel out of the room, who was still a bit dizzy. Arianna wondered if the blade was poisoned, but she would have to wait to help him later.
“I may be leaving the room, but don’t think I am going far,” Devin threatened Rhys.
“Nessa, you too,” Rhys ordered his sister. She looked as if she wanted to object too, but she could not.
Nessa walked behind Devin and left the room. Andrew walked across the room and sat on one of the couches while still glaring at Rhys. Arianna followed tentatively behind Andrew. Andrew wasn’t happy, and the hate leaked out him. She moved next to Andrew and stepped only as far away as their bond would let her without breaking it. Any further and Andrew might snap. He didn’t do well controlling his anger while in touch with Arianna; he would not last a minute with the connection broken.
Rhys stood and walked cautiously toward Arianna. He stopped before her and kneeled. As a sidhe, he had never allowed someone to take his blood. They were above normal night humans. It was wrong to allow another night human to bite them, but a day human giving blood willingly was fine. Rhys had never imagined a moment when he would willingly give his blood away, but now he was kneeling at Arianna’s feet. There was something different about this girl. He would be willing to give her anything as long as she would be his alone. Rhys cocked his neck to the side, exposing the veins running down it.
Arianna looked back to Andrew. It was way too personal to take blood from someone’s neck, and they both knew it. Andrew was barely containing his rage. Arianna reached down and took Rhys’ arm instead. There was no way she was drinking from his neck. Rhys watched, questioning her with his eyes.
“May I?” She indicated to the vein throbbing in his wrist.
Rhys tried to hide his disappointment. “Yes,” he whispered in anticipation as her mouth neared his wrist.
Arianna bit down and drank his blood quickly. Every moment her mouth was on Rhys’ wrist, Andrew became increasingly more hostile. Arianna closed the puncture wounds and jumped back to keep Andrew from rushing over to attack Rhys. Andrew didn’t like the situation one bit and wouldn’t have lasted much longer if she hadn’t stopped. Rhys remained kneeling on the ground with a grin on his face. The sensation of her drinking his blood had been actually pleasant.
“Um, thanks,” Arianna said, breaking Rhys out of his thoughts and back to reality. Rhys jumped up and walked over to her.
“No, thank you,” he said, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead before either Andrew or Arianna reacted. Andrew jumped out from behind Arianna and his hands reached for Rhys’ throat. Arianna hastily intercepted him and pushed him back. She couldn’t let Andrew kill Rhys.
‘Not now,’ Arianna pleaded silently. She received no enjoyment from drinking any of the men’s blood, but it was necessary to do at this point.
Andrew glared at the sidhe king. His anger was still boiling, so Arianna stroked his face to get his attention. Andrew turned his stare to her. She was using her baku senses to calm him, as he often did for her.
“We are finished here.” She nodded over to Rhys before taking Andrew’s hand and pushing him to the door. Her guards were all waiting for them in the hall.
‘I’m not finished with him,’ Andrew replied, following her, ready to turn back at any moment if Rhys put up a fight to keep her there longer.
“Princess,” Rhys said, enjoying the scene he was creating. Andrew was bothered by the fact that it meant more to Rhys than Arianna knew. It meant that Andrew could feel what he felt, even if Arianna didn’t.
“What now?” Arianna asked, watching Nessa return to the room to stand beside her brother.
“You should ask Nessa what else the legend states,” Rhys cryptically replied, grinning from ear to ear.
‘Nessa?’ Arianna didn’t like how Rhys sounded, and was sure it wasn’t something Andrew would want to hear.
‘By drinking the blood of the clans, you now will be bound to them all. You no longer have to have Andrew as your mate. If you choose, you can feel the way you do about him with each person you drank the blood from.’ Ness shyly looked out the window rather than meet Arianna’s eyes. Nessa had been afraid that if she told Arianna this the first time, Arianna would never consent to becoming the person she had been waiting for.
‘As in… I can now bind to you?’ Arianna asked, confused.
‘Or my brother,’ Nessa replied. Arianna didn’t need to look at Rhys to see him smiling. Now it made sense. It explained what Andrew started feeling once she took Rhys’ blood. Arianna continued to pull Andrew away.
Chapter 18
That day Arianna didn’t get much sleep. Too much was floating around in her mind. Andrew lay napping beside her. Arianna waited until she was certain that he was completely out before getting up and leaving the room to sit outside for most of the sunlight hours. All of the other night humans were sleeping at this time, so she was blissfully alone.
Rhys had gotten to her with his sisters revelation. Could it be true that she might feel for someone else the way she felt for Andrew? What she felt for Andrew was real, yet part of her wondered about the bond. Was that what made everything so much more intense? Would she feel the same without it? Was it the bond, or was it love that Arianna felt with Andrew? She wanted it to be love, but what if Rhys was right? What would happen if she experienced that with every man she drank from yesterday? They were all horrible men and she didn’t want to feel that way. Even more so, she didn’t want what she felt with Andrew to be just the bond.
After spending most of the day outside, Arianna returned to bed with only two hours to go before everyone else would be up, ready to watch the preliminary matches. Everyt
hing was well planned, but at this point Arianna didn’t even want to see the men competing for her. She had enough thoughts darting around her head without having to possibly deal with feelings for people she already hated.
The men were fed and wandering around the practice room by the time she arrived. Each one looked up and stared at her as she entered. By taking their blood the night before, the changes inside her that transformed her into a new night human grew, but now she also noticed the changes in the men. They were no longer looking at her like she was a prize to hold on to and control, but as a prize each and every one of them wanted to win and make theirs. Arianna shuddered at the thought.
“We will do a preliminary match today before taking another week-long break,” Arianna explained. Thomas had already set up the practice room accordingly. “It’s really simple. You’ll be paired up randomly by drawing a name out of a basket. Everyone gets to participate. From these fights you’ll get the last points to make it into the competition next week.” All the men readily agreed to anything Arianna said.
“Rules are simple. Two competitors in this circle. First one pushed out, or knocked out, loses. Two minute time limit. Time starts when second competitor enters the ring. Any questions?” Arianna asked, looking from face to face.
“Are we allowed to draw blood?” Nik asked. Even behind his usual smug, annoying mask of arrogance, Arianna felt his longing toward her. Things had certainly changed. It made her want to gag. Nik was still Nik, no matter his change in emotions.
“No,” Arianna replied, looking away and trying to ignore the feelings he was sending her way. “Clean hits only. Any blood draw disqualifies you, and you will receive no points.”
Arianna took a seat with her back to the one-way mirror to watch the fights. She was behind the competitors but in front of the retainers behind the glass. All of the retainers watched her. Even they had felt a change in their charges this morning. By being behind the competitors, she only had to bear a few backward glances. Andrew and Thomas were both close behind, flanking her on both sides, but they were not enough to deter the men from being curious. Even her people could sense the change in the men. Only Arianna knew why the competitors had a change of heart, and she wasn’t about to share that with Andrew, who would probably blow up.
“Jan Larsen, you may pick first.” Arianna held up a basket with names in it. Jan stepped up and reached in without breaking eye contact with Arianna. He stared at her as if he was trying to figure out the puzzle of his new emotions. Andrew didn’t respond with anger, as he saw the questions in the man’s eyes. Jan was truly confused.
“Ken Wilson,” Jan replied, finally breaking eye contact and stepping away from Arianna.
Ken stepped into the ring with Jan, and smiled meekly at Arianna. The tengu didn’t stand a chance against the giant. Jan smiled as his opponent shrank in his shoes standing before him. Larsen grew in size, and kept the growth within the ring. He barely left any room for Ken who looked over to Arianna for her approval before stepping out of the ring before the large man could touch him.
‘Sorry Ari,’ Ken apologized. Arianna had already told him not to fight if he were matched with someone that could accidentally hurt his healing wings.
‘Ken, it’s not your fault. Luck of the draw,’ Arianna replied. She didn’t want to have to attach his wings again and certainly not in front of all these men. They would just see it as one more advantage to winning her. Jan shrunk back down and returned to the line of competitors, happy with his easy victory.
“Nate Childs,” Arianna called the name of the first eliminated competitor. He was more than overly ecstatic to be entering the competition now. His smile grew until it crinkled the corners of his eyes. Nate was another young competitor, and still had some baby fat in his face. Arianna held the basket out for him.
“Manuel Vasquez,” Nate read the name and sounded disappointed at his draw. His confidence was slowly fading. Both eliminated competitors knew that this was the one and only chance they would have to earn any points to get back into the competition.
The match up was again a quick one. Manuel was the far better fighter of the two and only needed two direct punches to move Nate from the circle. Manuel didn’t have to shift into his animal form, or cast a spell, as his kind were known to do when confronted. Arianna was surprised Manuel hadn’t been more violent, but easily saw the reason why as he turned back to her. He was trying to please her and follow her rules. He smiled at her and mentally sent her a message.
‘Anything for you, my queen. I’ll kill anything that stands between us and follow your orders, no matter what,’ he said as he turned back, walking into the row of men. Arianna cringed and quickly laid a hand on Andrew to keep him seated. Andrew couldn’t hear the message, but he could sense the man’s intent.
‘Let it go,’ she ordered, as stray thoughts filtered over to him. Andrew was finding it harder and harder to let it be. The men who were salivating over the idea of winning such a weapon were now sending mental messages and loving feelings to Arianna.
“Next, Loan, you may choose.” Arianna held up the basket as the young man drew near. Loan winked at her as he approached, almost sending Andrew into a complete rage. Andrew wouldn’t last much longer around the newly-changed men.
‘Gabriel,’ Arianna contacted her uncle. ‘You need to get him out of here, or we will never finish.’
Gabriel appeared at her side. Andrew saw his leader and knew what she had called him for. Andrew stood and sulked out of the room. Molina sat down beside Arianna as her second guard. The competitors seemed overjoyed at the baku being forced to leave. It brought Arianna no happiness to do so, and she actually felt less safe without him around. She couldn’t let him stay, though, if there was a chance he would attack someone.
‘Sorry,’ Andrew said mentally, as he was escorted away. Even Arianna was forced to do what needed to be done. There was no helping it. He was going to break soon at all the swooning each man did at the sight of her. Each man was anxiously trying to catch her eye, and it was driving him mad.
Loan waited patiently for Arianna to hold up the basket of names. He didn’t even acknowledge Andrew’s leaving as he only stared at her as he chose a name.
“Lou Choy,” Loan said, waiting for his competitor to enter first.
Choy rapidly turned into his night human form, which had a slight greenish tinge to it. Arianna was thankful that her combined night human form wasn’t tinted like Choy’s. It actually made him appear sick, and green was not her color. Choy stood in one place and waited for Loan to enter the ring. Loan stepped over the line, stood against the back side of the ring and waited. Choy wasn’t quick, but very hard to beat, as his skin was as thick as armor. Loan waited for his opponent to come to him. Both Choy and Loan stared at each other from across the ring. The one to attack would hold the disadvantage in this game. Neither man moved for the whole two minutes as the time counted down as neither wanted to lose the match, and both were happy with a draw.
Rhys stepped up next before Arianna even called his name. He reached down and purposely brushed his hand against hers as he took a name. He was doing his best to show Arianna that he was a strong choice for a mate, and his night human essence wrapped around Arianna’s, almost in a choking manner. Arianna looked up at him and even though it was true that her night human essence was with his, she didn’t feel the same as she did with Andrew.
“Will Kparsi,” Rhys announced, not turning back to the ring or his competitor that entered, but keeping his eyes on Arianna the whole time.
“Darkness,” Rhys ordered as the lights in the room all dimmed with his sidhe magic as he entered the ring. Will’s eyes started to glow. Arianna expected a good fight, but was quickly disappointed as a flash of light blinded everyone but her, Turner, and Thomas as they saw through the illusion. With one shove, Will opened his eyes to find he was outside the ring. Rhys only needed one move to make Will fall to the wrong side. Again, Rhys was trying his best to show his pow
er to Arianna. While Rhys was powerful, sidhe magic was full of trickery, Arianna wasn’t so keen on that style of fighting.
“Four left.” Arianna wanted to move on as quickly as possible. While she was a bit disgusted by Rhys’ essence basically wrapping around hers like an anaconda, she was now beginning to see this occur with each man. Rhys was correct. She could choose any man there as her match. Maybe she wasn’t even limited by that. If she drank the blood of someone new, it was possible that even they could be her mate. The options for her love life just expanded exponentially, and it wasn’t a good feeling.
“Turner,” she called out the next competitor.
‘Ari, is something wrong?’ Turner asked as he took the next paper, hoping it would be Devin. They had never fought in such a restricted space before. It would be a fun matchup.
‘Nothing,’ Arianna replied, but Turner saw through the lie.
“Chet Barret,” Turner read out loud after unfolding the paper.
Chet stepped into the ring and transformed. His manly appearance gradually faded into a semi-womanly-shaped man with a serpentine curve to his body. He was quite grotesque in appearance. Turner had seen this already, and thankfully was prepared. Chet closed his eyes, but Turner didn’t make a move. Chet kept his eyes closed and nodded as if seeing a movie in his head. Opening his eyes, he bowed to Turner and stepped back out of the ring. Turner turned to Arianna and gave her a questioning shrug.
“I’ve seen I will not win this match,” Chet replied from the sideline, back to his more manly form with bulging, tattooed arms. “I do not wish to fight a battle with an opponent if I cannot win.”
“Okay,” Arianna replied. She was going to have to note that ability. She wondered how he controlled it. “And that leaves us the last two. Devin and Nik.”
Nik smiled and entered the ring. He had been waiting the whole competition to meet up with Devin. Devin paused outside the ring, removing a book about the size of a matchbox from his pocket. Tearing off a piece of paper, he stuffed one strip into his mouth and began to chew it like it was gum. Arianna and her crew were the only ones that knew what was going on. Lord Randolph had preserved blood for Devin, which he put on strips of paper for him to use to increase his strength and quickness to that of a night human. It was Devin’s trump card that would allow him to be able to beat any night human there. On a normal day, as a day human, Devin was close to the level of any of the fully-transformed night humans, but with Randolph’s blood, Devin was unstoppable.