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  My body began to tremble, and I could do nothing to stop it. “I don’t want any part of this. It isn’t fair.”

  “I know, Jolie, and believe me, I wish you’d never come here tonight. Had I known that Bella was coming after you, I would’ve done my best to hide you. I was foolish—she owed me fealty for you resurrecting her father, and I said we’d call it even if she left you alone.”

  I nodded—the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit, but that didn’t mean I had to like any of it. As far as I was concerned, I was whisked out of my happy, albeit boring life, but happy all the same, and now I had to fear for my safety. I never asked for any of this, and that was the worst of it. “I just want to go home, Rand.”

  He clasped my shoulders. “I know, Jolie, but I’m afraid that’s not possible now. You’ll have to make your home with me.”

  Live with him? Tears stung my eyes as frustration got the better of me. “I…I don’t e…even know where you live! I don’t even know what your last n…name is!” When I really get angry, I start to stutter. My stuttering only aggravated me all the more.

  He reached out to touch me, but I batted his hand away. I was livid and didn’t know if I wanted to scream and tear my hair out or cry. I managed to do neither.

  “I live in England and my last name is Balfour,” Rand said.

  “England!” Then the sobs came. I’d never been abroad and now I was expected to move to England? My mom would have a heart attack! She couldn’t even handle me moving from Spokane to L.A.

  “Shhh, Jolie,” Rand whispered, looking about himself for what I assumed was a more private area, lest I have my mental breakdown in the midst of the party. He grabbed my arm and led me into a bedroom, closing the door behind us. He turned on the lights with a nod of his head, and I collapsed against the bed, sobbing.

  “I’ve never even been to England!” My voice broke, but I was past the point of caring. I was being deported.

  “I promise to make this as comfortable for you as I can.”

  I sat up and tried to get some semblance of control over myself. “Why do we have to live in England?” I rubbed my eyes with my arm and sniffled.

  “Because that’s my territory—witches are broken into covens and each coven mans a certain territory. Bella’s territory is here.”

  “Los Angeles?” I asked while Rand fished inside the pocket of his pirate pants and handed me a hankie. Even though my nose was running, there was no way I was going to blow it in front of him.

  “Well, yes, but more than that—she controls the Western states of the U.S.”

  I sniffed. “What does that mean, territory?”

  “It means I control all otherworldy goings on in England, Scotland and Wales. If an otherworldly person wishes to move to that area, they must get permission from me---if they wish to work in that area, they must go through me. We’re broken up this way so we can cover the most ground and be the most efficient.”

  “And the vampires and werewolves and demons?” I asked, in shock the statement had even come from my mouth. It sounded so Hollywood movie fake.

  “Vampires fall into houses that align themselves with our territories so they’re similar in that respect. Werewolves and demons have nothing to do with us—they make their own rules and are becoming more of a problem. We’re going to have to figure out what to do with them soon, as there needs to be an established order in our society. The vampires, much though I dislike and distrust them, have at least made the attempt.”

  My head was pounding like a son of a bitch, and I needed to sit down. The fact that these otherworldly creatures not only existed, but also had a whole government unto themselves was a big bite to chew. I recognized that my life would never be the same. This was the breaking point—the first night of the ret of my godforsaken life.

  “Jolie, I know this is a lot to digest. We can discuss more on the plane, and I’ll answer whatever questions you ask. I know you’re frightened, but I hope you believe you’re safe with me. I would never take advantage of you or hurt you. I just hope you realize this is the best case in an otherwise bad situation.”

  I nodded, but didn’t look at him. I trusted he’d never hurt me—he could’ve had he wanted to. But I just couldn’t get giddy about the whole situation. As far as I was concerned, it sucked. Now I’d have to sell my business, sell my house and my car and move to England. I was taking Plum, my cat. I didn’t care what Rand thought about that, and if Christa was interested, I was taking her too.

  I looked up at Rand and noticed he was unsettled about something, there was worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to tell you, but I see no other way. Bella has challenged me to a duel…over you.”

  Okay, this took the cake. “A duel, as in pistols?”

  He chuckled without humor. “No, a duel between witch and warlock, using magic. She thinks it unfair I claimed you.”

  I stood up and smoothed my fairy skirts, trying to combat the storm of tears that were just waiting for the okay. “So, w…what does that mean? You’ll f…fight her with magic? To the death?” I asked, my voice rising as panic overtook me. If Rand lost, I was forever doomed to serving the likes of Bella. I’d rather take my own life than allow that.

  He shook his head. “No. We’ll fight with our powers, and whoever falls first loses.”

  “But Sinjin said there’s a spell against the use of magic here,” I said, sounding like a child pointing out any relevant arguments against the one Rand was making.

  He put his hand on my cheek, instantly calming me. “It’s easy to break that spell, Jolie.”

  “Is…is she a worthy opponent?”

  He nodded. If he noticed my stuttering, he was polite enough not to comment. “She’s a very powerful witch, but Jolie, I’m a powerful warlock in my own right.”

  “And if you fail?”

  He sighed. “Then she becomes your protector.”

  I burst into another fit of tears. Could this night get any worse? Rand engulfed me in his big arms, and I blew my nose in the hankie, thinking it preferable to leaking on his shirt. I couldn’t help but cry harder as I thought my very future depended on his defeating Bella. “W…when will this t…take place?”

  Rand pulled away and gave me an encouraging smile. “Tonight. Probably soon. They’re drawing up the rules as we speak. Promise me, Jolie, you’ll not try anything foolish. Everyone here is far too powerful and you’ll be at their mercy. At the conclusion of the dual, you must either go with Bella or come with me. As this is Bella’s home, all of these people are her friends, not mine, and I can’t account for what might happen upon me winning. I want you to stay close to the door, and be prepared to leave quickly.”

  “Please don’t leave me with her.”

  He laughed. “Trust me; I’ll do everything in my power, literally.”

  SEVEN

  Apparently, the Underworld was as interested in fights as humans—the dancers stopped their air waltz and floated to the ground, looking like petals gliding in a breeze. Everyone formed an amphitheatre around Rand and Bella. This wouldn’t be like any duel I’d ever heard of or seen in movies, and I was unprepared for what lay ahead.

  I found myself led to the middle of the crowd where I’d be under strict surveillance, lest I attempt to escape. Angst pounded through me, and I didn’t even have the wherewithal to notice who pushed me through the crowd. I kept replaying Rand’s warning: Stay close to the door, and be prepared to leave quickly. I craned my head—the nearest exit was…not very near.

  Someone latched onto my arm. I gasped and turned to confront the grinning countenance of Sinjin.

  “Come along, my pet, I will ensure you are front and center.”

  “No,” I said quickly, clinging to the image of the door that was now blocked by at least four people. “I’m fine where I am.”

  “I insist.” By the tone of his voice, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. A few people blocked our pat
h, and Sinjin did nothing more than glance at them and they scurried out of the way. Before I knew it, I was on the sidelines of the duel and as far from the doors as possible.

  Crap.

  I jerked my arm free of his grip. “There’s no need for you to keep tabs on me.”

  “I am afraid you’re the prize, Poppet, and one that cannot be lost,” he answered with a grin.

  The only type of smiles to graze Sinjin’s face seemed to be of the sarcastic or malevolent sort. I couldn’t imagine this creature possessed even an ounce of goodness. And the biggest kicker was that even though I could recognize him for the monster he was, I couldn’t help my attraction to him.

  What a dumbass I was.

  “I’ll have to report back to Bella that you did a wonderful job of controlling me,” I spat out, not wanting to face the fact that I lusted after him.

  He shook his head, a grin toying with the ends of his sensual lips. “Bella has nothing to do with this. I came to protect you.”

  I scoffed—an unattractive sound, but I didn’t care. “Seems everyone is out to protect me. But I trust you as far as I can throw you.”

  His ice blue eyes met mine, and he chuckled. “Think what you want, Pet. I am the first to admit my interest in you does not blossom from my own sense of humanity; I have none. You are a commodity, and a valuable one at that.”

  He put his hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it away. A commodity—that’s what they’d reduced me to. These creatures cared nothing for me. I was an answer to their needs, an article of trade, a quid-pro-quo arrangement. At least Sinjin had the courage to tell me to my face.

  “I don’t care what you think, I still have freedom of choice,” I said, knowing my freedom had been ripped from me the moment I’d stepped foot into this hellish place.

  “I am afraid your old life is done and gone, Love, now you have to face a new reality.”

  The idea sickened me. “Well, that reality doesn’t include Bella or her friends,” I said snidely, staring him in the eyes.

  His eyes were sharp, deadly. “I am no one’s friend.”

  A chill slipped over my skin. “Then why are you here?”

  “Orders,” he said succinctly before turning his attention to Rand and Bella. “It appears the show is about to begin, Poppet. May the best witch win.”

  I thought better of making a facetious comment and, instead, focused on Rand. He and Bella faced one another with what could only be termed hatred—clenched jaws, narrowed eyes and fisted hands. Anger seethed from both of them but, particularly, from Bella. She must’ve taken it pretty hard that I was now under Rand’s protection. I guess she was used to getting her own way.

  A slender woman dressed as a pirate wench sashayed to the middle of the floor, standing between the two. She threw a flirtatious smile at Rand. But his attention wasn’t on her—his gaze fell to me, and he inclined his head as if to say the games were about to begin. I mouthed a terse “good luck.”

  “This is a feat of magic and strength. Whichever witch drops to the floor first will be the loser. The victor will win the rights as employer to one, Jolie Wilkins,” the pirate girl said in a deep and throaty voice—the voice sex would have if personified.

  Everyone turned to look at me, no doubt questioning the prize. I felt myself shrink against Sinjin who just chuckled, patting my shoulder consolingly. I didn’t pull away from him this time.

  The crowd fell silent. Rand and Bella stood there, facing one another.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered to Sinjin.

  “Shh.” He ran his finger down the length of my upper arm. My skin burned even though his touch was ice cold.

  Taking my lower lip between my teeth, I waited impatiently for something to happen. I thought I noticed a thin stream of light emanating between Rand and Bella’s fingertips, and I had to blink to ensure it was there. The light grew in intensity until it could be termed a ball of energy. A glimmer of blue engulfed Bella’s while Rand’s went as white as the first snowfall in Spokane. Just ingly. I , I wished more than ever before, that I could go home and forget all of this. Go home to my bland life in Spokane and relish the humdrum safety.

  With thoughts of Spokane playing through my head, I wasn’t prepared for the combat to begin. When Rand and Bella lunged at one another, throwing the balls of energy, I gasped. Sinjin chuckled and patted my shoulder in an attempt to calm me, but all I could feel was the coldness of his skin, something decidedly not calming.

  Each witch sidestepped the energy, and I wondered if it would hit someone in the sidelines. The energy balls twinkled like dying stars and disappeared before doing any damage. I guess the balls of energy weren’t the best trick up their sleeves because neither Rand nor Bella seemed at all irritated they’d missed their targets. Instead, they fell upon one another, fighting in a much more primitive and human way—with fists, knees and ugly words. I winced when Rand got a knee between his legs. He looked like he was about to fall to the ground, and I stepped forward, a gasp on my lips. Sinjin grabbed my arm and yanked me back against the hard length of him.

  “Watch it, Love,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I don’t need to stand so close to you,” I snapped and took a step forward.

  Rand righted himself (Thank God) and didn’t seem to pay any attention to the fact that he was brawling with a woman. Course, I guess Bella wasn’t a woman but more a creature. Creature or not, she was powerful. The two of them seemed pretty well matched.

  They huffed, puffed and didn’t blow either one’s house down.

  After it seemed neither of them would yield to the other, they separated for a few minutes, each retiring to the far corners of the room, apparently to regroup. Rand leaned over, resting his hands on his knees. His breathing was ragged, his body swaying with the effort it took to inhale and exhale. Sweat beaded on his brow and dripped down his face. I had a feeling this was going to be a long fight.

  Then I watched Rand do something that in a word was…incredible. He took a big breath of air and began to… transform. His face and limbs elongated, accompanied by what sounded like bones snapping. Patches of thick brown fur sprouted from his skin like growing grass on fast forward. His back arched until it looked like he might break in half, and then his spine took on a rounded shape as his rib cage doubled in breadth. His lips curled back, his canines morphing into long fangs. Shaking his head, he released an intense growl that seemed full of pain. I could only imagine it had hurt like a son of a bitch to change from a human into a bear.

  I shook my head and wiped my eyes, wondering if that might clear my delirious vision, but the bear stood before me and there was no denying it.

  Now, I don’t know much about animals—I watch Animal Planet on occasion, but I’d have to say this was one of the larger bears out there—maybe a grizzly.

  My gaze settled on Bella to see what her reaction would be. I, myself, would’ve been scared shitless. But, apparently, I’m a wuss because Bella just smiled as if to say “you can do better than that”. Crouching low to the ground, a long caramel colored tail unraveled from her backside while her fingers stretched o claws, giving me goose bumps as they screamed against the marble floor. Her clothing ripped away as her rib cage expanded, and light brown fur usurped her skin.

  Bella was now a lioness. And a pissed off one at that. As soon as her transformation was complete, she lunged for Rand. With a swipe of her paw, she tore the bear’s, er Rand’s, chest open. The bear roared his outrage as the telltale scarlet of viscous blood emerged from the wound and coursed down his body, pooling on the floor.

  Before I could take a step forward, Sinjin jerked me back.

  The bear shook his massive head, stumbling backward with another wrenching growl. I held my breath and watched, wondering if Rand was going to die before me.

  Sinjin squeezed my shoulders. “Just wait.”

  The crowd was silent, all eyes on the bear. The beast seemed as if he were about to fall back against the floor but maybe remembe
ring the terms of the fight, he regained his footing and stood, his breathing shallow. Bella circled him and even though she was a lion, she wore the very human emotion of glee in her eyes.

  Don’t fall down, Rand. Whatever you do, don’t fall down. I probably shouldn’t have sent him the thoughts—especially when he needed to focus on the fight, but I couldn’t help it.

  He didn’t look at me, but as soon as I thought the words, he ambled forward, blood coursing down his chest. Bella roared. The crowd broke into applause, their cheers vibrating the room, and I thought I might lose my lunch.

  I couldn’t help sinking into Sinjin. “Why are they cheering,” I whispered. “It’s not over, is it? Why are they acting…”

  “Shh, my pet, it is not over.”

  No sooner did the words leave his mouth than the bear stood on his hind legs and threw his immense head back, growling the fiercest and loudest growl I’d ever heard. Bella lurched for him at the same time that Rand threw himself atop her.

  With a crushing thud, he pinned Bella beneath him and wrapped his jaws around her throat.

  “He’ll kill her,” I whispered. But, if he did kill her, would it would really be a loss? I couldn’t say I liked Bella…

  “No, he will not,” Sinjin said with a chuckle.

  Bella whimpered and at the sign of her distress, Rand pulled away. The crowd was silent, watchful.

  Even though no one clapped, booed, or did anything, it was clear Rand was the victor. He turned, his brown eyes piercing mine. With long, fluid strides, he started toward me, his grizzly face intent on mine. I swallowed my fear and sidled closer to Sinjin who just chuckled and patted my ass. I was too overcome with the situation to get pissed off.

  With each lumbering step, Rand’s limbs shortened, and the fur began to fade into tanned skin. By the time he reached me, the bear was gone and Rand was back to himself.

  Naked.

  Completely naked.

  My mouth dropped open, and I couldn’t keep my gaze from traveling down his chest to his hips and lower still… I’m not sure what I expected after watching two “people” turn into animals, but I didn’t imagine they’d be naked. I guess it made sense, though. Changing from a two-hundred pound man to a nine-hundred pound grizzly had to be hard on your clothes.