After almost an hour of travel, he pulled onto a side road that led deep into a wooded area. “I think serial killer movies start this way,” Nalah said, loud enough to be heard over the engine.
“Yeah, but I’m around. You should be more scared for them.”
Stupid comeback, but the smile curled her lips anyway, and she ducked her head and placed it against his back as if there was a chance he could see it.
They came to a large clearing filled with mostly motorcycles and beat up trucks. The spacing was haphazard, leaving Esh to park in a loose circle of racing bikes.
Nalah pushed off, and as soon as both feet hit ground her trembling thigh muscles refused to support her weight and her legs buckled. Only Esh’s quick reflexes stopped her from falling against the motorcycle.
“It’s been awhile,” she said as warmth bloomed in her face and she avoided his eyes. Nice thing being darker-skinned was blushes were a lot harder to see, but Esh was close enough that if he was observant, he’d notice it – and Esh was nothing if not observant.
“I’m not going to complain knowing that,” he said, voice low and tone possessive, the same one he’d used when he’d told Jac they were leaving and she wouldn’t be back until morning. Her stupid brother had only smirked and said to have fun.
Thoughts of her brother brought her into the present, dissipated the blush and made sure the only reason her thighs trembled was because of the reality of riding the bike and nothing to do with the man in front of her. She met his eyes now, and whatever he saw had his mouth thinning, had him giving a small nod and grabbing her elbow for support only as they walked a small path through more trees to what she assumed was the fighters gathering area.
Steps one, two and three, they were enveloped by trees, but with step four a large gathering area opened up. A rough guess would place the number of people before them at about a hundred or so. So far all of them were human and the vast majority were men. They moved forward and joined the group.
Esh’s palm was a brand where it lay on the small of her back. Men only had to glance at it and then at Esh before they averted their eyes from her and became interested in other sights.
Women took it more as a challenge. More than one looked at the hand, looked at her, and then smirked before they gazed at Esh with half-lidded eyes and pouty lips. And any fantasy she had about ripping off those fake lips? It had nothing to do with Esh. It was because they were being rude.
After the third such display, Esh’s fingers tightened on her skin. “No fighting before the tournament, right, Nalah?”
The unconcealed humor in his tone focused her ill-defined anger from the bottle-blonde to him. “I don’t know what you mean by that statement.” To further make her point she stepped away from his touch.
The crowd was loud and getting louder, the people here not used to patience and not enjoying it. The paper Esh had received after he’d agreed to participate in the Tour had only coordinates along with a date and time. No other information was given, and it looked like people weren’t happy about that fact.
There were a few faint magical signatures, suggesting items such as magically enhanced brass knuckles or other weapons, but they weren’t impressive. As for the quality of the fighters – something was wrong. Yeah, there was always the one or two who didn’t look like they could take you apart until they exploded in the ring, but there was usually a something – in the way their eyes always scanned the surroundings, how their bodies always had a faint edge of tension, on lookout for the next attack, an inner spark – a something that drew eyes to them, that set off warning lights inside and said, This person. Watch this person.
Moving amongst this group? Nothing lit up inside her. They were ordinary people, not the caliber one would expect from people entering something as legendary as the Tour, none who would last more than a minute with Esh in the cage.
“So you feel it too.” Esh had come beside her as she studied the crowd.
They were alone enough that as long as she kept her voice pitched lower she was comfortable speaking her thoughts, so she said, “It can’t be this easy.”
“It’s not.” Esh’s eyes flicked back and forth, stopping a couple of times to study something in more detail. “There are two other true fighters here.”
“So what’s going on?”
“Multiple entry points and times. They don’t want us to know our opponents before we meet wherever we’re going. Also keeps us from fighting now.”
“And the rest of the people?”
“Some old ladies,” he said, squeezing her side. “Some friends. Some support staff. Some told they were going to the Tour but aren’t.”