Magic Strikes(101)
«Is that a yes or a no?» he asked.
I slid against him and nipped his bottom lip.
«I'll take it as a yes.» The steel muscles of his arms flexed under my hands. He grabbed me,
hoisted me up onto him, and kissed me, thrusting into my mouth with his tongue in a hot, slick
rhythm, greedy and eager. I threw my arms around his neck. His right hand grasped my hair; his left
cupped my butt and pushed me closer against him, his erection a hard, hot length across my lap.
Finally-
«Let me in,» Derek growled at the door.
Go away.
The guard said something. Curran's hand found my breast and caressed the nipple, sending an
electric shock through my skin, threatening to melt me . . .
«Yes,» Derek snarled. «I'm a member of the damn team. Ask them.»
«Curran,» I whispered. «Curran!»
He snarled and kept going. The door swung open.
I hit him on the back of the neck. He submerged. Help. I've drowned the Beast Lord.
Derek strode to the edge of the tub. Curran surfaced at the other wall. His face wore a snarl.
«What is it?»
«The Reaper woman brought another box. This one had a hand in it. Not Livie's, doesn't smell
like her, but a woman's hand. Smells about two days old, maybe more. They must've iced it.»
I closed my eyes and let the reality sink in. Somewhere a woman was missing a hand. Her body
was probably eaten. Revulsion squirmed through me, followed by indignant rage.
«Turn the hand over to the Red Guard. There's nothing we can do about it until tomorrow,»
Curran said.
Derek left.
Curran watched me from the other end of the tub, the water separating us like a battlefield. His
eyes were still glowing like molten honey backlit from within. I had to get a grip. To him it was a
contest of wills. He said he'd have me, I said he wouldn't, and he wanted to win at any cost.
«You missed your chance. I'm not coming anywhere near you, so you might as well turn your
headlights off.»
He moved toward me.
«No.» I'd sunk a lot of steel into that «no.» He stopped.
«You wanted me,» he said.
Lying would only give him greater satisfaction. I had to keep him on the other end of the tub or I
would throw myself at him again. «Yes, I did.»
«What happened?»
«I remembered who I am and who you are.»
«And who am I? Enlighten me.»
«You're the man who likes to play games and hates losing. And I'm the idiot who keeps
forgetting that. Turn around, so I can get out, please.» And he almost had me, too.
He sprawled against the tub wall in a leisurely fashion, showing absolutely no indication of
moving.
«Fine.» Let's get this over with. I crouched on the bench and rose quickly. The water came to my
midthigh.
A rough noise emanated from him. It sounded almost like a groan.
I climbed out of the tub, grabbed my towel, wrapped it around myself, and left. No more tubs for
me. Not for a long, long time.
CHAPTER 29
I AWOKE EARLY. TOO EARLY-THE CLOCK ON THE wall said three thirty. I lay with my
eyes open for a few minutes and finally rose, swiped Slayer, and snuck out of the bedroom to the
outer door. Derek perched on a chair by the doorway. He looked at me with yellow eyes.
«Where are the Guards?» I murmured.
He shrugged. «Must be a shift change. They sat by the door for the last six hours and then got up
and left.»
«How long have they been gone?»
«Three minutes.»
Could be a shift change. I doubted the Reapers would try anything funny.
The curse of the Wolf Diamond guaranteed they would try to win it. Mart's goal was the gem,
since he had to have it to attack the Pack. The rakshasas didn't seem to like even odds. They
preferred to have an advantage, and without the Wolf Diamond, the shapeshifters would wipe the
floor with them.
I felt reasonably confident about tomorrow's fights. True, Mart's speed was ungodly and their
magic was nothing to spit at, but our team was well-balanced and the shapeshifters fought like an
oiled machine. Even when the Reapers entered the Pit as a team, they broke the fights into
individual duels.
«I'll be back,» I said.
«Where are you going?»
I told him the truth. «I want to see the Pit.»
He nodded.
I snuck through the hallway and headed to the Pit. I just wanted to run my hand through the sand
and settle my memories, then I would be able to sleep. The fastest way to the sand lay through the
gym. I just had to cross it and I'd come out next to the Gold Gate.
I ducked inside and jogged barefoot across the floor. Another moment and I was out of the gates
into the Pit. The covers hiding enormous skylights in the roof had been removed in preparation for