Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (2 page)

Adele pushed me lightly away and the others were standing with a clear view; Ruby had the biggest smile.

“That’s what I meant. Just walking in like that. Believe it now?”

“Starting to. Well, get with the sex.”

“You interrupted—again. Do it one more time and I swear I’ll kill you.”

I laughed and put my hands on her shoulders to change her mood. “Okay. I think there’s something else you should be focusing on.”

“Yes, I know. We’re ready. Aren’t we ready?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jaylyn smiled. “We’re women. We’re always ready.”

Adele sighed while the others shared in a laugh. “You know what I meant.”

“Yeah, okay. We’re ready.”

“Well, good.” I said. “We’re going because we won’t be watching from down here and Jaylyn, try not to get hurt with the whole self-healing thing and Ruby, don’t get mad.”

She laughed. “I won’t as long as it goes my way.”

“Then be sure that it does.”

“You don’t have to worry about us. We’ll be fine. It’ll be over quick.”

“And she means it when she says that.” Darius smiled.

Ruby looked at him and smiled back.

I tried to stay out of it. “Okay, there’s no time to get into that right now. Just be careful.”

“We will. We can handle it.” Adele said. “I think you’re underestimating us just a little.”

“Past experience as reference.”

“Well, we’re not fighting you.”

“And you’re lucky because that would ruin the whole plan of not having you killed. Just make sure everything goes your way.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

I smiled to her familiar tone of attitude and quickly kissed her. “I wish I didn’t have to.”

“Just get out of here.”

We headed up into the stands to watch and an applause sounded when we made our appearance to the arena and chose to sit among them instead of near the King’s throne.

“They don’t seem the least bit worried.” I said, looking down on Adele from above. “Shouldn’t they be?”

“Nah.” Darius replied. “I think we’re going to see how good they really are. I know Ruby and Jaylyn didn’t really try when they faced us.”

“What?”

“You didn’t know? It was kind of obvious.”

“Then I hope they don’t look too good.” I looked down again and watched them standing together. The last thing I wanted was for people to think they were too good, bringing up the wrong kinds of questions that I know Lamar would just love to have asked. I didn’t want that. I was bound to make sure they were not exposed here during the duration of their stay.

“So, do you want to tell us about what you did today?” Troy asked. “We thought you weren’t going to do anything.”

“And I thought that’s what I did.”

Darius laughed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I did go to her. I told her someone would be coming to get her soon and that I’d stay out of her way so long that she was here because I thought that’s what she wanted.”

“And it wasn’t?”

“No. She came to my room to tell me what she really wanted awhile later but it was kind of a bad time for me.”

They looked at each other with the same curious yet worried tone. “Why?”

“Because—” I paused, being timid about answering and I think they noticed. “Ah—Crysta was just leaving.”

Their eyes widened and their response was once again expressed as one. “What?!”

“You actually had her there and Adele saw her?” Troy asked in a low whisper as if he didn’t want Adele to hear him talk of it. She would have hated it so I guess it was a good idea to keep quiet about it.

“Yeah, I explained after she left and she obviously got over it with a lot of work on my part.”

Darius smiled. “I told you we wouldn’t leave you here.”

“That’s still unclear actually. Just because she’s fine now doesn’t mean she’s going to be when she finds out my plans.”

“Then she’ll have to grow to be.” Troy said. “Because we’re not leaving you here.”

“Maybe you can get her to once you finally give her what she wants.”

I knew what he was talking about and it became hard to hide my smile. “I suppose maybe I can. So long as the rest of you stay out of our way.”

“Don’t worry. I have plans of my own.”

“So, how was that? Your comment down there about it being quick proves something happened already.”

Darius looked down at Ruby and smiled. “That went as planned.”

“And?” Troy wondered.

“And what?”

“Come on. You know you want to brag about it.”

“It was flawless. Quicker than what I would have liked but still flawless. I don’t think I’ve had an experience close to it. The not having a gag reflex was fucking awesome, not to mention she has a tongue like a—”

“Okay, thank you!” Troy cut in. “Heavy details wasn’t exactly necessary.”

“Well, she was very enthusiastic to take charge. A change I could get used to and the killing thing doesn’t happen that way. That’s just with sex.”

“Well, good for you.” I gave him a pat on the back, proud of his accomplishments. “Now all you have to do is get to sleeping with her and start changing your life if you survive it.”

His mood changed with a sigh. “Yeah. That’s not going to be as easy as it sounds.”

“It’ll happen. I have faith that she’s the one to break you. What about you, Troy?”

“What about me?”

“Get anything good?” Darius laughed.

“Nothing sexual if that’s what you mean. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“But that’s the beauty of it! You can’t with Jaylyn. She’ll heal in seconds.”

“I’m not going to treat her that way because I can but she’s staying in my room tonight so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

“With that cute little tight ass? I can already guess what will happen.”

“Hey!” Troy leaned in front of me suddenly just to hit him. “Don’t talk about her like that!”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I moved Troy back into his own space. “Father’s here.”

I watched him arrive, taking slow steps around the arena and took his seat in the high throne. He was such a royal. There have been times when I would have liked to forget but it all comes back when I see him behave around the public. It’s like how I should be but I was much more relaxed than him. I can’t even remember the last time I heard him laugh or even if I ever have. He always took things way too seriously and even now, he merely gave a simple hand signal for the duel to begin. He didn’t even have anything to say; he just wanted to watch.

I turned my head when the door on the other side of the arena opened and three men stepped out. This was all wrong. These guys were huge like Darius huge but all of them. One had a large ax, another a heavy hammer and the other bore two long blades. They looked more than experienced and dressed for battle.

“Oh no.” Troy muttered, putting his face in his hands. “I can’t watch this.”

“I thought you said you fixed it?” Darius whispered.

“I thought I did too.” I looked over towards my father and Lamar was sitting to his right with a triumphant smile, only making me more worried. “But it seems Lamar issued a new proposal. There’s nothing we can do now but watch and hope.” I put a comforting hand on Troy’s shoulder and he looked back up.

The battle started out slowly.

The men acted as if they didn’t know who was going first and just stood still, perhaps unsure if this was even real. They were probably never told they had to fight women. That would have been a conflicting thought for any man and the arena was dead silent.

“Awe. I think they’re feeling a bit scared.” Ruby muttered with a humorous chuckle.

Everyone in the stands laughed softly from it being so quiet that even we could hear her and the man with the large ax took immediate offense to her words. He lost his brief moment of hesitation and charged towards Ruby, swinging hard.

Darius was on the edge of his seat while watching her run at him but she dodged out of the way from his swing and things from here only got more interesting. She jumped up and grabbed a hold of the back of his collar and my eyes were entranced. I couldn’t stop watching. She ran up the wall behind him a couple steps then pushed off it, flipping herself right over to the front of him. As she let go, she pulled out her swords and quickly swung the right one at his neck and the left one at his waist once she was closer to the ground. I didn’t even know if she hit him because it looked so flawless.

At first nothing happened, he was just standing there, motionless but I saw his blood on her swords; she had to have hit him. I watched her smile and then quickly spin around, extending her right leg and kicking him in the middle of his chest. His head fell forward to the ground and his torso was split from his lower body.

The small audience got loud when he fell in pieces, hearing the metal echo around us among their chants.

I immediately looked at my father. He was impressed but Lamar sneered in response. I knew he was beginning to think their skills were too great to be of Leccan origin and I began to be even more worried.

“Did you see that?!” Darius cheered, making sure Troy and I were both looking. “What a move!” Ruby looked up at us and brought her hand up to her mouth for a fake yawn. “I think I’m in love.”

It was a bold thing to say indeed but I never saw him stray his eyes from her. He very well could have been and just admitted it at this very moment. I would have kept watching him but I was both worried and eager to see what would happen next.

The other two men stood still in what may have been a silent shock to what had just happened. The man with the hammer started to pound the ground in front of him, preparing for his revenge and silence the crowd.

They obeyed, only thirsty for more and I waited for it as well.

The sound of his heavy hammer hitting the ground rumbled like thunder while he had his eyes fixed on Jaylyn.

“If he hurts her, I’m going to kill him.” Troy muttered.

I tapped his knee for silence but kept watching.

Jaylyn stood still with her weight leaning on her left leg, making her left hip stand out in her sexy form. Her hands were held out just a few inches from her thighs, ready to pull out her weapons at any second and she smiled with her fake brown eyes forward, unafraid.

He stepped toward her bringing down his hammer with each step. Jaylyn moved around two swings with ease and stepped up on the hammer on the third. He lifted it up with her on it and she flipped herself over him and spun around behind him. He turned to look for her just as she grabbed her blades and sliced his chest. He fell backwards as she landed and when her eyes found him again, she immediately flipped forward while he tried to get up and she slit his throat in two separate places. Blood sprayed out of his neck all over her and he fell all the way to the ground.

The crowd cheered loudly again for the kill and Jaylyn’s eyes met Troy’s. He was quite impressed yet relieved even though she was dripping with blood.

“I really hope we don’t regret this.” I muttered.

“No.” Troy smiled, his eyes still down on her. “I don’t have that worry anymore.”

The crowd got quiet again, anticipating the final round.

Adele looked at Ruby and Jaylyn and nodded. I didn’t know what that meant and was a little more worried. In fact, I’ve never been this worried in my entire life. I just hoped she knew what she was doing.

She looked upon the man with the two long blades and took a step to the side. He did the same in the other direction and they started circling around the arena.

I was getting anxious as I watched, hoping that she wouldn’t do anything to get herself hurt or worse, exposed.

There was high tension on the arena floor and it rose up into the stands. Everyone was becoming like me but for a different reason. Trying to imagine how this one would die was exciting for them.

The man decided to run at her, forcing everyone to perk up and be even more alert. Adele pulled out her sword and they locked blades. He was strong but she kicked his feet out from underneath him and he fell. She drove her sword down through his right thigh and used it to flip over him, kicking his blades out of his hands when she turned.

The crowd was getting rowdy because they knew a kill was close and Adele looked around at them. She saw me watching and I raised one eyebrow, waiting for it. She returned the look and turned to make her next move.

Ruby and Jaylyn grabbed their own left wrist and the right wrist of the other creating a squared pattern with their locked hands. Adele pulled her sword out of the man’s leg and ran toward them. She jumped up to the wall behind them, pushing herself off it with one foot. She stretched out and her other foot landed on their locked hands. They bounced with her to absorb her weight then threw her forward toward the man getting to his feet.

Adele went flying through the air and pushed her thumb down into the hilt of her sword. It collapsed, each piece sparkling in the sun as it fell around her like rain.