Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods #6) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,1
why Rage is here, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Rage gets in a good hit, and West goes flying…as in, through the air.
“Did you see that?” Manny shouts, his voice animated. “I don’t know how he does it; it’s almost superhuman.”
It is super-fucking-human!
“Stop the fight,” I insist.
John West is up on his feet in half a second. Too quickly. He looks dazed but shakes it off as Rage comes at him again.
I see movement in West’s corner; a woman is with the fighter’s trainer. She is speaking animatedly but under her breath. From the way she is gesturing with her hands, the conversation looks heated. The trainer is shaking his head. He also looks like he could be a fighter himself. He’s big and built. I can’t hear what they are saying over the noise of the crowd. At this angle, I can’t read their lips either. The woman is tiny. Her hair is black and curly. It falls in a wild tumble down her back. Her skin is the color of mocha. Wow! She’s beautiful. Her eyes are big…I can’t quite see what color they are. I think they are light, but…
Rage crashes onto the floor, right in front of us. He’s sweating profusely. I can see dark bruises already forming on his ribs. His lip is busted. One of his eyes is starting to swell. He has hate written all over his face. His almost black eyes are much lighter than normal. They’re starting to glow. This isn’t good at all. Rage jumps up, muscles bunching, and hands clenched into tight fists. I grab the towel, about to throw it into the cage, when the bell rings, signaling the end of the round. I notice that West doesn’t look much better. Both fighters are bruised and bleeding.
Rage growls. I think he is going to attack West despite the bell ringing when a woman in a tiny bikini walks into the cage. She’s holding a sign that reads, ‘Round 3’. Rage is taking deep breaths, his eyes on West.
Manny is in the cage. He tells Rage to take a seat. Thankfully he listens and lowers himself to a stool. Manny starts tending to his wounds as soon as he’s sitting.
Jarrod and I clutch the side of the cage behind Rage’s stool. “What the fuck!” my brother says through the bars.
Rage spits his mouthguard into his hand, and Manny shoves a straw into his mouth. Rage drinks and then pushes the bottle away. Manny continues working on Rage’s cut lip and bleeding nose.
“We have a problem here,” I say, directing my words at Rage.
“No kidding,” he grinds out as Manny wipes a towel over his forehead. He carefully pushes his trainer away. “Give me a few seconds.” He turns to us, his face almost pressed against the bars. “West isn’t human,” he whispers. “I’m trying not to use my powers, but—”
There is a commotion on the other side of the cage. West is on his feet. He looks pissed. “Don’t you fucking dare!” he shouts. I think he’s aiming his animosity at the tiny woman with the curly hair. “Raven…don’t you—”
With agility and grace, she tosses a balled-up towel. It lands on the mat in the middle of the cage as the bell sounds for Round 3.
The ref rushes to the center and holds out his hands to each of the opponents as a signal for them to stay apart.
“I don’t forfeit!” West shouts. “I don’t!” Even louder this time.
Rage just stands there. It’s clear that a whole lot of pent-up aggression is just below the surface. His jaw is tight. His fists are up. He’s ready.
“We’re out!” the dark-haired beauty announces, and the crowd goes completely wild.
“I refuse to forfeit!” West shouts. “Don’t I have a say?” he bellows even louder above the din of the crowd.
“You heard his second. John West is out!” his trainer shouts. He doesn’t look happy about it.
“Fuck you, Maddox!” West shouts, turning on his trainer. He lands one hell of a punch, and the guy goes flying, crashing against the side of the cage.
“West!” the woman shouts. She’s opening the cage door and entering.
“Shit!” Jarrod shouts.
I’m already running to intervene. If she gets between those guys, she’ll be in big trouble. I stop halfway up the steps that lead to the cage. I watch in awe as she digs her finger into West’s chest. “This fight is over.” Her voice is commanding. “We’re leaving right now. Suck it up!”