Page 69 of Dance of the Phoenix
Ragnor almost genuinely smiled at her confusion. He wondered how she would react if he told her Luceras wanted to get her out of Alby’s and under Ragnor’s protection. He had a feeling he would have had a good laugh at whatever expression she would’ve made.
Unfortunately, humor wasn’t an emotion he was capable of at the moment. So instead, he said, “I got you out of Alby’s and here. I’m under the impression that you got yourself into some deep shit, Wains.”
Eliza snorted, as if to say,You don’t even know the half of it. But instead, she asked, “How did you even know I was there?”
Luceras’s words from last night echoed in Ragnor’s head. “Don’t tell her it was me,” he’d told Ragnor. “Come up with an excuse. I don’t want her to know I was involved in any way, shape, or form.”
So Ragnor replied ambiguously, “I have my own ways of finding things out.”
She shot him a look that told him she didn’t buy it. But thankfully, she let it go and instead said, “You mentioned food?”
Ragnor folded his arms. “I’ll bring you some—for a price.”
“Wow,” she said dryly, “and here I thought you were simply being altruistic toward an old friend. How very optimistic of me.”
Ragnor shrugged. “Think of it what you will,” he said, “but it won’t change the fact I need to know what happened to make you go into a deep slumber for God knows how long.”
He saw her eye tick in irritation. “Fine,” she said, angry, “but food first.”
Ragnor rose to his feet and gave her a mock bow. “As you wish, my Lady.”
She stared at him, suspicious. “You’re being too nice to me, considering how we parted ways last time we met.”
Deciding against answering her question outright, Ragnor simply sent her a thin-lipped smile and left for the lounge to grab something for his old friend, whom, despite everything, he had missed.
And once she had eaten and told him her story of what had happened to her in the past few months since they’d last seen one another, his whole world tilted on its axis.
Chapter 37
Aileen
The arena was filled to the brim. Vampires of many Leagues came to watch the “show,” and there seemed to even be bets going on, according to some conversations I heard here and there.
“Why does it feel like we’re at a festival?” I asked no one in particular as Logan and I took our seats in the Rayne League gallery.
“It’s better for the monetary gain,” Logan murmured in response, staring around the arena in disgust. “It feels like we’re in that movie. The one where kids kill one another for the entertainment of the upper class.”
Zoey, who came to take her seat next to me, gave the two of us an excited smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “It gives me an adrenaline rush like nothing ever did! I love this electric air here.”
Both Logan and I stared at Zoey in apprehension. The fact she actually seemed as exhilarated as she claimed made me feel sick. “Zoey,” I said quietly, “this is an illusion. Don’t let this illusion be your undoing.”
She shot me an almost reckless smile. “Don’t worry, Aileen,” she said, eyes glowing gold. “I’ll be fine. The pair pitted against Cassidy and me doesn’t seem to be much trouble.”
Her overconfidence made me dread it all even more.
I turned to look at the arena again, or rather, to the gallery on the other side. The Atalon League vampires had taken their seats as well, all wearing matching red-and-black tactical garb.
We wore the same type of tactical garb, only in navy blue and gold, the Rayne League’s official colors. It was made up of a pair of trousers made from a stretchy material, a skintight top, and combat boots that were easy to move in.
I saw Eleanor, Fareez, and Oz wearing those clothes, and it made my stomach churn.
As if on instinct, I looked to the side, searching for Ragnor. We hadn’t spoken at all since yesterday. He’d been cooped up in his room the entire night and this morning too. We’d even left for the arena without him.
I’d wanted to knock on his door and demand to know what he was up to, but something, a sixth sense maybe, told me to let him be. That he would find me when it was time.
Still, I could’ve used a long embrace and a few encouraging words to tell me everything was going to be all right.
Especially since my battle was the first one out of the five.
