Page 63 of Immortal Throne

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

The sand-colored magic of the third portal stared back at me, along with one of the council demons. S’gor, as Chupey identified her, was a sand demon known for hatred and war, but whatever waited for me on the other side couldn’t be nearly as bad as the magma hellhole I’d survived yesterday. My arms and legs still burned and, despite nearly drinking enough water to drown me, I probably still lost about ten percent of my body weight from perspiration.

I ignored Ryker when I arrived at the portal this afternoon. I still ignored him, even though he only stood a few feet behind me waiting for me to step through the portal. The last thing I wanted to do was acknowledge how he helped me this morning or how he made me feel.

No, thank you.

As far as I was concerned, that little moment in the kitchen never happened.

“Anytime, princess,” Ryker said, his voice somehow annoying and caressing at the same time.

Fucker. Without saying a thing, I stepped through the swirling magic and braced myself for the third trial.

I landed in a heap on hard-packed dirt, a dust cloud rising up around me. Pulling myself up and onto my feet, I straightened to find Ryker still a few feet away. He stood regally, not a spec of dirt on him. He must prance through the portals.

“What the hell?” I brushed the dirt off of my shirt and pants. “The trials are rigged.”

“Don’t blame the rest of us because you can’t walk through portals, princess.” His lips twitched.

I snarled at him and turned away to survey the area. We were in some sort of demonic style arena with no audience. A dry wind brushed over my skin and rustled up more loose dirt.

I looked down and frowned. I stood in the center of a marked circle. Glancing around confirmed the other remaining demons were in their own circles.

All except Mobius. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Where’s the large angry blue dude?”

“Mobius is no longer in the competition.”

“What? Why?” This was the best news I’d received all day.

“Hard to compete with two broken hands.”

I blanched. Would they disqualify me? Hardly seemed fair when I’d acted in self-defense. “I didn’t do it.”

“I know.” Ryker’s gaze darkened. “I did.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. On the second try, I managed to get one word out. “Why?”

Ryker hesitated before he clamped his lips tightly together. Either he didn’t want to say, or he didn’t quite know the answer himself.

I glanced around and leaned over. “Won’t that get you disqualified? He’s not the type to remain silent.”

“Mobius broke the rules of engagement first by attacking you. He was fair game.”

Ah. Now that made sense. “You got rid of one of your biggest competitors at the first available opportunity.”

Ryker glared at me.

“It’s a smart move. I’m glad you did it.” I toed the line that formed the circle around me. Sparks rose up from the dirt. “How’d you know Mobius attacked me, though? I didn’t tell you his name.”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out. He’s the only idiot who would say such a stupid line about a bitch dying in a hallway.”

“Oh.”

“And when I confronted him, he wouldn’t shut up about it. About you. About what he planned to do to you when he got his hands on you again.” Ryker glowered at the dirt in front of him as if it contained Mobius’s face. “He should never have touched you.”

Was that why Ryker had broken his hands specifically? I swallowed and turned my attention back to the marked circle. “Now if only I could figure this out.”

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