Normally, I don’t approve of catsuits. Very few females can pull off the skin-tight, one-piece garments. But I had to admit this chick was working it. The outfit clung to her generous curves from her collarbones down to her ankles. Something blue—almost like a train—trailed behind her, which seemed a tad overkill. But this chick obviously wasn’t into subtlety.
“Man, Slade’s going all out for this,” I said. “Your last fight didn’t have a model to strut around between rounds.”
Giguhl swallowed and nodded absently. Then he stopped. “Huh?”
I nodded toward the chick. “The model you’re ogling. I’m surprised Slade is willing to lay out the cash for the talent.”
Giguhl tore his eyes from the vision in gold. “Sabina, that’s not a model.”
I frowned. Giguhl looked at me with exaggerated patience, waiting for the lightbulb to click on. “Wait, she’s your opponent?”
Before Giguhl could answer, the crowd gasped as a magnificent fan of peacock feathers unfurled behind her. Well, I guess that explained the blue train. And now that I took a closer look, I finally noticed the two small horns jutting from the sides of her head.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I whispered.
Giguhl groaned and adjusted his codpiece. A snarky comment died on my lips as the vixen began to unwrap the golden chain from around her neck. She swung it around her head a couple of times before cracking it like a whip in Giguhl’s direction. Once she made sure she had his attention, she blew him a kiss.
The seven-foot-tall demon at my side whimpered. “I think I’m in love.”
I grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at me. “Giguhl, get a hold of yourself.”
He peeked out of the corner of his eye at her, but I grabbed his chin. “Listen to me, you can’t let her psych you out.”
“She’s not psyching me out, she’s making me horny.”
I closed my eyes and repressed my gag reflex. “You’re gonna have to focus if you’re going to win.”
“I can’t help it. I’ve never seen a more gorgeous demon.” He sighed like a lovesick teenager.
Of all the times for the demon to reveal his romantic side…
“You’re going to have to fight her. You know the rules. Once a challenge has been issued and accepted, you have to fight.”
Giguhl looked like he wanted to argue, but at that moment, Slade walked into the center of the pit. He went through his little spiel about the rules of Demon Fight Club, but tonight there was a twist.
“Tonight’s match will be a little different, friends,” Slade announced. “For the first time in the history of Demon Fight Club, we will be allowing the demons to use weapons!”
As a roar rose from the crowd, I glanced at golden demon’s whip. “You’re going to have to watch out for that whip,” I whispered to Giguhl. “Do you have any weapons?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know he was changing the rules.”
Yeah, I thought, nice of Slade to mention this wrinkle when we talked a few minutes earlier. I reached down into my boot and pulled out a knife. The six-inch blade wouldn’t do much damage to a demon, but it might slow her down.
“If you can get close enough, you’re going to have to cut her.” He opened his mouth to protest, but I shushed him. “I know, I know, she’s too beautiful. Slade said she’s going to throw the fight, but we’re going to have to make it look real.”
He frowned but nodded. His claw curled around the handle of the knife.
Slade had finished his rule rundown by now and was introducing the fighters. “In the left corner, we have the prettiest killing machine this side of Irkalla. Don’t let her good looks fool you; this Vanity demon is pure evil. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Valva!”
I choked. “Did he just say ‘Vulva’?”
Giguhl rolled his eyes. “Vahl-va,” he corrected.
I shook my head. “What were her parents thinking?”
Giguhl nudged me. “Hush.”
Slade turned to our side of the ring. “And in the other corner, a demon who needs no introduction after his recent victory over Rargnok, the former champion of this fight club. The big, bad Mischief demon from the Gizal region of Irkalla—Giguhl!”
The crowd went wild. Giguhl stood straighter and pumped his claws in the air. Relief flooded through me. It looked like my demon’s head was finally back in the game.
The bell clanged and Giguhl strutted into the pit. Valva sashayed toward Giguhl, who stood entranced by her shimmery curves. The demoness stopped in front of Giguhl and placed a manicured hand on her slim, gold-clad hip. Her other hand swung the necklace-whip back and forth, taunting him. Giguhl, gods love him, tried to hold firm. He swiped halfheartedly with his blade, narrowly missing her pert nose. She didn’t even flinch.
At a loss, Giguhl took a couple steps back to regroup. Valva beckoned him with a finger. The move distracted him, so he didn’t see the other wrist flick the whip like a lasso. The chain caught him around the neck, and she jerked it taut. Giguhl had no choice but to follow where she pulled. His claws worked at the whip, but before he could make any headway, Valva hooked her leg behind his. He fell hard on the concrete.
The demoness loomed over him and dug a heel into his chest. My heart pounded, thinking Giguhl was done for. But a slow smile spread on his black lips. He grabbed the chain and jerked Valva down on top of him. She gasped and scrambled, trying to dismount him. She dropped the end of the necklace, allowing Giguhl to unwrap it from his neck. He grabbed for Valva, but she moved too fast. As he jumped to his feet, her expression went from shocked to determined. The flirtatious vixen of a few minutes ago was gone.
Giguhl wrapped the end of the necklace around his wrist and swung it in an arc at his side. Valva stood on the other side of the pit, staring him down. They faced off. Each daring the other to make the next move.
Giguhl feinted a move to the right. Valva jumped into action, moving to her left. Surprisingly agile in her spiked heels, she performed a complicated series of leaping spins and kicks. Giguhl stood off to the side, watching her with wide eyes. Hell, even I wanted to applaud when she managed three back handsprings in a row.
She stopped a few feet in front of him, a challenge in her eyes. Giguhl raised his left arm and flexed his impressive biceps. Valva’s full lips spread into an approving smile. Then, inexplicably, he performed a back flip. I gasped. Who knew Giguhl was so nimble?