“Hey, Kerrick,” Santiago called. He flipped the cue and sank three balls. He had a massive spidery bruise on the back of his left shoulder. Yeah, the boys had been out fighting.
Luken’s gaze tracked the shot. “Lucky bastard,” he muttered. His hair hung down his back, free of the cadroen, a thick mass of blond waves and stray, rebellious curls that gave him the appearance of an Olympian god.
Kerrick jerked his chin toward the sofa. “How long has he been out?”
“The last hour. He went to see Endelle.”
“Is she going to protest the arena battle?”
Luken shrugged. His cue stood upright and he tapped it on the floor. “He didn’t say but as soon as he returned, he started tossing back Ketel shots. You want a game?”
“No, thanks. I have to get back to Queen Creek after I make a couple of calls.” His gaze drifted to Thorne.
Perfect. He’d wanted Thorne to lead the charge on this one.
What a great big f**king mess.
He left the Cave to stand just outside the doors.
He lifted his phone once more to his ear and contacted Central. “Jeannie—”
“Need a lift?”
“Not yet. I need to speak with Endelle.”
A too quiet silence followed after which Jeannie drew in a breath. “She’s not receiving.”
“What do you mean, she’s not receiving?” What the hell?
Jeannie sighed. “Specifically, if you called in asking for her, you were to be told, and I quote, You got Alison into this by calling an emergency lift so go f**k yourself, end quote.”
Kerrick ground his teeth. His temper once more started pounding on the inside of his skull. He took deep breaths and tried to order his mind. If Endelle said no, then no it was.
Goddammit.
Thorne … Endelle … two strikes. Shit.
He held the phone at his back and let loose with a good long string of obscenities.
There had to be a way to fix this. He ground his teeth a little more. He hated to speak the next words, though at this point his choices were appallingly limited.
He brought the phone back to his ear. “Then I want to speak with Harding.”
“You mean Chairman Harding?” He heard the disbelief in Jeannie’s voice. He could hardly believe it himself.
“Get him on the com, Jeannie. Now.”
“You got it but it might take a couple of minutes. He’s not the most accessible ascender.”
“I’ll wait.”
Daniel Harding chaired COPASS and as said chairman, he would have had the final approval of the upcoming mockery of a spectacle. Maybe, just this once, Harding would listen to reason.
Whatever.
Harding had no choice but to speak with the Warriors of the Blood. Given the Commander’s access to him, Endelle had fought to retain equal rights. What the Committee allowed Greaves, by the law of the land had to be granted to the Supreme High Administrator.
At last, Harding came on the line. “I’m here to serve, duhuro Kerrick. How can I help?”
Complete bullshit.
“I want COPASS to reconsider its decision about ascender Wells and the arena battle. She’s not a warrior.”
A slight pause, then, “I’m sorry but the Committee reviewed all the data and voted unanimously. Ascendiate Wells must receive an appropriate consequence since her guardian violated a very important law, as did Madame Endelle.” He enumerated their sins and ended with, “Commander Greaves had every right to submit a protest and COPASS really didn’t have any other option. I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”
His condescending tone pushed Kerrick’s temper over the edge. “What about the law the Commander broke sending a regiment to Carefree One? What about that rule?” He was pissed and couldn’t stop himself.
“Now, now. Calm yourself, duhuro. Be reasonable. The Commander will certainly receive a severe censure from the Committee in due course. The sentence assigned to ascendiate Wells is a separate matter entirely. Endelle has thirty days to file a complaint and as you must know we take all complaints seriously.”
He felt the blood rush to his face as he once more ground his teeth. “We’re talking about a woman’s life, an innocent,” he cried. “You’ve basically handed her a death sentence.”
“I simply do not agree. We’ve seen the reports on ascendiate Wells, one of which suggests her powers exceed those of Second. I’m sure she will perform admirably during the arena challenge.”
“The arena challenge? Is that what you’re calling it? A mere challenge? It’s an old-fashioned fight-to-the-death and you f**king know it.”
He paced back and forth now, his voice growing louder. He saw the doors to the Cave open and Luken, Santiago, and Jean-Pierre filed out to stand near him, a strong line of support.
Harding continued his reasonableness. “Given the gravity of the rules that you and Madame Endelle chose to break, I had no recourse. Greaves had every right to establish the contest as a fight-to-the-death event.”
That did it. Kerrick’s temper shot into the stratosphere.
“No recourse? Have you no conscience left, you f**king tool? And what the hell were you thinking putting yourself in the Commander’s hands, anyway? What does he give you, Harding? A serum after you’ve drunk a human to death, you f**king piece of shit.”
A brief silence followed, then Harding cleared his throat. “You are clearly agitated,” he said. “I will therefore forgive these accusations so unworthy of your rank. Good night, most respected duhuro warrior.”
Kerrick’s hands shook as he thumbed his phone.
And at that moment, who should show up but Marcus yukking it up with Medichi. Marcus had cuts all over his arms, shoulders, and face.
Well, goddamnsonofabitch, the deserter had made up with the warriors.
It was the proverbial last straw, especially when the f**king vampire smirked and said, “Well, if it isn’t the bastard who got my sister killed.”
Kerrick’s nostrils flared, his fists clenched then pumped, and the air disappeared between him and the man he hated. The feel of flesh sliding beneath the power of his right hook felt like heaven. When Marcus’s fist landed square on his jaw, well, game f**king on.
* * *
Endelle played a cat-and-mouse game with Darian Greaves that chapped her ass up one side and down the other. She was the cat, an okay designation, and the little peach was the mouse, which in her opinion was way too high a life-form for him to represent. Cat and rat worked a little better. Cat and scum-sucking amoeba made her even happier.