Juliette laughed. “Is that what she called herself? The Strongest?”
Twin spots of pink painted Kaia’s cheeks. “And you’re Lazarus the Tampon, aren’t you?” Juliette sputtered.
Lazarus merely blinked. “I had heard that is how you and your sisters speak of me, and for so very long I have wanted to ask why you refer to me as a woman’s hygiene product. Because I made you bleed?”
Now Kaia was the one to sputter. “Just…you…learn to take an insult the right way, damn it!”
He inclined his head in agreement. “I will endeavor to please you, of course.”
Strider and Juliette experienced the same reaction to the bastard’s words. Irritation. As evidenced by the fact that they both jumped to their feet. Her chair skidded out behind her. His remained between his legs. Amun and Sabin drew closer to him. Kaia—still perched in her chair—shoved them backward, clearly intent on being Strider’s shield. And sword.
Lazarus rose, too. “So. This is go time, as the humans say?” No concern had entered his tone.
“This—” Juliette began harshly.
“I’ve been meaning to chat with you about something important, Julie,” Kaia said, cutting her off.
“Juliette.” Lavender eyes darkened to a deep violet. “My name is Juliette the Eradicator. You will address me with the proper respect.”
“Whatever. It’s a shame you can’t fight in the games. One would almost think you accepted the leadership position because you feared competing.”
A gasp of outrage. Black bleeding in that gaze, removing any hint of color. “I accepted the leadership position so that I could finally—”
“No,” Lazarus said with so much force the bar’s walls actually shook. “Enough.”
Finally. A glimpse of his power. And oh, yes. Something was definitely up there.
Juliette paled, cleared her throat. “What I meant to say was that something can be arranged. You want to fight me, we’ll fight. But really, even if you don’t want to, you’ll end up doing so. You challenged me all those years ago, but I was never allowed to respond.”
“Because you were too chicken?”
“First,” the bitch growled, “we had to recover from the damage you caused.”
“Me? What about him?” She jerked her thumb at Lazarus.
“You know the answer to that. He acted only because of your actions. Now zip your mouth and listen. Second, we had to replenish our numbers, so killing another Harpy outside the games was forbidden. Third, your mother would have declared war against my people.” Fury faded, replaced by more of that smug superiority. “But none of those things stand in our way anymore.”
Kaia flinched at the reminder of her mother’s denunciation.
Juliette pulled a necklace from her shirt and fingering the wooden medallion hanging on the chain. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
There was no hiding the trembling of Kaia’s chin as she eyed the medallion. “I’ve seen better.”
That’s my girl. Clearly, seeing the necklace hurt her and Juliette knew why. Now he wanted to know why. Still, that was his baby doll. Always had to have the last word, no matter what. He couldn’t fault her for that, was actually proud of her. Aroused by her.
He’d always thought this aspect of her personality was dangerous to him, and it was—but damn, when she turned it on other people, he wanted to pound on his chest like a Neanderthal. Maybe carry her back to his cave and have his wicked way with her.
Maybe? Ha! He wanted to dominate this female no one else could control. The female who scratched everyone else, but treated him to the tenderest of caresses.
Before Juliette could work up a stinging response, every Harpy in the building, even Kaia, stopped what she was doing and frowned.
“What?” Strider asked, concerned.
No answer was forthcoming. In unison, the females withdrew their cell phones. Kaia read the backlit screen and stiffened.
“The next location has been revealed,” she said, her tone devoid of emotion. “We have twenty-four hours to get there.”
Juliette chuckled. Though she was leader, she’d checked her phone, too. Shouldn’t she already know where they were headed? “Poor Kaia has a very tough decision to make, doesn’t she?” she murmured, and then called, “Let’s move out, team.”
At long last, the Eagleshields and their consorts, Lazarus included, stomped out of the bar. Juliette lingered in the doorway, smiling over at Kaia. “Too bad you won’t be able to hide behind your men this time, huh?” With that, she slipped into the sunlight.
“What’s going on?” Strider demanded, forcing her to face him. Why did Juliette seem to think he couldn’t go?
“We have to leave,” she whispered, agonized.
We. Good. “I’ll get my things.”
“No.” She shook her head, hair gliding over her shoulders, his hands, her gaze never quite meeting his. “We. Meaning me and my sisters. Juliette was right. You and your friends can’t come.”
Like hell. “Why? Where are you—we—going?”
A sigh shuddered from her. “The Odynia. Better known as Hera’s Garden of Goodbyes, since she used the place to get rid of her opposition without ever having to raise a hand against them. Of course, Rhea’s in charge of it now, so I guess she’ll be our hostess there.”
Rhea, the Titan god queen and true leader of the Hunters. Far more dangerous, far more powerful, than Galen could ever hope to be. If Strider attended this portion of the games he’d most likely walk right into a trap. If he stayed behind, Kaia could be hurt, and he’d be unable to reach her and help her heal.
No way in hell, he thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE STUPID MAN WOULDN’T stop following her!
Getting away from Strider had been easy. Letting his demon “win” hadn’t. After dropping the Rhea bombshell, Kaia had requested a private moment to talk with him. And by talk, she’d let him assume she meant to kiss him senseless.
They’d stepped outside the bar, the cool air wrapping around her and freezing her already chilled blood. Then, before Strider could utter a word, she’d planted a swift kiss on his gorgeous lips—unfortunately not leaving him senseless—and challenged him to stay put for one hour. Oh, and he had to keep Sabin and Lysander by his side.
The savage fury he had radiated as she collected Bianka and Gwen and walked away…the way he’d tackled Sabin and Lysander when the two tried to follow…the feral way he’d fought them…
She would never forget. She’d almost turned around a thousand times, wanting so badly to beg his forgiveness and plead with him to join her. She’d used his demon against him, something she’d never wanted to do. And to do so after they’d kissed so spectacularly, when they’d finally turned onto the right road, headed in the right direction, gods. Only thoughts of Rhea and the goddess’s vicious nature stopped her. Kaia couldn’t keep her mind on the prize and protect Strider at the same time. Hunters could be lying in wait at the Odynia even then, ready to take his head.
At all costs, she had to protect Strider. She needed him more than she needed air to breathe. And he’d been softening toward her. Wanting more from her. He’d kissed her in full view of everyone. Kissed her down and dirty, like they were about to make love. Like he couldn’t get enough of her. Like she was a drug he’d been denied for too long. Then he’d called her baby doll and petted her like a treasured companion.
She had ruined everything by challenging him rather than talking to him, and the knowledge made her stomach cramp. But there’d been no time to explain or convince him of the merits of her plan. Team Kaia only had twenty-four hours—nineteen now—to reach Rhea’s garden in the heavens, but to do so, they had to first reach the portal the god queen had opened.