Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best book club books .txt) 📕

A portcullis on the other side of the arena rose and Zaruki jogged in, waving to the now cheering crowd. She was dressed in leather with spikes around her neck, waist, and shoulders.

“Interesting fashion choice,” Dianthe whispered.

“It looks like this is hand-to-hand combat. I don’t see any weapons or shields. That fashion statement is Zaruki’s way of wearing her weapons into the ring. If Sabrina tries to grab her, those silver spikes will make her bleed.”

“That’s an unfair advantage!” Dianthe protested.

“I don’t think this competition is meant to be fair.” Sylas folded his arms across his chest.

Demidicus stood, and the arena went silent. “What is your name, stranger?”

Dianthe swallowed down a wave of fear-induced nausea for her friend.

“I am Sabrina, master of the Lamia Coven. I came here to request an audience with you, Master Demidicus, to speak about what is happening in the five kingdoms. If you would grant me your ear, I would be happy to explain.”

The laugh that left the master’s mouth was nothing short of cruel. “Am I to conclude that you challenged Zaruki to circumvent her authority in these matters?”

“Yes,” Sabrina said flatly.

Dianthe’s hopes rose that the master would now agree to meet with them without requiring Sabrina to fight.

But Demidicus only laughed harder. “Let’s leave it to fate then. Battle Zaruki. If you win, I will entertain your request. If you lose…” His eyes drifted to the three of them huddled on the ramp to the arena. “My vampires will enjoy a snack before tonight’s banquet. I’ve never had dragon’s blood, but I hear it is one experience a vampire never forgets.”

Sabrina lowered her chin. “What are your house rules?”

“We have no rules.”

“Do you like Zaruki?” The dark quality of Sabrina’s tone sent a chill along Dianthe’s spine.

Zaruki looked positively bored.

“What has that got to do with anything?” Demidicus asked.

“If possible, would you like me to let her live?”

The master snarled at her. “Zaruki, finish this quickly. I’m famished.”

Zaruki sprang into the air, her boot rounding in a kick toward Sabrina’s head. Avoiding the strike, Sabrina lunged right, snatched her ankle out of the air, and quickly changed direction, sending Zaruki’s face plowing into the mud. Splatters of dark brown sprayed across Sabrina’s pale face. She smiled.

The blond vampire leaped to her feet and attacked, this time with her fists. The movements became so fast Dianthe could barely follow them—strike, duck, kick, block, hook, dodge, uppercut. For close to a minute, neither vampire appeared to land a punch.

“Apparently the master isn’t used to things taking this long.” Sylas pointed a chin toward Demidicus. His frown was growing more pronounced.

Sabrina dropped and kicked straight up, catching Zaruki in the pelvis. The blond vampire soared across the arena and landed in a heap on the other side. As she struggled to her feet, now completely covered in mud, the arena grew so quiet Dianthe could hear the thwuck of each muddy footstep.

Zaruki scrambled to her feet, and a collective gasp left the audience. All her spikes were gone. Dianthe’s mouth dropped open. Her gaze darted back to Sabrina. Red ponytail swinging, she held up a bouquet of sharp silver.

“Looking for these?” With a wicked smile, she tossed them all into the side of the arena, eliciting a gasp from the lowest rung of nearby seats. The spikes sank two inches into the stone.

With a mighty roar, Zaruki hurled herself at Sabrina in a blur of vampiric speed. Sabrina sidestepped so quickly it looked to Dianthe as if she blinked out of existence and reappeared, sinking her knee into Zaruki’s gut.

A groan came from the crowd, but the blond vamp wasn’t giving up. She grabbed Sabrina and held her close, punching her side, her back, her kidney, the side of her jaw. The blows landed, and Dianthe had to believe they hurt. Sabrina might be the faster vampire, but Zaruki had figured that out and was making the most of it.

“How can he be so calm?” Sylas whispered. He was staring at Tobias, who had his arms crossed and was watching with cool, unflustered pride as his mate got pummeled.

“He knows she can do this,” Dianthe said. “He believes in her.”

Sylas frowned. “Believing in someone can’t save them from everything.” The ghost of something dark and evil floated like a cloud through his expression. “I used to think that death was the worst thing that could happen to someone I loved. I know better now.”

A murmur rumbled through the crowd. Sabrina successfully caught Zaruki’s wrist. With the blonde holding Sabrina close, the two looked like they were ballroom dancing. Both were covered in mud now, with the exception of Sabrina’s ponytail, which still swung bright red behind her.

“What happened to you, Sylas?” Dianthe watched the fight, but her mind lingered on her mate and that ghost she’d seen pass behind his eyes. Why hadn’t she considered before that there was something more behind his recent change in behavior?

His eyes glazed. He was gone, lost somewhere in his own thoughts.

Sabrina pushed Zaruki with her chest, snaked her arm between them, and twisted. The thrust and snap that followed was too fast for Dianthe to see, and when Sabrina tossed something aside, it took her a second to realize it was Zaruki’s arm. Dianthe brought both hands to her mouth and gasped. The bloody scene was grisly, something out of a nightmare. Zaruki fell face-first to the arena floor, her blood flowing and mixing with the mud.

The arena erupted into groans and a din of horrified voices. A young vampire near them gagged and turned her face away.

Zaruki tried to get up, but Sabrina had a knee at the center of her back. She raised her hand and struck, breaking through the blond vampire’s rib cage. Dianthe didn’t have to have a close-up view to know what Sabrina was doing. With her hand inside Zaruki, it was clear Sabrina had wrapped her fingers around the other vampire’s heart. All she had