Shadow's Chosen (Dark World Mates Book 3) Read online

  There was only one she didn't recognize species-wise, and that was because he was wearing a mask and hood. In fact, as she got a better look at him, she realized with horrified fury that it was one of the Red Blades. The pack leader seemed to notice him too and cut at the air with his hand to order silence.

  "How the hell did you get in here, Red Blade?" The drogin's eyes darted around the entrances of the building as he frantically waved at his men to check for other intruders. "Have you come with others seeking this human? Because she won't be given over easily."

  The masked man turned his head toward Elise then back to the pack leader. "It is only me who comes for her." His voice was low and grated from the voice box attached to the mask.

  The pack leader looked down at him with a frown, clearly suspicious. "Just you, eh? Why would the great Lady Moth send only one of you to fight all of us?"

  The Red Blade lowered his head. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to win her." He pointed to Elise.

  The drogin's frown deepened. "Fine. Why has your mistress sent only one of you to win her?"

  "Because I am the best fighter."

  The pack leader snorted. "That so? Well, if true, I will allow you to participate. But the prize is only for a night if you come out the last one standing."

  "No. I win, she comes with me."

  The leader bared his teeth and put up a hand to keep his men back. "I think not. Maybe you didn't hear me, but I said she wouldn't be given over easily."

  "I did hear," the lone Red Blade said. "I want to make a bet."

  The leader's eyes widened. "A bet?"

  "All of your best fighters versus myself. I win, and I take her."

  This got everyone's attention, including the leader. Some laughed, others called him crazy. The leader threw up his hand for silence.

  "That's a death wish, my friend," he said. But Elise could see he was thinking it over seriously. He looked to those around him, then he smiled. "All right. You take out all my best fighters, and she's yours. It'll be entertaining to see what happens. When you’re beaten dead, we will send your body back to your mistress, eh?"

  "Once I win, you will not stop me. I want her bag and weapon too, and I want a vehicle."

  "Arrogant ass—" Ruvi began to hiss when his boss growled at him to be quiet.

  "Fine. Since I honestly think you're bluffing and know the Red Blades aren't known for their brawling skills, I'll give you this." The drogin leaned forward in his chair. "A bet is a bet, and I don't need others thinking me a sore loser, so you have my word. If you somehow manage to win, you will have your prize, and I'll let you walk out of here without a problem. Deal?"

  "Deal," said the Red Blade. Elise wanted to hurl, she was so angry, but she didn't think he could possibly beat them.

  "We will even make it easier on you and have no time limit." The drogin reclined back in his chair. "I'll let you keep on your gear too, since it won't be a fair match anyway." He grinned. "Good luck."

  At that, the other fighters turned away from one another and instead set their sights on the lone man. Elise sat up straighter so she could watch, uncertain who to root for. The rest of the crowd leaned in close to the rail in anticipation. They stood at the ready as the buzzer went off and the fighters moved.

  Elise had seen her share of brawls. Bar brawls, base brawls. She'd even been a part of a few herself. She was used to the sight of men and women fighting; of them wailing on each other, pushing and shoving. She was used to seeing human men and women. But the ones in the pit were not human. And they did not fight like them. What she saw was so savage, so violent, it actually stunned her. She couldn't remember the last time something shocked her to this extent. And much of it came from the lone Red Blade. He was utterly ruthless. In a mere instant, one fighter jumped on him and was on the ground before Elise could blink, their jaw broken in. He was so fast, he moved through the fray of fighters, cracking ribs and jaws, breaking arms and shattering knees. Several fighters went down in only mere minutes. The others backed off to assess the masked man. Two tried to gang up on him, but, once again, he outpaced them. Blood gushed from the mouth and nose of one drogin as he fell, a lygin swiped from the back, only to have his hand blocked and twisted backwards then kicked so hard in the stomach he soiled himself.

  Elise stared in bewilderment at the scene, not noticing at first that she had her hand covering her mouth. She dropped it but couldn't peel her eyes away. As terrifying as the Red Blade fought, she also couldn't help being a little inspired. He blocked so effortlessly and moved so gracefully nothing seemed to hit him. He knew where to hit and how hard to do the most damage. His strikes were as quick as a snake...

  The more she watched him, the more his movement seemed oddly familiar. She swore she'd seen that sort of fighting style before, only less extreme. As the bodies racked up and only a few fighters remained, she knew something was up.

  The Red Blade took out one of the lizards by kicking its head into the wall, leaving only two remaining: a large drogin male, perhaps the biggest she'd yet seen, and another smaller drogin with quick reflexes. They came at the Red Blade as a pair which turned quickly into one remaining as the smaller drogin went down on its back with its nose smashed in.

  The large wolfish drogin turned to the Red Blade and snarled, baring his teeth. He struck out his long arm, cracking the stone wall of the pit beside him. He charged the masked man, jaws open, ready to bite, and the Red Blade merely ducked, uppercutting the drogin in the jaw, snapping his mouth shut. The large drogin shook off the blow and lunged, swinging his fist down which the Red Blade blocked then grabbed his wrist in one smooth movement, pulling him down and clocking the drogin in the head with his elbow. As the drogin fell forward and came crashing to the ground, the man swung around onto his back and hit him a few times more on the skull until he lay limp on the ground.

  The crowd did not make a sound as the Red Blade rose amidst the sprawled out bodies. They eyed their leader, who hadn't moved, nervously.

  Ruzi stepped forward and was quickly stopped by the pack leader's hand. "Don't even think about it," he hissed.

  "I win," said the Red Blade. "Now I will take her and go."

  "You...are truly skilled, Red Blade." The pack leader stood. "I...don't suppose I could offer you a chance to stay with us? I could use a fighter like you. And you could still have the girl all to yourself—"

  "No." The Red Blade gestured to Elise. "We leave. Me and the girl."

  The drogin grimaced. "Get her bag and weapon," he ordered his men. "I'm a man of my word. You may leave this place unharmed," he said to the Red Blade.

  Elise didn't believe that for a second, but the men brought her things and forced her to her feet.

  The drogin put up his hand for them to wait. "I would ask you to remove your mask first. A courtesy to those still living who'd like to know such a glorious opponent."

  "No," said the Red Blade.

  "I must insist," the pack leader growled. "Otherwise, I can't properly hand her over."

  The Red Blade's hands clenched into tight fists then loosened. He lifted his hands, removing the mask and throwing back his hood.

  Elise felt her body turn to ice and her breath catch in her throat. A few in the crowd hissed, some cursed and looked away.

  "You...are not what I expected," the pack leader said after a pause. "But then, one who fights like you would have to look the part."

  Nezka rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "It has its advantages. But I didn't want to scare your fighters away so quickly. Fair match and all." He gestured again to Elise without looking at her. "Now, we will be going."

  Someone pushed at Elise's back, but she found she couldn't move. The alien before her was indeed Nezka the hunter in the flesh. Only, half his face was missing. The skin was gone, seared away, showing bits of muscles and bone, exposing his cheek bone, sharp teeth, and jaw. Flesh was burned on the outer edges, darkened to a near black. His left eye was partially blackened as well, leaving the col
oring around the pupil to look red. If he looked like death before, now he absolutely was.

  Someone shoved her forward, and she stumbled to the edge of the pit. Nezka looked up at her, taking her in as much as she did him. Her bag was kicked to her feet and her gun tossed on top of it. Elise hesitated, tearing her eyes away from Nezka to pick up her things. As she pulled her bag over her shoulder and holstered her gun, Nezka climbed out from the pit to stand beside her, ignoring those men who glared at him with vengeful intent. Elise, so stunned by the sight of him and what she had just witnessed, let him take her arm and pull her away.

  The crowd parted as they worked their way out of the building, and Elise turned her head to look back at the pack leader, who watched them go, his men close, whispering in his ear.

  As they made their way out to the garage, they found several cars of their choosing, but the one Nezka decided on was some kind of motorcycle with thick wheels, encased in a blue-black steel. No one stopped him as he hopped on the bike and started it. Red lights lit up its sides and across its wheels, and the engine purred to life. Elise looked around and saw people watching...waiting.

  "They aren't going to just let us leave like this," Elise whispered as Nezka messed with the touchscreen on the cycle's dash and tested the controls. He revved the engine and adjusted himself on the seat so that Elise could sit comfortably behind him.

  "They will. But only until we leave their keep," Nezka said in a low voice. "Then they are going to chase us. Get on."

  Elise did as ordered and got on, pressing herself close to Nezka's back, hand clutching his waist. She might have been appalled at having to be so close to him before, but in this moment, she didn't trouble herself over it. She just wanted to get as far away as possible from this place.

  "How good is your aim while moving?" Nezka asked as he backed the motorcycle several feet, positioning it out of the garage.

  Elise gazed at the back of his head with a frown. "Accurate enough, depending on speed and how far away the target is. Why?"

  "Have your gun ready. You're going to need to watch our back." The bike began to pick up speed as Nezka drove out of the garage toward the gate.

  Eleven

  Nezka knew they would come for them. He'd been around enough criminals and conmen to know every word of a deal could be twisted to work for their benefit. The leader of this pack of car thieves would let him leave their compound, but once he was outside it, they would follow.

  Maybe if he was alone and had no time to lose, he would fight them, take them down slowly, one by one. He was tempted after seeing what they had done to Elise. But he knew now fighting them was a fool's idea. So, he would run until they could follow no farther. Which, by what he gathered after tracking them, was about a mile out to the north end till they hit a dried-out chasm that had once been a river. From there, judging by their route, the gang's territory ended. All he had to do was cross over into what was supposedly another's territory, and they would be safe. For a little while, at least.

  Nezka built up speed as he skidded around a corner and took off down the road. It wasn't long till they heard the roar of other vehicles behind them. Elise clung to him tightly with one arm as she took up her gun in the other.

  "Aim for their tires," Nezka said as he turned quickly down another road. Taking the bike was a risky choice, making Elise vulnerable at her back, but it could get them through areas the cars might not be able to go. If he could lose them in time, it would be worth the exposure.

  They flew down one street after the other, the screen on the dash helping Nezka navigate the maze of roads, looking for alternative routes. The gang knew the streets better and likely knew all the secret passages, but it was all he could do to try to lose them.

  Nezka drove straight on, swerving past abandoned vehicles and other obstacles along the road. Something bright zapped by and crackled beside him. Another zap, and Nezka saw the sparks of electricity dance across the road. Elise let off a few rounds in response, and Nezka knew the pack was close behind them. "Hold on," he called and felt her grip tighten around his waist as he took a sudden sharp turn down an alleyway, too narrow for the cars to follow.

  He exited off onto a different road parallel to the one before and continued on to the river-chasm. From the dashboard rear-view screen, he saw a pair of two-wheelers like his own shoot through the alley and race toward them. Elise shot at them, hitting the front tire of one two-wheeler, making it skid off the road and into a nearby building. The second didn't halt but sped up, closing in. It fell beside them, swerving closer, trying to hit them. Elise shot at the driver, but the sparks of yellow light did nothing to his armor. She went for the wheels instead, only for the driver to put on his brakes, causing her to miss. He drove beside them and tried to hit them again, but Nezka was prepared this time. He waited for another blockade in the road then kicked his leg out and pushed the other two-wheeler away, causing it to smash right into a large sign made of a slab of metal.

  At the end of the road, Nezka could see the river-chasm and a bridge. He could also see several vehicles already there, waiting to block his way. Baring his teeth in a low growl, he quickly turned down another road before the bridge, racing east till the road connected to another, bringing them alongside the chasm. Vehicles followed behind, and more bullets and bursts of electricity whirled past to try and stop him. As another bridge came into view ahead, Nezka could see it was empty of vehicles but that a portion of it was broken off. Missing.

  It would have to do.

  At the crossroad, Nezka turned tightly onto the bridge just as a group of cars met him down one street. He straightened out then picked up speed, forcing the two-wheeler to its limit. Ahead, he saw the broken section, but he didn't stop. He thought he heard his name being called, but he refused to look back or to slow. He heard more shots pop off and the sounds of vehicles screeching to a halt as he jumped the bridge.

  He felt Elise's arms wrap around his midsection in a tight grip as they fell. Her shout of surprise cut in his ear. The two-wheeler landed and hopped, jolting them across the other side. As soon as the wheels touched firmly on the ground, Nezka hit on the brakes, skidding the two-wheeler around into a half circle, blowing up dust and smoke from the tires. As the air cleared, Nezka got a good look at the other side and smiled. The cars had stopped, and the pack spilled out onto the bridge to howl with rage. A few shot off a couple rounds which didn't quite reach, but Nezka wasn't taking any chances. He turned around and drove off, putting distance between him and the chasm.

  Elise, though still pressed closely against him, loosened her grip, her gun still firm in her hand, waiting, perhaps, for more danger to come. Nezka didn't stop until he felt her tap his side, wanting off. He searched around for a safe place, turning down a narrow road, through a low tunnel.

  Out the other side, a large, nearly windowless building came into view, its sides made of some smooth stone with several levels of glass at the top. Nezka slowed considerably as he drove around a circular courtyard with a twisted statue at the center then up a wide ramp to the blown out doors of the building. He slipped inside, into considerable darkness, into a wide foyer with a high open doorway. Past that was a long passage with a high, open ceiling, the glass roof shattered. To each side were several floors of crumbling balconies above. Nezka slowed to a near walking speed as he passed another twisted statue at the middle, one covered nearly head to foot in some odd plant. At the end of the long passage, glass lifts hung, stuck on various floors. But by the bent metal and broken glass, they were no longer in working order. Someone had come through here at some point and tore the building apart. Nezka could even see the marks from explosive damage and bullet fire on the walls and floors. It might not be empty, but it looked it, and he saw no signs of others or any recent damage.

  It would have to do for now.

  He stopped the two-wheeler beside a lone stairway beside the lifts. He turned the vehicle off, and Elise released her grip on him. She stumbled as she got up
to stand, and Nezka caught the blood on her leg, staining her white suit a dull red.

  "You’re hit." Nezka got off the two-wheeler to examine her.

  She shook her head at him. "It's from a bite." When he gave her a concerned glare, she continued with, "From a fight with a particularly large drogin. They tried to patch me up so I wouldn't bleed out, but they clearly did a shit job."

  She looked pale. Her eyes were dark, lip cut, and face slightly swollen on one side. She looked like she was about to pass out as she hunched over, her eyes blinking slowly. "When's the last time you ate or drank?" Nezka asked, taking the bag off her shoulders to look inside. She didn't protest, though she looked ready to.

  "A half a day or so, I think," she said hesitantly. As in she wasn't sure.

  Nezka rifled through the bag. Only one food pack remained. The clothes were gone. Somehow, miraculously, her canteen had been spared, but it was empty.