She cracked a smile. “Do they know that you call them that too?”
“No, and I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell them. It would go straight to their heads.”
“Sure thing,” she chuckled.
“They’ll find Finn, Sera. You just stay focused on the Games.”
“But—”
“No buts. Go.” He pointed at the bathroom sign. “There will be a pizza slice waiting for you when you return.”
“There had better be,” she grumbled, heading for the bathroom with the shopping bag in hand. The click of her broken boots on the marble floor drowned out the low rumble of her hungry stomach.
A few minutes later, she left the bathroom looking halfway human again. She’d washed the blood, sweat, and sand off her body using a stack of wet paper towels that now lay in a dirty bundle at the bottom of the sink-side trashcan. The new clothes fit. Better yet, they were stretchy enough to not constrict her in a fight. Sera had to give it to Kai’s people; they sure knew how to pick out battle-worthy clothes. They also had an ill-conceived sense of humor.
“You need to introduce me to whoever picked out this shirt,” Sera told Kai as she rejoined him in the lobby. “I need to thank them personally.”
Kai looked from her hard grin to the shirt in question. Black and strappy, it looked more like lingerie than a shirt. It certainly only covered about as much of her as a bra.
“By thank, you mean—”
“Introduce to my sword,” she said, turning around once. “I mean, just look at this.”
“Oh, I’m looking all right.”
She blushed. “This isn’t funny, Kai.”
“I’m completely serious. Turn around again.” His brows peaked. “I need to get a closer look at this travesty.”
She punched him in the arm. He didn’t even try to dodge the blow. He just looked down at her fist, an amused twitch on his lips. She shook out her throbbing hand. You’d think by now she’d have learned not to punch the dragon.
“This is half a shirt. There’s less fabric here than in my ruined top,” she said.
“But it’s artistically cut.”
A growl buzzed in her throat. “You need to fire the person responsible.”
His gaze panned up her body. “Actually, I’m thinking of giving him a raise.”
So the guilty party was a man. Figured. No woman would have come to the conclusion that it’s a splendid idea to fight monsters in her underwear.
“Do you have my pizza?” Sera asked.
He pointed to the counter. “Over there. You’ll have to eat it fast. Your next match starts in ten minutes.”
“That won’t be a problem,” she said, swiping up the paper plate. It was already drenched in oil that had slid off the pizza. Mmm. “I’ll be done in two.”
“Since you defeated the Monster Mixer, you’ll be facing the Blood Brothers next, followed immediately by someone from the Mages of the Universe,” Kai said as she devoured the pizza.
“Any idea which mage?” she asked between bites.
“No, it’s a surprise.”
“Goody.” She used the napkin to wipe the last of the oil from her fingers, tossed it and the paper plate into the trash, then swung her bag over her shoulder. “Ok, ready.”
He tossed her a new pair of boots. “Good luck.”
She put them on, grinning at him. “It will be easy.”
He didn’t return her grin. Instead, he said, “I’ll send Edwards out for more clothes.”
She wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or just being practical. “Aha! Now I have the offending party’s name.”
“Seven minutes,” Kai reminded her.
“Going,” she said, hurrying off.
Two guards stood in front of the door that led ‘backstage’. They let her pass, their eyes glued to her chest. Maybe she could work with this—distract the Blood Brothers with her new outfit while she kicked their asses. Yeah, that could work. The vampires were a horny bunch. Then she’d just have to do the same with the mage, and she’d be all done for the day. No magic necessary. She smiled as she deposited her bag and sword in her locker, then headed down the hall to the fighting pit.
* * *
The guard who’d refused to find her a healer stood beside the open door to the pit, looking big and dangerous.
“I found a healer,” she said, giving him a defiant glare.
“So you did.” He looked pleased. “And new clothes,” he added with a leer. “I’m going to have to pat you down for weapons. You weren’t supposed to bring those knives into the pit last time.”
Sera sighed and handed him the two knives she’d tucked into her new boots. “Here. No pat-down necessary.”
“Sorry, peaches.” He set her knives into a box near his feet, then gestured for her to lift her arms. “Rules are rules.”
He took twice as long as necessary to pat her down. He was enjoying himself far too much. Whatever. She probably wasn’t allowed to break his kneecaps, but she’d think of something else. Something more subtle. Like poisoning his coffee. There was nothing like a case of magical food poisoning to teach you not to grope the Magic Games fighters.
Sera passed through the door, following the scents of sugar and sex into the fighting pit. Shapeshifting vampires. Their magic had a pretty distinct smell. Like a smoker who drenched himself in cologne, the vampires’ potent perfume covered most of the blood smell. But only most. As soon as you got close enough, the charade shattered. Sera kept walking. Any minute now…