(Skeleton Key) Game Master (9 page)

I got in at least six blows to his none when he got pissed and charged me. I dove under him just as his arms came in to swipe me up. I landed hard on my back between his feet, kicking up as I hit the ground.

I nailed him like a motherfucker with my boot.

Right to his crotch.

He stilled.

It was like watching a huge tree totter back and forth.

Timber!

I quickly rolled back to get out of the way as he bellowed and toppled on his back, curling into the fetal position.

I wanted to kick him while he was down, but Lucifer caught me around the waist when I had my foot mid-swing.

Dammit.

He protested, “That blow you gave him will set him back a few months. Leave him be.”

I grumbled and crossed my arms, upset he wouldn’t let me have my fun. He carried me away, through the bodies, with one arm around my waist. I glared over my shoulder.

He laughed, sputtering, “You’re like a furious pixie.” My eyes bulged at the put-down, and he immediately shook his head. “No. No. Don’t get mad at me. Pixie’s can be very hazardous to a person’s health.”

My gaze clearly stated I thought he was full of shit.

He responded simply, “No, really. They’re tiny and cute, so everyone thinks they’re harmless, right? They never see the devious and dangerous side of them until it’s too late.”

I blinked. Well, that was all right.

I sniffed and turned my head away, trying to be as dignified as I could be—even as he carried me.

I ignored the way his shoulder shook, of course.

General Finley and his entourage were down from their ‘safe zone’ and scrutinizing us with guarded eyes.

Lucifer sat me on my feet in front of them and stood next to me.

General Finley crossed his arms and glared down at me. “You manipulated us in the beginning.”

Ah. He was just now figuring that out.

Lucifer rocked back and forth on his heels and put his hands in his back pockets, trying to look innocent.

I just stood there.

I hurt too damn bad to pretend innocence right now.

General Finley showed his teeth. “Code word?”

I didn’t say anything.

Lucifer stayed mute.

We had barely had time to come up with anything as we had raced down the hallway this morning. The word ‘kill,’ for example, was the code word for ‘stall.’ ‘Pig’ was the code word for ‘flee.’ And ‘pants’ was the code word for ‘help.’ That was all we’d had time for. No originality, really, but it had worked.

General Finley looked like he wanted to strangle us. “That test was supposed to have surprised you. To see what you would do on your feet against so many.”

Yeah, I got that impression when everyone had stormed into the building once General Finley and his cohorts were safely above.

Again, Lucifer and I stayed mute.

General Finley actually growled.

Until someone—a stern looking middle-aged woman—grabbed his arm and yanked him away as her face showed obvious shock at his behavior.

We twiddled our thumbs.

Two men in dark cloaks stayed.

They watched us.

They had been up top with General Finley. The two guys looked pretty uptight. Upper officials, all the way. They really didn’t like being stuck near us, but there was a special gleam in their eyes as they studied us. I felt like a lab rat.

I didn’t like that.

But I did eventually smirk.

I waited for a full minute for the man on the right’s covert, forlorn gaze to come back to us and alter into studying us again. I murmured quietly, “Sorry about your carriage.”

His eyes widened to saucers.

I leaned against Lucifer and held his gaze.

He sputtered for a few seconds. Then he stormed off to where General Finley and the woman were having a heated argument. Apparently, he had decided to join the fray.

Lucifer wrapped his left arm around my shoulders, fingers spread wide in front of us.

He cried out quietly in a girly voice, “I think I broke a nail! I’ll have to fix that right away.” He sighed and then gasped, bringing his hand closer to our faces. “Freddy will just cry when he sees this. It’s two nails, not one!”

I bit the inside of my cheek hard.

Lucifer had correctly guessed the older, butch man’s flaw. He stopped studying us and an expression of disgust crossed his features, taking Lucifer for a gay man. The last cloak-wearing fool turned and stormed off to argue with his cohorts.

All around us was chaos. Chaos we had instigated.

I wondered how long it would take General Finley to put it all together. I relaxed against Lucifer, more now that no one was watching us. The sound of groans was music to my ears as people started picking themselves up off the ground or waking from being knocked out. I watched them covertly making sure none came charging at us in post rage.

They didn’t.

Minutes passed.

General Finley hollered for his group to shut up.

He cast thoughtful eyes on us.

The General was clearly in control of his temper now.

Lucifer and I lifted a free hand each and wiggled our fingers. Harmless. That was us.

General Finley took a slow perusal of his co-workers pissed off faces and then at the hurt people around us. He blinked. Slowly, like a steam engine train just starting up, he began to chuckle until it became a full grab-your-belly laugh, his tan face turning pink with his mirth. I observed silently until he shook his head at us and threw his arms wide, shouting, “You two are fucking geniuses!”

We nodded.

He finally got it.

We
controlled the chaos.

We
stopped it before it even began.

We
let it begin.

We
beat them down.

When it stopped,
we
started it again.

We
egged him on to the point he lost control, just as each one of his experienced co-workers had.

We
held them all in our hands.

We were the eye of the storm.

And we didn’t like being an experiment.

Experience, yes.

Training, yes.

But when they were lifted up above, to study us, we had bristled. Maybe General Finley and his colleagues would learn from this. Perhaps they wouldn’t.

Teach us. Show us. Help us.

But don’t experiment on us.

Or do…

And face our wrath.

After General Finley had calmed everyone down and gotten medical help for those who needed it, he and his chums took us out to lunch. All of them watched us warily, except for General Finley, who couldn’t stop shaking his head and chuckling. I was sure he was embarrassed with himself.

While we ate, they asked us normal questions about our home lives, normally get to know you stuff, but with my past—or no past in this realm—Lucifer talked nonstop to keep the focus off me. General Finley was quiet in his seat, becoming more and more amused as the time passed by. When we left, he took us back to the keep and walked us to our rooms.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” The General stared off to the side. “I’ve learned a valuable lesson today.”

He didn’t say what it was, but he had apologized.

So, I forgave him.

While watching him from the corner of my eye.

Our two tests were done.

Tomorrow we would know if we were part of the Guard.

I walked into my room to Kingsley taking a bath in my cup of water I’d left out. My brows rose. “Seriously?”

“One must bathe to look as good as I do,” he sang and dropped one of my mints into the water. His red head turned in my direction. “What do you call these wonderful bath salts? Their scent is minty fresh.”

I blinked. “They're called a breath freshener.”

He stared. “They aren’t for bathing?”

“No.”

His head tipped back in disgust, peering down into the water turning white. “I may need another bathtub.”

I threw my hands into the air and walked back out of my room. I was too tired for the frog’s ego. It would be quieter in Lucifer’s room.

As long as he didn’t snore too badly.

I stood outside Lucifer’s door and knocked.

“One second,” he called.

I rested a shoulder against the doorframe.

He was closer when he asked, “Who is it?”

“Arizona.” I yawned.

The door opened.

“I was just getting ready to take a bath.”

Yeah, he was.

Lucifer stood with a towel wrapped around his waist. He held it together with just his left fist. The rest of his body was bare. His toes were even perfect.

I stared, my eyes running down all of his hard muscles on display. My mouth bobbed. I couldn’t speak as a flush burned my cheeks. My soul partner was built like a dream.

His lips curved up on one side, and he rested his shoulder on the doorframe right in front of me. Our bodies were mere inches apart. The heat from his skin brushed mine, warming my body even further.

He chuckled quietly. “Hello.”

I blinked—more than a few times. “Hi.”

He tipped his head and rested the side of it on the doorframe. His blue gaze quietly observed, his eyes flicking back and forth between mine. “Is there something you need?”

I swallowed on a dry throat. “I wanted to stay in your room for a while. Except baths seem to be popular right now. Kingsley was taking one, too.”

He hummed softly in his throat and leaned his head closer to mine. His voice dropped an octave, and his words were gently stated. “You can still come in.” He didn’t look away from me. “If you want.”

It was an offer. To join him, in all ways.

He’d given it once before.

When I had first moved in with him years ago.

I closed my mouth and gazed back.

His blond brows quirked ever so slightly when I didn’t immediately turn him down—as I had done before. He took a step closer, dragging his bare shoulder along the doorframe. Only an inch separated us now. He lifted his free hand and ran his fingers down my arm, starting from my elbow and descending to my hand. His warm fingers played with mine with a delicate touch.

He whispered, “Are you finally ready to accept me?”

I gazed into the most beautiful blue eyes. “Why would you want to change what we have?” I still didn’t take my hand back, allowing his fingers to toy with mine.

“Because that’s not all I want. You know that.”

I inhaled a small breath and scented him. Sweat from fighting and his enticing cologne. My brows furrowed just a little, worry fluttering in my stomach. “What if it’s too much for me?”

“Am I too much for you now?”

“No, but that’s different.”

“It is. And it isn’t.” He took another step forward and pressed his body against my front.

We fit. We always had.

“It’s time to accept this is where you belong, Arizona.” He held my fingers tighter and lifted my hand, maneuvering my arm so it wrapped around his waist. Only when I didn’t pull my arm away did he let go. His arm slipped around my hip, and his palm landed at the small of my back. He whispered, “Here. In this realm. With me.”

I breathed in heavy pants, my chest lowering and falling against his body. “I want you.”

“I know,” he whispered. His hand pressed against my back, pushing my soft curves against his unyielding body. “And I’m tired of waiting.”

My heart broke a little. I hadn’t meant to hurt him. I hadn’t been ready for this before. I was in the clutches of my father’s death and only eighteen-years-old. I wasn’t that same girl any longer.

I nodded my head. “Okay.”

His eyes softened, less guarded. “I won’t hurt you, honey. You’re the one for me. I’ll cherish you forever.”

I licked my lips and grinned. “I know.”

The blue of his eyes was captivating. “You’re really ready for this? To be us, but a different us?”

“I said yes. I meant it.” I nodded and tested running my fingers over his skin. It was heated and smooth against the pads of my fingers. “I know you’re the one for me. My partner. The other half of my soul.”

As he stared down at me, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes turned fierce on mine. “You’re mine.”

I lifted my brows. “And you’re mine.”

He groaned quietly, lifting his hand and resting it on my cheek. “Fuck, it’s about time.”