Blood Sport

Chapter Forty-Eight

With the sun bright and shining, the anti-teleport system was deactivated for several hours to allow the remaining competitors the chance to get back to their tents. Essentially, Reagan and Killian.

On her own, after Annaliese's torture, Reagan wasn't sure she'd have managed it.

Killian clasped her close to his chest and teleported to her tent, slowly lowering her to the ground.

They were both weakened. Substantially so. Looming over her, Killian pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"That was the torture you underwent in Castle Solum?"

He'd felt Annaliese's magic before—once—but he'd never had his blood set alight like that.

He understood her pain now. How no torture she'd ever faced would top that. How it felt as though her blood was still boiling for hours after.

"You'll remember that feeling for years to come."

If he closed his eyes, it was like it was still happening. Like he could still feel that pain. Like his body might explode.

"Someone ought to let her have a feel of that kind of pain."

Reagan's jaw set. "I plan to."

They fell into a comfortable silence, both of them taking the time to consider the day's events and gain their breath back from all the madness.

After a long moment of thought, Killian blurted, "You waited for me."

"I wasn't going to leave without you. We're a team, Killian. You and me."

"You shouldn't have stayed."

"It's called loyalty."

"Loyalty be damned. If you'd have gone when you got out of those chains, you wouldn't have gone through that pain again."

Now that he'd experienced it for himself, he never wanted her to feel anything close to it.

He hated that he wasn't able to stop it.

"We both got out just fine. All's well that ends well."

He clenched his fists.

"Fuck that. You should've left. If we're ever in that situation again, leave."

She didn't comment on that. She had no need to. They both knew she wouldn't listen. There was no use in arguing it.

"Several years ago you'd have grabbed me by the ankle and forced me to suffer through that with you."

"Several years ago you were my enemy," He answered.

"Funny how time changes things." There were things she wanted to say again. Words trapped in her throat waiting for him to hear. But she couldn't get them out. Reagan didn't know how to say them. She skirted the topic instead. "So, Petrov's dead."

"That he is."

"Anything you want to say about that?"

"I held true on my promise," Killian stated matter of fact-ly. "He's out of the way now. Done with."

"Why so determined to see him die?"

"I didn't like the way he looked at you."

Because it was her for him and him for her.

Reagan frowned. Somehow, it felt like their story was coming to an end. Like everything would come to a grand finish tomorrow and there'd be nothing left for them going forward.

This was the calm before the storm.

She sucked her lip between her teeth. "It's the final round tomorrow."