Page 54 of Unholy Gambit: Checkmate in Blood
They’d decided ahead of time he wouldn’t show affection to her, because doing so with Ruby wouldn’t be honest, and it wouldn’t look right for him to only pay attention to one of them. Better not to be demonstrative with either.
The cavernous room was full of people, and more kept coming in. Aury had no way of guessing how many were vampires, shifters, or humans, but she had a feeling there were few humans.
Finally, Axel and another vampire entered with Marco in a suit and tie between them, the two combatants completely naked.
Everyone backed up to the walls, touching them with a part of their body, even if only a hand, so that must be built into the rules.
Marco walked a circle around the men, stepped away from it, and said, “Incipio.”
Flames roared to life in the circle Marco had walked, heat licking at Aury’s cheeks even from a dozen feet away. The wall of fire felt alive, trapping the men inside like prey in a predator’s domain. Her stomach knotted, this wasn’t some sports arena cage, it was real. Magically, terrifyingly real.
Within a blink, Axel slammed into Humphrey, the impact a blur of pale muscle and motion. The wet, tearing sound of an arm ripping from its socket made Aury’s knees ache, and she flinched when it landed with a heavy thud against the concrete. Ruby’s hand found hers, warm fingers squeezing before letting go.
Humphrey lunged, clawed fingers aimed at Axel’s midsection, but Axel slid aside at the last microsecond and made a motion with his hands that pressed the other vampire’s face into the ground so hard, Aury swore she felt the vibrationthrough the floor. Magic pinned him there, the air humming with it, and her pulse thudded in her ears.
“Accept the truce I offered and we can stop this,” Axel demanded.
When there was no answer, Axel moved closer, bent down, and reached towards Humphrey’s spine — then past it, his fingers curling around bone. He wrenched upward, vertebrae and sinew coming free in a wet chain. Blood slicked his fist, a gaping hole yawning in the other vampire’s back. Aury’s throat clenched; she dragged in a breath through her mouth, tasting copper.
Axel kicked Humphrey over, face up, staring at the ceiling, clearly in shock, and Axel reached to his groin, came away with his dick, tossed it to the side, ripped his balls off.
“Bowels are next. Look at the motherfucking ceiling. Do you see? I own it. It’s yours if you’ll follow the rules of truce.”
Aury looked up, saw a projection of a house beside an orchard.
Humphrey gave an infinitesimal shake of his head, and Axel stabbed his hand into the other vampire’s torso, came out with a length of intestine, easing it free in deliberate coils, each glistening loop catching the firelight. Aury’s stomach rolled, and Ruby’s hand brushed hers again, a silent check-in before retreating.
Axel continued with his slow pulling of the intestine. It went on far too long while Axel was careful to keep from ripping it, though Aury felt certain that was more about effect than worry for the other man’s safety or comfort.
“Teeth are next, you hard-headed bastard! Recompense and truce, or I’ll stretch this out as long as the damned rules allow.”
“Recompense! Your girls for one hundred and forty-four days, plus the painting permanently!”
Axel went to his knees, reached his arm so far into the cavity he’d made in Humphrey’s stomach, he was in past his elbow. If Aury had the dimensions right, Axel was squeezing the bastard’s heart.
“I’m willing to negotiate, but you should try again, and you should think carefully before you open your reckless, arrogant mouth to utter another single word.”
“The painting,” Humphrey gasped, “and you’ll accept one hundred and forty-four lashes from me, the final dozen with silver barbs.”
Axel pulled his arm out, stayed on his knees. “And?”
“I will offer a single silver dollar from early in the previous century.”
Axel probably could’ve negotiated the silver barbs out of the whipping, but he wanted the truce to be real, wanted it to hold, so those final dozen strikes were probably necessary to have any chance of satisfying Humphrey’s centuries long vendetta.
Axel nodded. “Leather whip with three knots until the final dozen. Your terms are acceptable.” He turned his head towards Marco and said, “Consumo.”
Marco nodded, said, “Perago,” and the fire faded away, as if it’d never been. No burn marks, no charring.
“One hour,” Marco said. “Both will feed, and then we will witness the whipping. I have verified the painting exists, is in good condition, and is in Egypt, rightfully owned by Axel. Upon my orders, which are about to happen, the painting will be safely packed and shipped here at Axel’s expense.”
Chapter 16
Axel and Ruby both insisted Aury didn’t need to see him whipped, but she wouldn’t listen to reason. And so, when Axel put his hands into the steel restraints high on the whipping post, the love of his life was forty feet away. Watching.
Axel rested his forehead against the post. The cool metal grounded him, indifferent to the room full of eyes and judgment. He didn’t look back, but he figured Ruby still stood like a statue against the wall.
But it was Aury’s presence he was keyed into, her scent threaded with anxiety, her pulse unsteady. She was trying to be brave for him, but he could feel the tremor behind her ribs from across the room.
