Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

" H elp!" Paige screamed as she kicked her feet against the bed to propel herself backward.

"No one will hear you," Ivy said with an evil grin. "It's just you and me."

Paige tossed back the covers and leapt from the bed, keeping it between them. "Get out of here. Devon will not be happy if you kill me."

"He'll get over it."

"I doubt it. He loves me. I'm wearing his grandmother's ring." Paige showcased the blood-red ruby on her ring finger.

"So what? I'll enjoy ripping it off your finger and sliding it onto mine as I claim him."

"Why not just let the game continue and beat me that way? Then Devon won't have a thing to say about it. He'll be forced to marry you no matter what."

"Because you may win. I'd rather the sure bet. You've already won one round, and I am not taking the chance that you win another."

"You could. And then just kill me. At least it'll look like you tried to win Devon's hand. "

"What part of this aren't you understanding, you dimwitted fool? I want to be a princess. I am not willing to allow you to steal that opportunity from me. So, I will have to kill you now."

Paige shot her a nervous grin as she waved her hands in front of her. "Now, just a second. I'm sure if we put our heads together, we can come up with another solution to this that avoids all this messiness."

"Messiness?" Ivy asked as she sliced the blade through the air and took another step closer to Paige.

"Yeah. I mean, you're going to slash me up. There's going to be blood everywhere. You'll probably get it all over that lovely dress. Who wants that? Maybe…I could leave a note and the ring and quietly slink away, breaking Devon's heart. And then he'll turn to you to console himself and you're in. You win."

"The problem is what if he searches you out. I'd rather kill you. And have you forgotten that I am a vampire? It sounds like a rather delicious meal to me." She shrugged before she licked her lips.

Paige wrinkled her nose. "Ew, that's disgusting."

"Well, then consider me saving you by killing you."

"How do you figure that?" Paige asked, scrunching her features.

"If you live and win, you'll marry Devon, and he will turn you. If you find blood disgusting, that's not a great fit, is it? I'm saving you."

"I'd prefer to cross that bridge when I come to it. So…"

"So, nothing," Ivy said with a sneer. "Enough talking. Time for action."

She dove across the bed, knife poking forward. Paige danced backward, barely avoiding her as she dropped to the floor. In an army crawl, she pulled herself under the bed, desperately trying to slide to the other side and make a run for the door.

A hand wrapped around her ankle and tugged her backward.

"Get off," Paige screamed as she kicked at Ivy, trying to free herself.

"I don't think so." The blonde slashed the knife again, cutting her leg through her pajamas.

Paige shrieked in pain before she managed to land a kick to the woman's gut. Ivy released her grip on Paige, stumbling back a few steps into the wall.

Paige quickly continued her crawl forward and emerged on the other side of the bed. As she rose, Ivy pummeled her. They rolled across the floor in a tangle of limbs. The knife clattered to the hardwood, sliding across the room.

When they came to a stop, Ivy straddled Paige. "All right. I'll do this the old-fashioned way."

She grasped Paige's neck and squeezed.

Paige tugged at the fingers around her throat as she struggled to breathe. "Get off," her raspy voice choked out.

"What's the matter, Paige? Can't breathe?"

Ivy wrinkled her nose as she squeezed tighter.

Paige gave up on trying to pull Ivy's hands away and worked to free herself any way she could. A knock at the door as she wiggled underneath the woman startled them both.

"Hey, Paige?" Dewey called.

"Dewey!" she choked out before Ivy doubled down on her choking.

"I don't think so."

"Paige? Are you really asleep already? Well, I'm coming in. We have things we need to talk about."

The door creaked open, and Dewey flew into the room. "Hope you're dressed because–OMG, Paige! "

Paige shoved at Ivy, trying to remove the woman from on top of her.

"Ivy's trying to kill you."

Paige nodded as she rasped out, "Get the knife."

"Huh? Ohhh, right, because you're going to be Devon's wife. I know. She's really not happy about that, is she?"

"Knife, knife," Paige repeated.

"Yeah, well, you know how women can be. It's…ohh." He twisted to face her. "Wait, did you say knife or wife?"

"Knife!" she tried again with a wrinkled nose.

"Ohh, knife. Oh, there's one across the room. Just a second, I'll grab it." Dewey buzzed toward it when the pressure finally released from Paige's neck.

The threat of the dragon snagging the knife was enough to send Ivy diving across the floor for the weapon.

"Dang it, she got there first."

Paige sucked in gasps of air as she rose to her feet, the edges of her vision blackening. "Run!"

"Yeah, right," Dewey said. "We totally should. Maybe find Devon or Drucinda."

Paige waved a hand at him as she stumbled toward the door. "Run!"

"Oh, you mean now. Right." Dewey fluttered toward the door but Ivy slid in front of it, slamming it shut.

"I don't think so," she said with a sneer as she sliced the knife through the air.

"Dang it," Paige said with a shake of her head.

"Missed our chance," Dewey said. "We'll have to fight this devil another way."

"Any suggestions?" Paige danced around from foot to foot. "You didn't happen to bring a stake with you, did you?"

Dewey dug under one of his scales. "Got a toothpick."

Paige stared at the skinny stick. "Yeah, don't think that's going to cut it. "

Dewey tossed it to the side as Ivy lunged at Paige. She lunged sideways, smashing into the floor and rolling across it.

"Get up, Paige! Quick!" Dewey shouted.

Ivy reoriented herself in Paige's direction, but before she could dive toward her with her knife, Dewey fluttered past in the air and smacked her on the head. "Ow."

"That's what you get for going after my friend," Dewey said. "I'm a full-service maid of honor."

"Seriously?" Ivy asked. "You picked a tiny, male dragon for a maid of honor."

Paige rose to her feet, her eyes narrowed. "Yes, I did. And I would pick him a dozen more times. Dewey is the best."

"Dang right," Dewey said as he buzzed through the air. "You'll never defeat us because we're an unstoppable team!"

Ivy screwed up her face. "I'm fairly certain I will defeat both of you. You're also idiots. And weak."

"Hey! Paige may not work out a lot, but she has some strength!" Dewey shouted as he jabbed a finger at her.

"Thanks, Dewey," Paige said, pressing her lips together into a thin line as she scowled at Ivy.

"But just in case, I think I'll go scream for help in the hall," Dewey said.

"I don't think so." Ivy spun to jab the knife at him, then hurried to block the door before Dewey could reach it.

"Help! HELP!" he shouted. "We're doomed, Paige. She got to the door before I could."

"I see that," Paige answered.

"Paige, get her away from the door, and I'll fly out to get help."

"How do you expect me to do that?" Paige asked with a wrinkled nose.

Dewey zipped around in the air as Ivy sliced at him again. "Grab her and wrestle her away. "

"Are you kidding me? I can't do that. She'll kill me with the knife she has, plus I probably won't be able to budge her. She's way stronger than I am."

"She was right about that. You are kind of weak."

"She's supernatural!" Paige shouted as she flung a hand at the woman.

Ivy took the opportunity to grab it, twisting Paige backward and pressing the knife against her neck. "Well, well, well, it looks like I won. Time to slit your throat and finish this."

"I don't think so, lady," Dewey yelled as he grabbed hold of a vase full of black roses. He buzzed through the air and smashed it over Ivy's head.

Her grip on Paige diminished, and her eyes rolled back in her head before she slumped to the ground.

"Wow," Paige said as she stared with a gaping jaw at the body sprawled on the floor. "I can't believe that worked."

"Me either. I thought you were a goner. I never thought she'd actually pass out. What a wimp."

"Yeah. Hey, before she wakes up and goes insane again, maybe we should leave and get some help," Paige suggested.

"Good idea, partner. And what did I tell you? We're an unstoppable team." He raised in paw for a high-five.

Paige threw her hand through the air, missing his. "Yeah, we're never going to get that. Let's go."

They left Ivy behind and ventured into the hall.

"Where's Devon's room?"

Paige shrugged. "I don't know. Last time I was here, I was running away from Ivy and just stumbled on it."

"What should we do? Knock on random doors until we find it?"

"No!" Paige said with a shake of her head. "Who knows what trouble we'll get into."

"Well…how are we going to find him? "

Paige rubbed her chin before she raised a finger in the air. "We'll just keep calling his name until he opens his door."

"Ohhhh, genius idea. Yeah. Devon? Devon!"

They wandered through the halls in search of the vampire prince, hissing his name in every hall in the hopes of him appearing in one of the doorways.

As they rounded a corner, Paige stared at the set of double doors at the end. "Wait a minute. This looks familiar. This is his room. Ha! We found it."

"Awesome, let's go tattletale on Ivy."

Paige nodded at him as she hurried to the dark doors and pounded on them. "Hey, Devon, open up, it's Pa–"

Her eyes went wide as one door creaked open. Dominic arched an eyebrow at her. "I believe you have the wrong room."

He side-eyed Dewey, his eyebrow rising higher toward his hairline.

"Oops, yeah. Ummm, must have gotten turned around. This place is huge." Paige offered him a nervous chuckle. "Can you point us in the right direction?"

"Actually," Dominic said as he stepped into the hall, "your arrival is fortuitous. I have been meaning to have a word with you. Perhaps now would be an excellent time."

"Nah, it's a terrible time," Paige said as her pulse quickened. "I'm tired. You're tired. We are all tired."

"Yet here you are, roaming the halls in search of my son."

Paige puckered her lips at the words. "Right. Because…there's a problem with my room. And I'm really tired and want to go to sleep and I can't."

"What's the problem?"

"Huh?"

"What's the problem with your room?" Dominic asked.

"There's…a vampire in it who is trying to kill me. "

Dominic offered her a surprised glance. "Really? Ivy has tried to kill you?"

"Yes," Paige said with a nod. "She has."

"And you managed to escape."

"I have, yes. And so now I would like someone to remove her limp body from my room so I can go to sleep. And who better than beefy Devon. Because…of the muscles."

"You knocked out Ivy?" a new voice asked.

Paige's eyes went wide as she stared at the woman who appeared in the doorway, wrapping an arm around Dominic's shoulders as she pulled a silk robe closed. "Aren't you Ivy's mom?"

"I am, indeed," she answered. "And I'd like to know more about how you harmed my daughter."

"I didn't harm her. Dewey smashed a vase over her head because she was trying to kill me. She came after me with a knife. I barely survived."

"Yet, here you are. Dominic, I really believe you ought to send someone immediately to tend to Ivy. She could be seriously hurt."

Paige clicked her tongue. "This is unbelievable. I could have been seriously hurt! Does anyone care about me?"

Marion arched an eyebrow as she let her eyes roam up and down Paige's form. "Not really."

Paige heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Look, just tell me where Devon is."

"Don't," Marion said to Dominic as she caressed his shoulder.

"Seriously? You're sleeping with Dominic so you can eke out favors in this stupid battle?"

"Stupid battle?" Dominic asked. "This is very serious. If you loved my son–"

"Oh, cut the crap," Paige said, crossing her arms and cocking a hip, "it doesn't matter if I love Devon more than Juliet loved Romeo, you'd still be all over my case because I'm not of royal blood or whatever."

"Now, see here…" Dominic began when Devon's voice entered the conversation.

"Paige?"

Paige breathed a sigh of relief, never so happy to see Devon as she was at this moment. "Thank God."

"Yeah, really," Dewey said. "I have never been treated so badly in all my life. If this is an example of the Durand hospitality, well…"

Dominic arched an eyebrow at him, prodding him to continue.

"Honestly, I'd still take it because I've been treated way worse." Dewey let out a chuckle. "Like a lot worse. So, this is pretty decent still considering, but…"

"Dewey!" Paige said with a stamp of her foot.

He cleared his throat. "Right. But still all your fantastic food and your big castle with the luxurious rooms and the really great bedding, and those little mints on the pillow that are really good…do you use a special chocolatier?"

"Dewey," Paige hissed again through clenched teeth.

"Right, right, sorry. Despite all of those wonderful things…you, sir, are a terrible host." Dewey crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin.

"That's it? That's all you got?" Paige asked.

"Paige, what happened?" Devon asked as he slipped an arm around her shoulder.

"Ivy broke into my room and tried to kill me. And when we came searching for you to help, we found Dominic who doesn't care because he's sleeping with Ivy's mom, and now they're trying to turn the entire thing around on me like it's my fault."

"Is that true, Dad?" Devon asked.

"Hardly. She is quite excitable. "

"It's totally true!"

"Then why isn't something being done?" Devon demanded.

"Murderous plots are completely within the rules in an Amor Fortis. You know that."

"Let me guess," Paige said with a roll of her eyes, "they are encouraged."

"Yeah, I know the rules," Devon answered, his chiseled jaw taut. "But this is my fiancée. If someone can murder her under our own roof, what does that say about how Durands prioritize protecting their own?"

"She isn't one of your own, yet," Marion pointed out.

Devon tightened his grip on Paige, pulling her closer. "She is as far as I'm concerned. That's my grandmother's blood ruby on her finger. She's a Durand."

Dominic puckered his lips. "Fine. I cannot do anything about the murder attempt due to the binding rules of the Amor Fortis, but if you feel she is not being protected well enough, I suggest you step up your game."

"My game?" Devon repeated.

"You are a vampire prince. I did not become a feared vampire king by allowing my father to handle every bit of business that came down the pike. I would suggest you start using your talents to protect your fiancé."

Devon's features twisted with anger. "Fine, I will. Come on, Paige."

Devon tugged her down the hall.

"Wait for me," Dewey said as he buzzed after them. "My life was in danger, too. Also, do you know where they keep the pillow mints?"

Paige shot him an annoyed glance.

"What? I could use a few after that."

"He really makes me mad. He can't treat you that way. I'm not going to stand for it," Devon ranted .

Paige shook her head. "I'm really starting to think no matter what happens, he's not going to give us that soul compass."

"Oh, he's going to give it to us. We just have to show him that we're serious. No better way than to win both events today and wrap this thing up."

"That'd be great," Paige said. "I'm really rethinking the whole thing about not killing Ivy at the end."

"Whoa, Paige!" Dewey said, his eyes growing rounder. "The leather trousers have really changed you."

"She is never going to leave us alone."

"Oh, yes, she is," Devon said as he led them into Paige's hall. "I'm not going to let her get away with this."

"Uh, hate to bring up what may be a sore spot, lover boy, but didn't she kick your butt the last time you battled?"

"That's not accurate. She got a well-placed hit in. I'm going to be smarter this time."

"I doubt that," Ivy said as she stepped into the hall from Paige's room.

Devon's hands curled into fists as he sneered at her. He stretched his neck before his body morphed into beast mode. Ivy transitioned to her frightening Venompire form and hissed at him.

Paige swallowed hard as she slinked back a few steps. They were about to witness another vampire fight. And she was afraid the outcome wouldn't be to her advantage.