Death Match (A Magic Bullet Novel Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

The teams were comprised mostly of djinn and magicians, with a smattering of the Nephilim. It was a huge honor to be chosen to represent your district within the colony. Historically, the winning teams from each colony would compete in a final round a few weeks later, but these days no one could ever agree on a neutral location for the final round and too many participants ended up dead. Colonies didn't like losing their most powerful supernaturals. So now each colony declared its own winning team and that was the end of it. Their bragging rights were secure for the next four years.
    "I guess Prince Simdan will be giving his usual lecture to the Marida." My court didn't partake in the games in any way, shape or form. My caste considered it barbaric to use magic and power purely for the sake of beating others. We were too refined for such behavior. I wasn't as prissy about it, but I disliked the games as well. The rules seemed to change on a dime and if the Colony Games Council believed a participant overstepped, they were immediately eliminated. Not simply eliminated from the games. Killed. Right there in front of thousands of spectators. The Council was the Nero to the participants' supernatural Gladiators.
    "Ah, yes," Flynn said. "Your fearless leader." He swung the sledgehammer and attempted to drop it on my foot. I hopped back just in time.
    "He's not my leader." I unsheathed my other dagger so that I had one in each hand.
    "Our leaders wholly support the games," Flynn said.
    I launched a dagger at his throat. With an agile swing, he used the sledgehammer to knock it out of range. It was a good throw, but his reflexes were too fast for me.
    "There's no snobbery in my caste," he continued. "In fact, I already have my ticket for the games."
    "Of course you do," I said. "It could be good for you. Maybe you can learn a few moves to help you beat me."
    He flashed me a good-natured grin and rightfully so. The truth was, he nearly always beat me now that I was stuck in human form. Didn't stop me from trying, though.
    "I considered sneaking in Tessa so she could see real magic in action."
    Humans were banned from the games. It was a paternalistic attitude, but, basically, the supernatural world thought it was for their own good. Humans were notorious for ruining a Good Thing and, in most supernatural minds, the Colony Games were a Good Thing. It was one of the main reasons we kept our existence a secret from all humans except those with a Third Eye. We couldn't hide from those humans even if we wanted to.
    "Why would you endanger her like that? The games attract all sorts of overexcited supernaturals. She'd be at risk just using the restroom."
    "Relax, she's not interested. She said she already has all the magic in her life she needs."
    He moved his hips suggestively and I made a choking sound.
    "Can I get back to killing you now?" I asked, one hand on my hip.
    "You're welcome to get back to trying," he replied, slinging the sledgehammer over his shoulder.
    I hurled a dagger at his head, but he was already gone.

5
    " H ow's the dog ?" I asked.
    Pinky and I were holed up in Farah's secret armory, checking out some of the newly acquired weapons. The armory was hidden behind a dressing room mirror in Tops and Bottoms. A protective spell courtesy of Pinky kept the dangerous contents safe from intruders.
    Over the past few weeks, we found ourselves gravitating to the armory to conduct business, probably because it was the safest place we could possibly be in this city of supernatural and human lunatics.
    "Pacino's been pretty good, actually," she replied. "My mom's taken a shine to him. He chases the rabbits that attack her vegetable garden."
    "Your mom has a vegetable garden?" For some reason, I pictured vegetable gardens as part of stately homes in England, not average human homes in the Philadelphia suburbs.
    "She grows all kinds of stuff," Pinky said. "She started with herbs when I was born so she could teach me about them for