Changes

“The girl’s human,” Bob said. “So only the human bits. His body, his mind. I suppose if he got lucky, he might wind up a vegetable in which his Hunger demon was trapped, but it won’t spread any farther into the White Court than that.”

“Dammit,” I said. I started to say more, but caught motion out of the corner of my eye. I stuffed Bob all the way back into the sack, admonishing him to shut up, and turned to find Alamaya entering the temple with a dozen of the full-vampire jaguar warriors at her back.

“If you would follow me, lord wizard,” the girl said, “I will conduct you to she who has wronged you. My lord wishes you to know that he gives his word that your daughter will be spared from any harm until the duel is concluded.”

“Thank you,” I said. I turned to look at my little girl one more time. She huddled against the wall, her eyes open but not fixed on anything, as if she were trying to watch everything around her at once.

I moved over to the child, and she flinched again. I knelt down in front of her. I didn’t try to touch her. I didn’t think I would be able to keep cool if I saw her recoil from my hand.

“Maggie,” I said quietly.

Her eyes flashed up to me, surprise evident there.

“I’m going to take you away from the mean people,” I said, keeping my voice as soft and gentle as I knew how. I didn’t know if she even understood English. “Okay? I’m taking you out of here.”

Her lip trembled. She looked away from me again.

Then I stood up and followed the priestess of the junkie god to face my enemy.

Outside, things had changed. The Red Court had filed down from the pyramid and were on the move, walking in calm, ordered procession to another portion of the ruins. My companions waited at the bottom of the stairs.

“Right,” I said, once I reached them. “Duel time.”

Sanya shook his head. “Mark my words. This will not be settled in a dueling circle. Things like this always go to hell.”

“The Accords are serious,” I said. “He’ll play it straight. If I win, I get the girl and we’re gone.”

Martin shook his head.

“What?” I asked him.

“I know them,” he said levelly. “None of us are leaving this place alive.”

His words had an instant effect on everyone. They hit Molly the hardest. She was already pale. I saw her swallow nervously.

“Maybe you know the monsters, Martin,” Murphy said quietly. “But I know the guy who stops them. And if they don’t return the girl, we’ll make them regret it.” She nodded at me and said, “Let’s go. We can watch Dresden kill the bitch.”

I found myself smiling. Murphy was good people.

Once the last of the half-mortal jaguar warriors had departed, we fell into step behind them, and followed them toward what looked like another temple, on the north end of the ruins.

As we went beneath the temple doorway, though, we found ourselves passing through it into the open space beyond—a swath of green grass at least a hundred and fifty yards long and seventy or eighty yards wide. Stone walls about thirty feet high lined the long sides of the rectangle, while the far end boasted a temple like the one we’d just entered.

“It’s a stadium,” I murmured, looking around the place.

“Ugh,” Molly said. “There are some pretty horrific stories about the Mayans’ spectator sports, boss.”

“Indeed.” Lea sighed happily. “They knew well how to motivate their athletes.”

Alamaya turned to me and said, “Lord, your retainers may wait here. Please come with me.”

“Keep your eyes open, folks,” I said. Then I nodded to Alamaya and followed her onto the field. Even as I started out, a woman began walking toward me from the opposite end. As she approached, I saw that Aria

I smiled at her and said, “I gotcha now.”

“Yes,” Aria

“Why?” I demanded of her. “Why bring the child into this? Why not just come straight to me?”

“Does it matter at this point?”

I shrugged. “Not really. I’m curious.”

She stared at me for a moment and then she smiled. “You don’t know.”

I eyed her warily. “Don’t know what?”

“Dear boy,” she said. “This was never about you.”

I scowled. “I don’t understand.”

“Obviously,” Aria

A conch horn moaned and Alamaya turned to bow toward the temple I’d just come through. I could see the Red King seated upon a throne made of dark, richly polished wood, decorated with golden filigree and designs.

Alamaya rose and turned to us. “Lord and lady, these are the limits within which you must do battle. First . . .”

I scowled. “Hey. This is an Accords matter. We abide by the Code Duello.”

The Red King spoke, and though he was more than two hundred feet away, I heard him clearly. Alamaya listened and bowed. “My lord replies that this is a holy time and holy ground to our people, and has been from time immemorial. If you do not wish to respect the traditions of our people, he invites you to return tomorrow night. Unfortunately, he can make no promises about the fate of his newest chattel should you choose to do so.”

I eyed the Red King. Then I snorted. “Fine,” I said.

Alamaya nodded and continued. “First,” she said. “As you are both wielders of Power, you will duel with Power and Power alone. Physical contact of any kind is forbidden.”

Aria

Mine did, too. I knew that the Red Court had dabblers in magic—hell, the first Red Court vampire I’d ever met had been a full-blown sorceress by the time she’d been elevated to the Red Court’s nobility. Judging by Aria

“Second,” the mortal priestess said, “your persons and whatsoever power you use must be contained within the walls of this court. Should either of you violate that proscription, you will be slain out of hand by the wills of my lord and the Lords of Outer Night.”

“I have this problem with buildings,” I said. “Maybe you noticed the columns back the other way . . . ?”

Alamaya gave me a blank look.

I sighed. Nobody appreciates levity when they’re in the middle of their traditional mumbo jumbo, I guess. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“Third,” Alamaya said. “The duel will begin at the next sounding of the conch. It will end only when one of you is no more. Do you understand the rules as I have given them to you?”

“Yep,” I said.

“Yes,” said Aria

“Have you anything else to say?”

“Always,” I said. “But it can wait.”

Aria

Alamaya bowed to us both. Then she retreated from the field and back over to her boss.

The night grew silent. Down in the stadium, there wasn’t even the sound of wind. The silence gnawed at me, though Aria

“So,” I said, “your dad is the Red King.”

“Indeed. He created me, as he created all of the Thirteen and the better part of our nobility.”

“One big bloodsucking Brady Bunch, huh? But I’ll bet he missed all the PTA meetings.”