Imprisoned Gods - G. Bailey Page 0,79

magical market. There was a charm stall right next to hers, and I used to look through them," she explains to me. “The old lady who sells them is a snake charmer and pretty funny.”

"This necklace, well this charm, was the cause of all my problems. I'd love to know what it is meant to do, if you could remember," I ask her.

"I will think about it," she shrugs.

"Thanks," I say, and without really thinking on it, I rest my head on her shoulder. "I'm glad we met. You're a good friend, Jade. I'm just sorry we met in here."

"Same, girl," she replies, resting her head on top of mine for a second before we both straighten out and smile. "Now give me a shout if that flower smelling woman comes back. I'm not having her make my friend sad when she is just jealous."

"There is nothing to be jealous of when it comes to me and Storm," I explain to her. “I doubt he sees me the same way I see him. I’m not even sure what I feel about him, other than the fact I want to keep Storm around.”

"Yeah, there definitely is something to be jelly off," Jade replies, and I know there is no point arguing with her when she can sense my feelings towards him. "Why don't we go and see the guys in the fighting area? Coxen said that's where they all are, and man is it sexy to watch, don't you think?"

"I haven't gone and watched them," I admit. "I'm really not a fighter, I'm more like a bad escape artist with a tendency to trip over obvious stuff."

"Oh girl, I don't go to fight. I go to watch. They take their shirts off," she tells me, laughing and grabbing my hand before she drags me to the door. I really don't think being around anything sharp while drooling over shirtless guys is the best idea for my accident prone self, but hey, how bad could it go?

26

"Watch out!" someone shouts for like the third time as I try to make my way across the fighting ring at Jade’s side. Jade swiftly pulls me to the side as a random dagger swings past me, and I look back to see it slam into a target right behind us. Oh man, that could have really hurt.

"Maybe we should go around the targets?" I ask, my eyes widening when Jade pulls me down quickly, and an axe is thrown over our heads. The whistling sound of it going over our heads is going to give me nightmares tonight. I just know it.

"I have cat instincts, they won't get me," she carelessly replies.

"It's not you I was feckin' worried about!" I mutter, but that only seems to make her laugh as I search around us for anything else that is flying our way in the madness we have descended into. We come away from the target area, finally, and walk straight out into a clearing where there are nothing but topless guys practice fighting with swords, daggers and axes. As I look around, the men and some women I spot seem pretty happy as they fight against each other. What is it with men and shiny sticks that makes them so happy?

"There are your gods," Jade teases, pointing a finger towards the middle of the fighters where Storm and Seth are fighting. I feel frozen in place as Storm swings his axe at Seth, who counters with two swords. They roughly push each other away before coming back to swing at each other once more. I don't know who is winning, but hell, I have to admit they look sexy as sin right now. Sweat drips down both their bare chests, sticking to their skin as they fight, and it only emphasises their muscular and toned bodies. Even though they aren't using any powers, which they don't need to, their brute strength as they fight is crazy and somewhat amazing to watch. Only gods can fight like this. Fierce, scary and damn sexy.

"Karma!" Killian calls my name, jogging over to me from the right. He stops in front of me, holding a towel which he uses to wipe some of the sweat off his face. "Do you fight? I didn't have you down as the type, but I’m happy to see you here."

"Nope, and you're right, I'm not the type. I'd likely harm myself before someone else if I tried to practice weapons," I tell him,