Underworld Bride Trials 1 Playboy King - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,24

had a change of heart.”

Marigold nodded in agreement. Things were finally good between her and Esme, who had once taken her in as a ward to protect her only to abandon her three years later. But Esme did this to force Mari into her unique role. Esme even gave away her most coveted magic—the power of illusion—to Mari, which had helped the Earth Princess lure my father to the Void.

The death demigod, however, wasn’t so forgiving. He stared at Esme harshly. Esme had fooled Ares, the war god, and all four demigods while she served as the headmistress of the Half-Blood Academy in the demigods’ headquarters in New York. She’d always been my agent, loyal only to me.

As soon as Marigold returned to Earth in one piece with her demigods, she’d issued a warning to everyone not to retaliate or harm Esme, partly at my urging.

“I didn’t know she existed when we set up the games,” I said in a tense voice.

Something clawed at my insides, seeing her in that bloody pit. The desperate need to protect her and destroy whoever tried to harm her burned in my bloodstream.

“It’s too late now, Loki,” Esme said and lifted her chin toward the dukes behind me.

The dukes leaned forward on their seats. One of them clasped my shoulders, ready to drag me back in case I lost it. Esme walked away to deal with the media as they trained the cameras at different angles, panning and sweeping wildly, trying to catch the bloodiest and most violent shots of the fighting.

The live show unfolded on the vast screen above the fence, within which contestants battled brutally and where Tessa now fought for her life.

I’d gotten her name from Esme. She’d turned down walking away from the trials, and she also refused to give Esme her last name.

Another screen showed the reactions of Earth residents as billions watched the televised reality show in Hell’s pit. They were as enraptured as the spectators, who were mostly high demons and other mixed races. Watching others’ blood spill gave them a high.

Cold rage burned in me, even though I was the notorious bastard who had initiated the Bride Trials.

“Cool your tits, Loki,” Héctor barked. “The energy of your rage is charging the air. You’re going to make my lamb uncomfortable.” He dipped his head toward his woman. “Lamb, sit on my lap. My shield is solid against the Hell King.”

“You both cool your tits,” Mari said. “Loki couldn’t make me uncomfortable even if he tried. And I don’t want to set a bad example for Earth women by straddling you in public. The cameras keep panning toward us, if you haven’t noticed.”

Héctor turned and growled at one of them.

I rose from my seat, ready to enter the arena and pull Tessa out. Fuck all the rules. I couldn’t let the gang slay her. Damn any consequences. Let the Wild Hunt strike me or destroy the entire realm of Hell for all I care.

Marigold grabbed my hand and jerked me back into my seat on our high-rise, royal balcony.

“She’ll be fine,” she said, a warrior to a warrior. “Just look.”

I lowered my gaze just in time to see Tessa slaughter two demonesses double her size in rapid succession. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Marigold smiled. “She’s tough, like me.”

“What do you think she is, Mari?” I asked, mesmerized by the ice maiden’s every move. “I can’t figure it out. I’ve never met her kind before.” I rubbed at the back of my neck to ease some of the tension building there. “Actually, I think she has your kind of scent and magical signature, but I don’t think she and you are the same.”

Marigold tilted her head in a thoughtful expression. “Invite her for dinner tonight, and I’ll figure it out. But don’t invite just her. You’ll paint a target on her back. Be smart.”

“My lamb is very intelligent and kind,” Héctor said approvingly. “You need to appreciate that, Loki.”

Damn the annoying demigod. But Mari peeked up at him through her lush lashes, and he gazed upon her with wicked desire.

The pair made me sick.

I rolled my eyes. “Get a room, you two.”

“We will, but not in Hell,” Héctor said smugly.

The only demigod who had a sense of humor was Ares’s brat, the youngest of all the demigods, and I could barely stand him either.

“It must be killing your rival demigods to see you two down here having fun, while they have to guard Earth,” I said, trying to