"A sanctioned duel. Supernatural combat in a contained pocket dimension. Winner takes territory, resources, and the loser's essence signature." She set the phone down slowly. "If you lose, you'll be absorbed into his network permanently. If you win..." She almost smiled. "You take everything he's built in this city. His contacts, his resources, his position."
Akira's mind was already racing. "Can I refuse?"
"You can. But then the Council marks you as rogue, and every demon in the region gets authorisation to hunt you." She met his eyes. "Valerius structured this perfectly. You can't run. You can't hide. You have to fight."
The weight of it settled over him like a physical thing.
Seventy-two hours.
Three days to prepare for a fight that could end with him dead or worse.
Satomi reached for his hand and squeezed once. "We have work to do."
—
By the time Akira made it back to Rosewood, the afternoon sun was already slanting through the lobby windows at a sharp angle.
