Free Her Warriors' Three Wishes (Dante's Circle) by Carrie Ann Ryan

true.
    He’d taken Jamie to the games early.
    Why? 
    Balin slinked through the house, dodging guards, and made it through the front door so no one would sense him. He hid behind a boulder, trying to catch his breath and gather his strength.
    Why had Pyro taken her so early?
    His father wouldn’t have become bored with her so easily, not when he thought she was Ambrose’s. No, he’d have wanted to play with her longer, savor the experience.
    Again, he swallowed the bile at that thought.
    Shit, could Pyro have noticed the connection between Balin and Jamie?
    He’d tried to smother his expression when he’d entered the room, but there had been that split second of surprise and awe at seeing the woman who’d been his dreams—who could save him.
    Hell, had it been his fault?
    He prayed that Pyro hadn’t gotten angry and killed her. Though Balin hadn’t smelled a recent death within the walls, that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened.
    He gripped the hilt of his sword harder and cursed.
    No, she was alive—she had to be.
    Pyro would see Ambrose’s punishment and pain through, and if his father had sensed something was wrong with Balin, he’d made sure his son would feel that agony as well.
    That meant that Jamie had to be at the games now.
    Alone.
    Not dead, no, she couldn’t be.
    He’d know, right?
    It didn’t matter. Either way, he had to make it to the games. Either to know for sure that both of their fates had been decided for them or to save her.
    Then maybe they could get out of hell and have a life filled with something more than just the fires of hell. He’d never even spoken to this woman, but he knew she was the source of his hope. If Ambrose was also her true half, that also meant there was a chance he was part of Balin’s future as well—a triad.
    He’d take anything he could get.
    They could be his hope.
    They were his hope.
    Balin took a deep breath and began the long trip to the coliseum where the games were held. He could only hope that in the few short hours he’d seen Jamie, that she’d been healed and prepared for the games…not in the games.
    As a human, she’d be a huge draw due to the fact that her death would be brutal, and the demons would want to see that.
    He shook his head, pissed at himself for even thinking that.  He’d find her first, damn it.
    Ambrose was an angel and couldn’t come to hell to save her. That meant it was up to him to save her—something that made him feel stronger than he was.
    Balin looked at the sturdy stone coliseum and cursed. This would be harder than just taking her from Pyro’s home. There were guards, dungeons, fighters with such scarred minds that their brutality was a thing of legends.
     He made his way to the back entrance of the games, knowing he’d have to sneak in. Damn, he really didn’t want to do fight and kill, but it would be worth it to live and to find Jamie.
    He’d have to make sure when he found her that she knew he wasn’t there only for himself, that he wanted her for him as a true half, not just to save his life.
    Balin was pretty sure women liked hearing things like that.
    Okay, now he was getting ahead of himself.
    The back door was actually a large chain and iron gate that would be hell—literally—to break into. Meaning he’d have to take a key from one of the guards.
    Balin took out his dagger and leapt at the first one he found, slicing the demon’s throat before he could take a breath or scream, alerting the others to Balin’s presence. Balin searched him and cursed. 
    This particular guard didn’t have a key, but he did carry a large sword, meaning he was the muscle of the operation.
    Balin crept behind the other guard and made quick work of him, though each movement sucked out more energy from within. He felt his skin sweating, his body drawing on too much energy. He knew he must have looked pale and drawn, not the best condition for fighting, but it was all he could do until he found a way to save Jamie or