I tried to tell him to fuck off. That he dared hurt 152, dared put her in his fucking way, but nothing came out. Master’s hands let go of my head. It wanted to flop to the floor, but I fought to keep it held high. Master laughed down at where I lay, drugged and losing strength. “You think you can fight?” he asked sardonically. Master then looked at the guards. “Get the chiri to finish cleaning the stands and pit quickly.” He kicked me on the ground, then said, “Then get him into the tunnel. He will fight. And tonight, he will finally die.”
Master walked away and I lay on the hard sandy floor replaying his words in my head. Then get him into the tunnel. He will fight. And tonight, he will finally die … 152’s terrified face blasted to the front of my mind. Even drugged, I pushed my hands onto the floor and forced myself to sit up. My arms shook with the strain, but I held on as I saw 152 screaming when Master pushed her in front of him as 667 and 140 charged. Anger swirled in my stomach. I reached out my hands, feeling my blades lying beside me. Wrapping my hands around the handles, I felt better knowing I held cold steel in my hands. I had fought with these Kindjals for so long that I prayed my body would remember how to fight.
I had to make it to the final. I had to live for 152.
Moving my legs, I managed to push myself to stand, swaying as my legs almost gave way. I gritted my teeth as my head swam. Snickering and laugher rang out around me. The guards jeered as I stood, their voices sounding like tinny bells in my ears.
A whistle sounded from somewhere far away, and a hand was pushing me forward as I stumbled until I reached a tunnel. The tunnel was dark. My vision pulsed and shimmered with black spots when the light at the end scalded my eyes.
“Go!” a voice commanded. I kept my female’s face in my mind as I pushed my leaden feet forward. My shoulders banged off the walls as I staggered into the pit. The crowd was quiet when I walked through. I lifted my head, but the spectators were a blurred line in the darkness.
I tried to search for her, but I couldn’t pin her down. I stilled, trying to listen to my opponent. I heard it late, but I heard it. The grunt of someone lifting something heavy. A light breeze bristled at the back of my head and I ducked, just as what looked like chain swung where my head had just been. Holding my Kindjals, I turned and swung, feeling the shift in weight as I connected with something. I knew I had hit my opponent, but I hadn’t struck him deeply enough.
I shook my head as I stumbled back a few steps. I blinked away the fuzziness in my eyes just in time to see a tall male running toward me, chain circling above his head, something round attached to the end.
I dived to the ground as the ball on the end of the chain smashed into the sand beside my head. I kicked out my leg as the fighter passed, bringing the tall male to the ground. My legs weren’t strong enough to hold me up. I needed to take this kill to the floor. It was my only chance.
The crowd’s volume increased. Shifting to my knees, I searched around me. I couldn’t place where my opponent was. Suddenly, a thick chain around my throat cut off my breathing. Dropping my blades, I reached up and tried to pull it away, but my opponent’s grip was too tight. I clawed at his hands, forcing my fingers to work, but he didn’t move. Praying it would work, I leaned forward. With a sudden lift, I rammed the back of my head into what I hoped was his nose.
I heard the crunch of bone breaking. I used the brief slackening of his grip on the chain to wrench the metal from his hands and throw it across the pit. I wasn’t sure how far it went, but I didn’t have a chance to check as my opponent flipped me onto my back and straddled my waist. His hands circled my throat. He squeezed, again cutting off my air supply. I kicked my legs to try to throw him off. He held fast.
Black spots began filling the limited vision I had. My eyes began to close. I wanted to let go. I wanted, in that moment, to give in to the darkness. But as my mind cleared, on the brink of death, my female’s pretty smiling face filled the void. Her face as I took her, both of us choosing to join because we wanted it. Then I pictured her being hit by Master, him throwing her in front of him to protect his sorry ass.
I couldn’t leave her alone.
Blinking my eyes open, I moved my limp hand that was lying beside me. I began dragging close to try to fight my opponent off, when my palm ran over cold steel. My heart thundered with hope as I managed to grip the handle. Hand shaking, I trusted my muscles to help me end this match.
I searched for a deep breath, but it was impossible to breathe. Knowing I was on the verge of blacking out, I used the remainder of my strength to lift my Kindjal and aim for my opponent’s head. The blade jammed against something hard, and when his fingers released my neck and warm liquid sprayed over my face, I knew I had sliced through his skull.
The fighter’s body slumped to the side, and the roar of the crowd became deafening. I gasped for breath, my throat burning as I dragged in much-needed air. But I couldn’t move. My muscles were exhausted, the drug finally taking control.
I wasn’t sure how long I lay there, but arms wrapped around me, lifted me from the floor, and began dragging me from the pit. Before I reached the tunnel, I found enough strength to turn my head to the stands, to where Master sat. He was watching me go with fury in his stare, but 152 was staring at me in relief. I thought I had smiled at her, but as the drugs took me under, I couldn’t be sure.
But my female had.
She had gifted me her secret smile away from the watchful eye of our Master.
One given freely.
Only for me.
Only ever me.
13
152
I hadn’t been sure before this moment that a heart could beat so fast yet almost break apart at the very same time. As I had watched 901 collapse into the pit, bloodied and unable to find strength, I knew that Master had hurt him, drugged him somehow. Hurt him because he had tried to save me, save me from the two champions that had attacked.
Nausea built in my throat when I thought back to the moment that Master had ordered the guard to slit 667’s mona’s throat. Her lifeless eyes as the body fell to the floor, the floor swimming in her blood. And 901 had charged the bars to reach me, reach me as Master had used me as a shield.