Outbreak

by Annabel Chase

  “What does this guy eat?” one of the guards asked. I knew he meant the baku. I hoped they had an extra-wide gurney for some of my fellow prisoners or there would be complications.

  Sunlight warmed my face when we departed the cargo bed and a familiar energy crackled inside me. I was lowered onto a gurney. As my magic rolled through me, I felt a sense of relief. With my eyes still closed, I called to the elements, to the fire that burned within the Samodivas.

  “Something’s not right,” I heard one of the blondes say.

  Minotaur shit. They were more sensitive than I gave them credit for. I had to act before they strapped me to the gurney with enchanted restraints.

  I heard the truck doors close and knew it was time to spring into action. My eyes popped open and I quickly took in the scene. We seemed to be in a desolate area with the mouth of a tunnel in front of us.

  “Now!” I bolted upright and pressed my hand against the guard’s forehead. He screamed and released me. I hurled fireballs at every guard within reach. I needed something stronger to subdue the Samodivas.

  “You help the others,” the baku said. “Nobu and I will handle these two.”

  The echidna and I raced over to assist the others already strapped to the gurneys. Well, she slithered and I ran. I shot flames at the guards to keep them at bay while the echidna reached the other prisoners.

  “They’re all unconscious,” the echidna shouted.

  Disappointment washed over me. I’d hoped that a few of them had sniffed out the sedative and pulled the same stunt as us.

  “We can unload the cages and use them to lock the guards and the Samodivas inside,” I yelled. We’d need the trucks to make our escape. I created a fiery path to Bryn and patted her cheek in an effort to rouse her. It would be easier if the others were awake.

  “I need help,” the echidna called.

  I whipped around and saw a group of guards closing in on her. I summoned a rope made of pure fire and threw it around the guards like a lasso. They turned and tried to get away, but every time they got too close to the rope, they got burned.

  The echidna surveyed them. “I like your magic.”

  “Me, too,” I said. I felt amazing, like I could take on the world. My magic was freely flowing now.

  “This is all very impressive.” One of the Samodivas stood with her feet firmly planted and hands on her hips.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I take great pride in my work.”

  “As do I,” she replied. With the pull of her fingers, the fiery lasso disintegrated, setting the guards free.

  “Where are the other prisoners from our truck?” I asked.

  “Sedated,” the Samodiva said. “As you will be in a moment.”

  Another Samodiva appeared with her staff. She jabbed the echidna with the pointed end of her staff and her serpentine bottom immediately coiled. Great. The staff was tipped with a sedative.

  “You’re the only one awake now,” the Samodiva said. “I’d say it is time to surrender.”

  “You seem to have me confused with a quitter.” I raised my hands to fight, but the Samodiva’s smile gave me pause.

  “Make another move and we’ll kill your friend right here and now,” the second Samodiva said from behind me. I whirled around to see her standing beside Bryn’s gurney. She placed a hand on Bryn’s forehead. “I can produce fire, much like you.”

  I dropped my hands to my side. I couldn’t risk anyone else’s life, especially not Bryn’s.

  “Come and get comfortable on your gurney,” the closer blonde said. She snapped her fingers and the guards rushed to grab me. I didn’t struggle as they placed me on the stretcher and secured me with the enchanted restraints.

  “I think we’ll leave you awake,” the Samodiva said. She walked beside me as a guard wheeled me into the tunnel. “It’ll be more fun that way.”

  “Not as much fun as me burning off your hair,” I said.

  She stroked my strawberry blond hair and I bristled. “If your beauty wasn’t part of your price tag,” she said, “I’d shave yours off right now.”

  “I guess that’s why you’re a foot soldier instead of a prize,” I said. “Too ugly and weak to go to market.”

  She looked down at me, her fiery eyes blazing with intensity. “I don’t usually look forward to the market. Today will be different.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, and closed my eyes to block out the sight of her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Number Five, you’ve been selected for a pre-bidding demonstration,” a guard said.

  After moving through the tunnel and into an underground cavern, we’d been transferred from our gurneys to another set of enchanted cages. The infrastructure for this whole endeavor had been meticulously planned. I hated to think of how many paranormals were complicit in this operation. It made me sick.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  An elf stepped out of the shadows—my monitor. “It means that, because you came late to the program, we have less information on you. Therefore, buyers want to see you in action.”

  “In other words, I have to fight another paranormal again,” I said.

  The elf gave me a sympathetic smile. “Afraid so. Look on the bright side, though, you’re very good at it. Your odds of survival are excellent.”

  “If it’s a demonstration, why does it have to be to the death?” I asked. “Why can’t I just lob a few fireballs and be on my way to the highest bidder?”

  “Because that’s not how the system works,” the elf said. “Don’t worry, Number Five. I have faith in you.”

  “What will stop me from using my magic to escape this cavern once I’m in the pit?” I asked.

  The elf splayed his hands. “We’ve got major enchantments in operation down here. We’re in Terrene now, remember. Extra precautions are needed.”

  His answer was deliberately vague, suggesting potential weaknesses in these major enchantments. I curled my fingers around the bars and looked him in the eye. “I thought we had a connection, Disembodied Voice. I’m disappointed that you see me as nothing more than chattel.”

  The elf considered me for a moment. “I’ll admit that I don’t agree with all of Sheila’s choices, but she’s the boss. The best way to keep your job—and your head—is to not upset your boss.”

  “No job is worth devaluing life,” I said. “I have a family and friends. A charming yet ridiculous boyfriend. I’m going to graduate from Spellslingers and serve the lower quadrant as a Sentry of the South.”

  The elf opened his mouth to respond but then seemed to think better of it. “Good luck, Number Five. I’ll be rooting for you.” He turned on his heel and merged once again with the shadows.

  “Time to dance, monkey,” one of the guards said. They rolled my wheeled cage to a doorway and hit a button. Doors slid aside and they pushed me through the gap. Once the door was securely closed behind me, my cage door automatically popped open. I seemed to be in a small waiting room with only a wooden bench nestled into the stone wall.

  Doors slid aside on the opposite wall, revealing another gap. “Number Five, you’re up,” a voice said.

  I stepped across the threshold and onto a sunken, circular stage about thirty feet in diameter. Tiered seating surrounded the stage, but the lighting made it difficult to see the faces in the crowd.

  “As your information packet states,” the announcer said, “Number Five is an elemental witch with a fire specialty.”

  The crowd murmured in response.

  “Number Five, it’s time to meet your opponent,” the announcer said.

  The doorway on the other side of the stage slid open. Footsteps thundered toward me and I gazed up at a towering giant with a single eye. He gripped a wooden club in his right hand, but there was no sign of any other weapon.

  “You’re a cyclops?” I asked.

  “No,” he boomed. “Searbhan. A giant. Don’t stereotype. Not all one-eyed giants are cyclops.”

  “No, o
f course not,” I said. “Sorry about that.”

  “At the count of ten,” the voice said, “we’ll trigger the protective ward so that you’ll be able to use your magic.”

  I scanned the arena, not sure where the voice was coming from. “All my magic?” I didn’t have a wand, so fire was my best bet.

  “Whatever you can do without a wand,” the voice replied. “Wands don’t usually last long in the fighting pits.”

  The crowd snickered in response.

  Even with my fire magic, it didn’t seem like a fair fight. While Searbhan was much larger than me, he had no magic. His club would be heavy and awkward in a scuffle with an opponent light on her feet.

  “One, two, three….” the announcer said.

  I crouched low, drumming up as many elemental moves as I could generate that might defeat the giant without killing him. He swung his club and I deftly dodged the blow. The giant was strong but awkward.

  “Is this your first time?” I asked.

  “Not first time,” Searbhan replied. “Searbhan is a repeat fighter.”

  So he was like the minotaur at the Fortress. His whole function was to fight in order to demonstrate his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

  Searbhan brought his club down again and again. At first, I thought I could wear him out due to his large size, but nothing seemed to tire him.

  “Use magic,” Searbhan said. “Crowd wants magic.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” I said.

  “Why not?” the giant asked. “Searbhan will hurt you.” He got clever this time and chucked his club straight at me. I wasn’t expecting a move like that and the club smashed against my shoulder before falling to the stage.

  I howled in pain and clutched my shoulder. “Hey, that hurt.”

  “Now you catch on,” Searbhan said. I scrambled backward as he retrieved his club.

  The crowd began to chant for magic. My body thrummed with energy, heeding the call. Fire sparked from my fingertips. I focused my will and pointed at the club. Red flames streaked from my hand and engulfed the club, except nothing happened. Searbhan rolled the club on the stage floor and extinguished the flames.

  “Club is indestructible, like Searbhan,” the giant said.

  “So I’ve discovered.” If I couldn’t damage the club, then I’d have to disable the giant wielding it. I created a wall of fire between us, but Searbhan simply stepped through it. The crowd cheered. His skin was so thick that the heat of the flames barely registered.

  The giant shrugged at me. “What else?”

  Dear gods. The giant was trying to kill me and help me at the same time. He seemed as conflicted as I did.

  He leveled another blow at me and narrowly missed my head. Good thing my reflexes were quick. I could thank weapons training for that skill.

  I had to disable him somehow. If he kept aiming that club at me, odds were that he’d eventually hit his target…

  But what if he couldn’t aim?

  I conjured a small fireball and threw it the way Peter had shown me to throw a baseball so that it landed in a strike zone.

  The giant wasn’t fast enough to deflect the fireball with his club.

  Bam!

  The fiery sphere hit the giant’s single eye and he cried out in pain, dropping the club as he moved to douse the flames.

  I darted across the stage and snatched the club while he was preoccupied with his burning eye.

  “Searbhan can’t see,” he moaned.

  I seized the opportunity and bashed the back of the giant’s legs with the club. He fell forward onto his knees. I swung the weapon again, barely managing to stay on my feet in the process thanks to the weight of the club. This time, I hit his lower back and he collapsed onto his stomach.

  The crowd went wild and began to chant, “Kill him.” The sound was sickening.

  I scrambled to the front of the giant. “Are you okay, Searbhan? Can you see?” I’d hoped to only blind him temporarily.

  “You must kill,” Searbhan said. “That is the only way.”

  “I don’t want to kill you,” I said.

  “Three blows from Searbhan’s club,” he said. “Only one more to go.”

  I glanced at the club in my hand. That was why he was considered indestructible. He wouldn’t die unless he’d been struck threes times with his own club. He was magical, to some degree.

  “Do they make you do this?” I asked.

  “A slave has no choices.”

  I ignored the calls of the crowd around us. The only thing I could focus on was Searbhan. “How many have you been forced to kill?”

  He rolled onto his back and pulled up his sleeve to show me his muscular arm. It was covered in black marks. “It is Searbhan’s great shame.”

  It seemed that the giant hadn’t made it past the initial fighting pits. He’d proven himself such a useful killer that they’d designated him as the president of the welcome committee.

  “It’s not your fault, Searbhan,” I said.

  His one eye blinked and I could see blisters forming around its rim. “Please,” he said. “One more blow and Searbhan will be free. Searbhan would be honored to die by your hand.”

  My fingers tightened around the handle of the club. I understood his desire to die, but I couldn’t—wouldn’t take his life. I rose to my feet and the crowd roared, excited that I was about to deal the death blow. How much money was I worth now? A witch that killed the mighty one-eyed giant? Undoubtedly, it would be a fortune.

  I stared down at Searbhan and tossed the club onto the ground beside him. The cavern went eerily quiet.

  The giant looked at the club and back at me. The crowd began to chant his name, eager for him to finish the fight. I extended my hand and he took it, helping the giant to his feet. The crowd went ballistic—screaming and calling us names. I had no idea what would happen now, whether they would kill us both. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to take this giant’s life and they couldn’t force me to do it.

  I felt the change in pressure as the wards were reinstated. No more magic. Guards swarmed the arena and dragged us back to the waiting area where my cage still sat. No doubt the bosses had to figure out how to salvage the situation.

  They threw me against the wall of my cage and locked me in. I remained slumped on the floor, collecting my breath as much as my thoughts. Hanks made sense to me now. I’d bet they’d already identified the manticore as a potential fighter and had likely lured him into that bar brawl to see how he handled himself. They’d probably intended to bring him to the Fortress and eventually sell him at auction until they detected his heart murmur. He was rare, but he wouldn’t have fetched a good price with a serious defect. Hanks had no clue that the discovery of his condition had saved his life in more ways than one.

  “Searbhan’s eye still burns.” The giant’s voice drifted over from where he sat on the floor.

  I scrambled to the bars so that I could hear him more clearly. “I’m so sorry. I had to find a way to disarm you.”

  “You did not kill Searbhan.”

  “No, but they’ll likely kill us both now for insubordination,” I said. “I’m sorry about that, too.”

  “Searbhan is ready,” he said.

  “Don’t be ready to die,” I said. “Be ready to fight.”

  “Searbhan has been fighting too long,” he said. “Want it to be over.”

  “No one deserves this fate,” I said. “We’re living, loving creatures, not property. Not things to be owned like a lantern or a car.”

  “You remind Searbhan of someone,” the giant said. “Beautiful and strong.”

  “Another witch?”

  “A Samodiva,” he said. “A survivor, like you.” He hesitated. “Many battle scars.”

  A Samodiva. “Do you mean Brittany?” I asked.

  “You know of Brittany?”

  “I’ve met her back in our world.”

  “The gods have blessed her,” he said, more to himself.

  “Blessed
her? Because she’s Geddy Blackwell’s girlfriend?” I asked. That seemed unlikely. That manticore was bad news.

  “Because Brittany escaped the chains in Terrene,” he explained. “The freed Samodiva is the slaves’ story of hope.”

  Brittany didn’t seem to have gotten the memo that she was a symbol of hope. She’d looked haggard and miserable. In fact, I’d gotten the distinct impression that whatever horrible fate she’d escaped, her new situation wasn’t much better.

  “Why was Brittany a slave but not the other Samodivas?” I asked.

  “Brittany cared too much,” he said. “Like you. She was caught trying to help prisoners at the Fortress.”

  “So they sent her here to the market?”

  The giant nodded. “Her own sisters.”

  No wonder the Samodivas didn’t like to hear Brittany’s name. They still harbored guilt.

  “How did she escape?” I asked.

  “No escape,” he replied. “Rich manticore took pity on Brittany after a fight in the pits. He bought her freedom. He saved her.”

  He saved her and made her his own personal slave, it seemed. I already disliked Geddy Blackwell and now I really disliked him. He was a cog in the slavery wheel, and yet he was still hailed as a hero for appearing to liberate a woman he now treated like a pet. The whole situation disgusted me.

  “Make no mistake,” I said. “Just because she no longer fights in the pits doesn’t mean Brittany isn’t a slave. She’s just a different kind.”

  The giant wore a crestfallen expression. “She nearly died in the pits. The manticore…he fought his way through the crowd to get to her. Searbhan was there.”

  “It wasn’t real,” I said. “I mean, he may have done that, but it wasn’t because he loved her or was moved by some genuine sense of duty. He likes being seen as a savior. It feeds his sizable ego.”

  He stared at me, forlorn. “But she is alive?”

  “She’s alive,” I said. “But I wouldn’t say she’s living.” And if I ever managed to return home, I was going to make sure that Brittany was granted the freedom she deserved.