by Joy Spraycar
Her head bounced against the hard earth, but she didn’t notice as the battle continued between his painful thoughts and her desire for control. When she could stand no more, she mentally withdrew to a quiet corner of her mind and watched as he resurrected her carefully concealed emotions. Now all of that combined–his pain, her guilt–all choking her with bitterness and self-loathing. She worked so hard to keep the emotions at bay, to file them away, but in a moment he had them pulling at her humanity. It crushed her, made taking another breath almost impossible, yet she still struggled to show no outward signs.
He, however, cried inside. She could hear it. Could feel his emotions as if they were her own. Were they? She slid back, back out of her mind and into her body. Her hands shook, and her vision swam in blurry lines.
She’d never felt anything so powerful... so... so... indescribable. Then she felt it, the sobs were her own.
“Guards! Quick! Open this gate.” Platy’s voice seemed far away.
What would Platy do? Zalphia cringed, but the sobs refused to abate. A finger stabbed at her chest.
“Zalph? Zalph? Can you hear me?”
The feud inside her brain restricted coherent thought, held Zalphia’s tongue and voice in check, and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Look at me.” Platy laid her hands on Zalphia’s cheeks and forced her head up.
Zalphia managed to force her eyes open.
Platy’s face paled in response. “You will not look into his mind. Do you hear me?”
Deductive reasoning returned. Zalphia shuddered and gulped. “If I don’t, he’ll kill me. He will.”
“No he won’t. You’ve seen his weakness now. You can do this. You can.”
“He’s stronger. Faster.”
“No.” Platy’s face reddened. “He’s no better than you. Use your mind powers against him.”
“I can’t. It’s his mind. It’s too painful to go there. I’m done for. He’ll best me with fighting skills, and he can cripple me with his mind.”
Platy’s eyes narrowed as she searched Zalphia’s face. “Find a way. Find his weakness and use it against him.” Her green eyes darkened and the muscles in her jaw flexed. “You will do this. Do you hear me?”
Zalphia nodded
“You’ve always managed to find a way, and you will again. Won’t you?”
“Of course.”
But she couldn’t. He was nothing like the others she fought. He never once thought about himself. Yet still, he participated in the hopes someday he would end the brutal way they were pitted against one another. He wanted to change the world, make it better. Become a savior to all the Glads instead of their killer.
He wasn’t like the others she’d reached out to before. Nothing like them. Nothing like me. Even she thought only about what she wanted and how to achieve it. And, if killing anyone she was pitted against would earn her that, then so be it.
But not this one–not Maximillion–he was different. He never killed for what he wanted. He killed to find a way to end this once and for all. She’d caught glimpses of his fights and recognized his skill. He would anticipate her moves before she did them. He was quick and strong. Stronger than any she’d reached out to before. Stronger than any trainer. Stronger than her. And yet, he had a gentle, caring side.
Zalphia shook her head, pulled her mind away from his, and sat up. Platy would punish her if she refused a match, but she couldn’t win this one. “You’re right, Platy, I’ll fight. Give me a minute.” She ran the back of one hand across her face, smearing blood, sweat, and tears together.
“That’s my girl.” Platy patted Zalphia’s shoulder. “I’ll arrange for the next match to be fought before yours.”
Zalphia nodded as her fingers still tried to coax the last of the pain from her temples. Platy walked out, and the closing bars shook the floor beneath Zalphia’s bare buttocks.
The thin square of leather covering her private area flapped up. She smoothed it back down as she considered what she had learned. He dreamed of freedom for everyone, not just himself. Could she grant him that? Maybe, but even if she could defeat him, should she?
Defeat a man? She blew a quick breath out her nose.
Doubtful.
Where did that leave her dreams? Dashed of course. Platy would be disappointed and angry, but winning this match didn’t seem possible. Zalphia would be glad to add her name to those defeated in order to grant him the chance, give him the time he needed to find a way to end the Glads.
He would reach his goal. She could feel it.
Closing her eyes, she breathed in the oppressive air mingled with the strong aroma of her own sweat. Pain still rolled inside her head like a million tiny sparks that burned and seared her already heated brain. She tried to force it into her throat like the fear and guilt, but it refused and lodged in there tight. A criminal between the crushing stones.
That was it!
She sat up straight. Refuse to fight. Refuse to fight and die a coward’s death between the stones.
No, it wouldn’t work.
She slumped back against the wall. Maximillion would have to do it, and she would only add to his suffering, be a ghost inside his head, haunting him.
A voice entered her mind... kind, sweet, and calming. Its vibrations luscious and low like the one thing that soothed her nerves. Platy called it a cello. She used to put a plastic disk in some sort of machine and rich music would echo through the cells at the training center. It swelled and flowed like water rising over a rocky ledge then rushed down into the pool of a fountain. Zalphia would sit on the stone floor and feel it sweep through her. It wrapped her in a blanket of warmth and joy. Something she seldom felt anymore.
Like the cello, the richness of this mind trickled into her soul and her heart responded by jumping inside. It pumped an extra time then kept rhythm with his voice like he controlled the beat, and if he stopped speaking, it too would cease.
Fear unlike anything she’d ever felt before rolled over her. How could this be? No one ever reached out for her mind before. Shaking her head, she tried to push him away, but Maximillion remained.
She didn’t understand.
We are two of the same, you and I. Do not be afraid. I do not wish to harm you, but you must suffer because of them. My wish is to grant you freedom from this burdened life. There is no pleasure in this for me.
In that instant, his thoughts melded with hers. Instead of pain, she felt pleasure, calm, and security. Her jaw dropped. Wanting more, she let the fingers of her mind crawl along the path he already established. Her thoughts rushed into his, sinking deeper as she pulled and sucked each detail from him.
Images flashed inside her head, soothed her heated flesh, and washed her dazed mind. It poured warmth into the icy cavern that held her emotions.
He was right! This could end. It could end for her. Now. She scooted up straight against the stone wall.
That is enough.
Zalphia pulled away. They were the same. Both with the ability to reach other people’s minds, change their thoughts, and see their movements before they did them. Two of a kind.
Maximillion, I’m –
I know exactly who you are.
Of course he did.
Her heart sank. He saw who she was. Everything she had ever done, and the reason they called her No Mercy Zalph. Saw her unfeeling heart and calculating way of winning. But most of all, exactly who and what she was. A killer.
You do not have to be. We do not have to kill anymore. Together we can end this. You are more powerful than I. More intense in your projections. But we must do one thing together in order to escape. One most horrible thing!
Fear and distrust, anticipation and disbelief, longing and hope, all rolled around inside her skull, scrambling for a foothold.
I don’t know.
Was this real? Did he really plan to free them? Or was he using a technique she used so often before? Time after time, she lured an opponent into thinking they’d escape, only to spr
ing the trap at a crucial moment to win the fight. There was no escape from the arena, every Glad knew that, or if they didn’t, they soon found out how true it was. Could she trust him? She didn’t sense insincerity, but she’d never found anyone who could do the same things with their mind that she could.
Trust me. Together we can do this. You can do this. You may have everything you long for.
How did he know what she longed for? Had he seen things while she probed his mind?
Yes. I know you, more than you could possibly imagine. Now, here is what we must do together to make those dreams come true.
He showed her every move she must make to realize the plan.
She could be free. Or could she?
When Glads ran, it always ended with torture and the crushing stones. If they followed his plan, would that be their fate?
What if he was right? What if they could get away? She’d never sleep in a cage again. She could walk in the sunshine with no dust swirling around her feet. Just for once, she wanted to see the things she’d only heard about through Armors and trainers talking to each other. Places where the air was crisp and clean, where animals wandered unencumbered, and where she might finally have all that she desired. If she were free, she would certainly find out.
Freedom! Go where she wanted. Do what she wanted. It was foreign and odd, but alluring. Something she’d wondered about for so long, fought so hard to obtain, and then just moments ago thought would remain out of reach. Could she actually achieve what she fought so long and hard for? Could her future be more than remaining a Glad until someone ripped the life from her? Now, he offered an alternative. Would it hurt to try?
Entering her mind again, Maximillion wrapped her up as surely as if he had put physical arms around her. His essence penetrated every nerve. His muscles tight against her. She felt his head against her dirty mop of hair, his breath tickled the curve of her neck, and his musky smell filled her nostrils But most of all, she felt his eyes.
She could already see them. Bluer than the ocean she crossed to come to this strange land and fight. Bluer than the clear sky in the heat of the day, yet calm and sweet... and deep in the depths, she saw something else, a feeling.
A feeling she couldn’t place, something she hadn’t felt before. It prickled at the back of her mind, a million spider legs pulling at her memories.
Wait! Maybe she had felt it. That fateful day long ago when her mother gathered her in her arms at the door of the Glad training center and projected those same thoughts as her tears dripped into Zalphia’s hair. Zalphia had pushed her away.
Glads showed no emotion, so she had taken those thoughts and hidden them deep inside where they would not, could not, affect her. That had been nearly fifteen years ago.
The feelings her mother once lavished on her now mingled with the ones Maximillion projected. They bloomed and grew vine-like, curving through every inch of her until they burst forth and heated her insides. A virtual firestorm. She could have everything she wanted. Everything she hoped for could be a reality with him. Heart racing, she savored the thrill this plan caused.
Yes, I will. Use me. Use my mind. Let them have a taste of what we know.
Maximillion tightened his embrace, and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Only felt what he pushed into her mind. Something sweet and different that changed everything and made it new.
“You and I will change the world,” he whispered.
A bird twittering in the distance lulled her mind while Maximillion calmed her nerves.
He was right. She could feel it. Her chest burned as her heart reached out for his. The emptiness of reality between them chilled her extremities, and she fought the need to fly to him. Being restrained by stone and iron sent pain shooting from head to foot. Pain almost as intense as anything she’d suffered inside the arena. In a few moments, she would face him there.
And they would end this.
She basked in his virtual arms for one more moment before pushing his mind away. She would savor what she felt today, hold it close, and treasure it like a jewel, a victory against all odds. She’d never forget what he had given.
Zalphia stood and rattled the bars. “Platy?”
Platy appeared in a moment.
“I’m ready. Put me in.”
CHAPTER 3
A twinge of regret tugged at Zalphia’s mind for what she would do to her trainer. But Zalphia swallowed, sending it to the same place she sent emotions each time she killed an opponent.
The bars into the arena slid open, and the crowd went wild.
Zalphia strode out as did Maximillion.
For a moment, she felt sorry for his other opponents. Just looking at him was intimidating.
Zalphia stood six feet, very tall for a girl, but she barely came to Maximillion’s shoulder. He must be at least seven, if not more. Each arm equaled two of hers, and his pecks rippled even while he stood frozen like a statue. The six-pack gracing his abdomen brought saliva to her dry tongue.
Every inch of his skin shimmered with sweat, skin the color of coal used in the furnaces back home. Even the Armors seemed bronze in comparison. She’d never seen anyone as dark as he. His nose was broad, but his angular jaw and full mouth sent her tongue flicking across her lips. Shiny, black hair curled around his face, and a few strands graced his forehead, plastered there with drops of sweat.
Zalphia couldn’t help herself.
Her gaze traveled down to the leather strips with metal studs that covered his private parts. It lingered there. She’d never faced a man before. What happened if the wind caught the strips? What was under there? Her eyes continued on to the broad thighs and heavy calves. Her heart beat a quick staccato against her ribs, and she wished this moment could stretch on, giving her more time to savor the person who promised salvation. Or better yet, she wished they could disappear from the arena entirely so she could spend all the time she wanted to discover every inch. Be able to trace the line of his sinewy muscles with her trembling fingers.
But no!
She dragged her thoughts back to the arena. The match had to come first.
Zalphia turned and faced her Armor, waiting with right hand extended as he slipped the bloodied claws back on her fingers and handed her a lightning stick. This was one of the most painful weapons in the arena. It sent electricity shooting through an opponent without killing them. Each nerve would sizzle with pain, and she wondered how much she would have endure before she and Max turned the weapon on those watching. She was accustomed to such intense pain, but the Clubbers... the Clubbers had no idea.
She turned and faced Maximillion. Merely looking at him stole all rational thought. His powerful body outmatched hers in every way. He could easily kill her.
His blue eyes twinkled, and he reached out, wrapped her in tender thoughts, and showed her things she’d never seen before. Pleasant things. A river, clear and cool, that tripped over stones between two grassy shores. A strange tree with drooping limbs that swept the grass. A meal spread out on cloth, and the two of them lying in the sun, free and unafraid.
Zalphia soaked it in, felt the sun’s rays, heard the babbling water, and ran her fingers through the wispy tree’s leaves. She longed for it to be real, to be away from the horrors of the arena. But could she really have what he’d shown her? What would it be like?
Peace, that’s what he called it.
A blanket of calm settled over her.
Maximillion pointed his stick at her. The time had come.
Zalphia leveled her own pole, her finger positioned on the trigger. His blue eyes captivated her, drawing her attention away from her weapon and her finger itching to fire. She could get lost in those glimmering pools and never return to the arena. He blinked, and the spell was broken.
Let’s make a good showing first. Then we will free ourselves.
They crouched and circled each other as the Armors moved back to their posts. Zalphia gave a tiny nod then whipped her lightning stick to the front and fire
d, wondering how it would affect him. Maybe he wouldn’t flinch. Or would he?
Maximillion barely jerked from the blow and sent fire racing back.
Damn him, he didn’t falter. Bracing herself, Zalphia grimaced as the jolt hit her. Pain ripped at her nerves, and she fell to one knee.
The crowd leapt to their feet, but she bounced back up, eager and ready for more. Cheers rippled through the arena. “No Mercy Zalph,” they chanted.
Maximillion circled around, charged, and swept his stick against Zalphia’s shins, knocking her feet from under her. She tucked her head, rolled on the ground, and shot at him as she passed.
Now it was his turn to drop to one knee.
Yes! Got him! Zalphia leapt to her feet, itching to strike. But when he looked up, she couldn’t bring herself to fire. Her finger dangled on the trigger.
He reached in and twisted her thoughts, making her forget what she’d just decided to do. A wicked laugh sounded in her mind. Ice blue eyes sucked her in, and she got lost in their depths. Indecision rushed through her.
Had he played her? Had she fallen for the same trap she’d used before to lull her opponents into complacency? Here he was, using her own tricks, jumbling her mind, and causing her to lose concentration.
Her momentary hesitation was all he needed. Maximillion faced her and fired his weapon.
She fought to brace herself, but her wayward thoughts left her unprepared. The current shot through her, sending her crashing to the ground. Every muscle jerked uncontrollably. Pain rolled through her in waves from head to toe, paralyzing and searing.
Maximillion was on her in an instant. Pinning her arms with his knees, he used the weight of his bare buttocks to hold her body against the ground.
She forced one eyelid open. It was all she was able to accomplish. If she could have glared, she would have, but there wasn’t enough control left in her muscles.
His gaze penetrated hers. Cold and calculating. But beneath it all was something else.