Bait

by Marissa Farrar

  To my surprise, we stepped outside. I squinted in the bright sunlight and lifted a hand to shade my eyes.

  “This way,” the guard grunted.

  I followed him around the side of the building, and my mouth dropped open.

  The structure in front of us was almost as large as the building itself.

  A huge circle had been dug down into the ground. On the inside of the circle, walls rose to ground level, where a viewing platform looked out over the top. Embedded into the walls were huge metal gates, but, as far as I could tell, only darkness lay beyond.

  A group of Trads stood on the platform, and Borys noticed my arrival at the same time I spotted him.

  “Ah, here she is,” he called out, so every head in the place turned toward me. “My concubine.”

  I gritted my teeth at the name. I wasn’t a concubine. I was a goddamned sex slave, and I didn’t know how or when it would happen, but one day I would make him pay.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Diarus

  “GET UP.”

  A foot connected with my lower back, and I sucked in a breath but refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing me moan in pain. These Trad bastards were bullies, and they were quite happy kicking me when I was on the ground and in chains. I imagined they’d be a lot less disrespectful if I was allowed to fight them in a more equal setting.

  “I said, get up, Athion.” He delivered another swift kick.

  I gritted my teeth. “If you stop kicking me, I might manage to get up.”

  “No insolence from you!” And I was rewarded with another kick.

  Pain exploded through my spine, and I bit it back, my fists clenched. My instinct was to leap up and throw a punch or two of my own, but I didn’t want to get in trouble. I needed Borys to keep me here, even if it was in a goddamned cage. If I got myself thrown out, or even worse, killed, I was never going to be able to help Tara.

  I managed to roll to my stomach then press up onto all fours. I paused there for a moment, bracing for another kick to follow, but none came. Using the filthy walls for support, I hauled myself to my feet.

  I’d volunteered to come here to keep an eye on Tara, but I wasn’t even allowed inside the house. I’d been thrown into what appeared to be an outside kennel for some kind of animal. It had a roof and four walls, but the door was a metal lattice gate, offering no privacy. A thin, dirty blanket was on the floor, together with a bucket and a bottle of water, but nothing else. Any food I’d been brought had been in a metal bowl and thrown onto the ground at my feet.

  I hoped Tara’s treatment was better than mine, but then I remembered what she was putting herself through, and closed my eyes against the pummeling of images and guilt at having felt sorry for myself.

  How was I going to get to see her like this? I’d been hoping I’d have been given tasks like back at the facility, cleaning floors and serving meals, but I couldn’t do anything in this situation. I needed to find a way out of it. I didn’t know what was happening now, but at least the gate was open and it looked like I was leaving this shithole, if only for a short time.

  I turned to face the guard. “Where are we going?”

  “You’re the entertainment.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of entertainment.”

  He chuckled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  I was still in the same restraints I’d been brought here in—both my wrists and ankles bound—and my movement was limited. I shuffled out of my cell and into the bright sunlight of the yard beyond. The sun felt good on my skin, though I squinted against the brightness. It felt like it had been a long time since I’d been exposed to any kind of warmth.

  “This way,” the Trad grunted.

  I didn’t have much choice but to follow him. The one thing keeping me going was the possibility I might come across Tara. We crossed a dusty yard and reached an iron gate, which the Trad yanked open. I was disappointed to enter a new dark, dank place, but I didn’t have much choice other than to follow the guard. With my hands and feet still chained, it wasn’t as though I’d be able to get far if I attempted to run, and anyway, I’d come here willingly. If I tried to run, I’d be running from Tara, and I didn’t want that. No way was I going to leave her in the hands of Borys.

  I followed the Trad down the passageway. Ahead, another iron gate blocked the way, but more sunlight streamed through the grating. As we drew closer, I was able to make out the circular shape of the structure beyond, and my heart sank.

  Fuck. A fighting pit. I hadn’t realized any of these things existed on Tradrych. That Polityk Borys had his own private one said a lot about what he thought of the law. He was the one who was supposed to make the laws around here, not break them.

  “These things are illegal,” I said to the Trad.

  He snorted laughter. “Only if you’ve got two intelligent races fighting.”

  I bristled. “Athion are an intelligent race.”

  He gave a sly grin. “It’s not you I’m referring to. It’s what you’ll be fighting that allows the polityk to be...” he sought the correct word, “flexible...with the rules. Now hold still while I undo your bonds.”

  “You’re not making me fight while I’m still chained then? That’s good of you.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my tone. “What kind of weapon do I get?”

  “There’s a dagger on the ground on the other side of this gate,” he replied, straightening from where he’d unlocked my ankles and wrists. “That’s all you get.”

  They were sensible enough not to put a knife in my hand when I was in such close proximity, and while I was unchained. “I hope the other guy has the same.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” And he reached past me to open the gate. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

  There was no point in refusing. I had to keep telling myself that I was here willingly. If I won a fight, perhaps that would be enough to allow me into the main house, so I could find Tara.

  I exhaled a sigh of resignation and stepped out into the arena. A cheer rose from somewhere above. I squinted against the bright sunlight and peered in the direction of the applause. Borys stood with a small group of other Trads, and there, at his side, was Tara. My heart soared. She was still wearing the dress we’d put her in for the auction, and her blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. After several days of cold darkness, she looked like a goddess.

  From my left, across the other side of the fighting pit, and still behind another wrought-iron gate, a roar sounded, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I remembered the dagger and quickly scanned the dusty ground, searching for it. A bright flash of sunlight on metal caught my eye, and I ducked down, scooping the small dagger up into my hand.

  Borys turned toward the noise. “May the fighting begin!”

  The crunching scrape of the gate opening came from the same direction as the snarl, and from beyond the gate, a massive creature stalked into the pit.

  The creature was huge—easily six times my body weight. Its shoulders and head were by far the largest part of its body. Several rows of pointed teeth filled its jaws. Saliva foamed from its mouth, gathering in the corners of its curled lips. The muzzle wrinkled, its pinprick eyes glowing red. A line of bristles ran down its spine, momentarily reminding me of Mikotaj’s mohawk. He would have a fit if I compared him to one of these, and even through my dismay, I had to bite back a smile.

  How the hell was I supposed to fight this thing?

  Dark streaks marked the dusty ground, and I assumed the marks were blood. Had the blood been left by another one of these creatures, or by the slave who’d been forced to fight before me? Fresh anger surged inside me. These Trad needed to be taken down.

  The creature paced and snarled, then spun in a circle, as though chasing the small stump of its tail.

  The movement revealed to me what had gotten the creature so riled up. Arrows pierced the creature’s hide, the ends still protruding from its skin. The Trads must have done this to the b
east before releasing him out into the pit, assuming it would just attack whatever it saw first—namely me.

  We were both in the same position, the two of us. Both being used by the Trads for their entertainment.

  I glanced over my shoulder to where Borys stood with his arm around Tara’s waist. She appeared pale, her eyes wide with worry. I hated Borys being so close to her. Had he touched her yet? Anger roiled inside me at the thought. Maybe I needed to cling to that anger to survive this.

  I wanted to catch her eye and give her a smile to try to reassure her everything would be okay, but I was worried Borys would notice. The last thing I wanted was to get her in trouble. Besides, I wasn’t sure everything was going to be all right.

  It was only a small group of Trads that he’d allowed in to watch this. Drinks were flowing; silver canteens crashed together to drink to the fight. There was a definite sense of celebration in the air, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the purchase of the two women at the auction.

  Where was the other woman—the one who’d been in the pod next to Tara back at the facility? I’d been worried she’d recognize me when we’d all been put into the back of the transporter together, and would say something that would raise suspicions among the Trad guards. I guessed she’d had enough to worry about without giving any thought to the Athion she’d been bought with. I only hoped her presence hadn’t complicated things for Tara. I’d seen how the two of them had been together at the facility, with Tara always trying to look out for the other women, even though she was in the exact same position herself. Tara was strong, and I didn’t doubt her, but they were her weakness, and I wasn’t sure she realized that.

  Speaking of problems of my own, I turned to face the creature. The small dagger in my palm seemed like a pathetic weapon to use against it. The spears sticking out of its rear end appeared bigger. I wasn’t sure Borys even wanted me to win. Perhaps he didn’t. Maybe they were looking forward to watching an Athion slave being ripped apart by the beast. I had no intention of letting that happen, especially not in front of Tara. She’d already been through enough, without having that horror imprinted upon her memory.

  “Let’s see if this one does as well as the last one,” Borys crowed, and the group of Trads erupted in laughter.

  Tara cringed at his side, but the moment he cast a glance her way, she straightened and flashed him a smile. I didn’t doubt for one moment that the smile was fake. She was playing him, and I was intensely proud of her for that. At least I didn’t have to pretend I liked or admired the son of a bitch. Quite the opposite.

  I still had to figure out how to get out of this situation.

  The beast prowled on the opposite side of the pit, its lip curled in a snarl and saliva dripping from its jaws. Every four or five paces, it stopped to snap at its hindquarters, but its focus was firmly fixed on me. I moved the dagger from one hand to the other, getting a feel for the weight of the blade, which wasn’t much at all. I did my best to zone out the raucous shouts of Borys and his friends. I needed to forget about Tara watching as well, and not be distracted by the way Borys’s hand sat on her hip, or the way his gaze kept dropping down the front of her body to linger on her breasts.

  The creature let out a snarl and lunged for me.

  A shriek came from the crowd, and I knew it belonged to Tara.

  I darted to the right, and the beast’s momentum carried it forward. Its bodyweight crashed into the wall of the pit behind me, and I spun on my heels to face it again, knowing that having my back to it for any length of time would be a very bad idea. The creature staggered slightly to one side, and shook its head, and then returned its focus to me.

  “Come on then,” I encouraged it. “Come and get me.”

  The creature lunged again, and I darted out of its way, so it continued past me. As it did so, I grabbed one of the spears sticking out of its flanks and pulled. I needed to be fast, or it would get me. The animal’s natural reaction was to dart away from the pain, which gave me enough time to get out of the way, the spear in my hand. The small group of Trads cheered, clearly unaware of what I intended on doing with the spear. I threw it to one side, and the cheer turned into a boo.

  I didn’t care.

  The creature righted itself, coming back around to prowl in a semi-circle around me, seeming to try to figure out my weak side. I didn’t have a weak side, however. What might have looked like an unfair fight, with me being a fraction of its size and weight, and armed with only a small dagger when the creature had multiple huge, sharp teeth and claws, was skewed in completely the wrong way. I was fast and strong, while this poor creature was injured and in pain.

  It came for me again, and I lowered to a crouch and sprang into the air, and over the top of its body. The animal was wide at the front but had a short body, and I cleared it easily. I landed in a crouch on the ground behind it and quickly rose, reaching for the second spear handle sticking out of its skin. I wrapped my fingers around the wood and yanked the spear clear from its flesh.

  This time, the creature spun around and lashed for me, one huge paw swiping the front of my chest.

  Another cheer rose from the Trads.

  I staggered back, a burning pain scorching my skin. I glanced down long enough to see blood droplets hitting the dry ground beneath me like rain. For a second, I doubted my plan, thinking the creature might kill me before I got the chance to complete it, but then I shook it off. I trusted myself.

  The slices from the claws hurt like a bitch, but I had to ignore them. There was still one more spear protruding from the beast’s back end.

  Even though I was part of the Athion military, the Custos, I was a pacifist at heart. I joined the Custos because I wanted to end suffering, not cause more of it. I didn’t want to see anyone in pain, even if they were only seen as a beast in other people’s eyes.

  I was breathing hard, my heart hammering.

  The creature turned back to me. It snarled and shook its head, a combination of blood and spittle flying in all directions. Droplets hit my skin, but I ignored them. I needed to concentrate. One wrong or badly timed move could see me as this thing’s dinner.

  The creature lowered its head, the huge muscles in its shoulders bunching, and it sprang for me. I threw myself to the ground in a roll, passing beneath its body, and then leaped back to my feet. Before it had had a chance to spin back around, I plucked the final spear from its hide.

  It let out a snarl and twisted to face me. Blood covered its back half from where I’d unfortunately been forced to reopen the wounds, but it no longer had any weapons piercing its skin. It swiped at me with its clawed paw but then twisted its body to lick its wounds. Finding all the spears gone, it forgot about me, and set about trying to clean the puncture holes instead. The fight had gone out of the creature now the main source of antagonization was gone.

  The final spear dropped from my fingers and into the dirt.

  The fight was over.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Booing rose around me.

  The Trads threw their hands in the air at the lack of climax to the fight, and then tossed their drinks down into the pit in disgust

  Diarus stood before the beast, his chin lifted defiantly toward Borys and the others. My heart swelled with admiration and pride for him, though I did my best not to let my emotions show on my face.

  I’d watched the fight happening with my heart in my throat. Diarus was beautiful when he fought, his chest bare, his muscles rippling, and skin shining with sweat. Watching him move so gracefully around the pit was like sitting in the audience at the ballet. I’d been terrified that he’d have been hurt, especially when the massive creature he’d been fighting had swiped for him. He was still bleeding now, the claw marks spilling blood down his torso. The creature had sat down, no longer appearing threatening. If anything, I felt bad for it. I was glad Diarus hadn’t killed the beast, but I worried about what would happen to them both now. They hadn’t given Borys what he wanted, had even made B
orys look silly in front of his comrades, and I was concerned he’d punish them for that.

  Borys turned to his guests with a smile. Just like me, he was doing a good job of hiding his true emotions.

  “Well, I guess that means they both survive to fight another day. We’ll call that round one!”

  I dared to speak. “You’ll pit them against each other again?”

  “Yes, only this time I’ll make sure things will be a little more interesting. Seems to me, we gave the beast a weakness, but not the slave.” He raised his voice so his guests could hear, and perhaps even deliberately higher so Diarus caught his words as well. “Perhaps, next time, I’ll make sure it’s the slave who has the disadvantage instead of the creature. I’m sure if he had a couple of spears in his own backside, he’d have been less concerned about removing the ones from his opponent.”

  The other Trads roared in laughter at the comment, and I sensed Borys studying me for my reaction. I forced a smile and a small chuckle of laughter, which came out as only a huff of air from my throat. I didn’t want to make Borys suspicious of me, but it was difficult to pretend that anything about this was entertaining.

  “What will happen to the slave now?” I dared to ask.

  “He’ll go back to his cage. You should appreciate what you have, Tara. I’m treating you human women like queens here. I could just as easily have you locked away like them.”

  Was that a threat? If I didn’t go along with what he wanted, then I’d end up locked in a cage? Of course, that was the last thing I wanted to happen. It was bad enough that Diarus was locked up and unable to do much to help me, but if I was as well, there was no possibility we’d be able to complete our mission.

  I fluttered my eyelashes and tilted my head to the side, trying to act coy. I reached out and touched his chest. “You know I’m truly appreciative of all the freedom you’ve given me, and for my beautiful room. I hope I haven’t done or said anything to make me sound ungrateful. I realize I may have come across that way when we first met, but it was just the shock of going through the auction and then coming here.”