by T. S. Ryder
"I wonder how many viewers are tuning in to see if you live or die," the T'shav said, his voice perfectly even. "I wonder if we should have a public vote on whether I could cut off your head or not. Or perhaps it would be better for my fellow gladiators to vote."
Bianca gave a cry of triumph as she pulled Taskus Draw's bracelet off. She pressed a few of the rubies embedded in the gold, and the large sapphire glowed with a green light.
"This is it. It'll let us get anywhere if I'm correct." She jumped to her feet and grabbed Gylden's hand. "We have to go now. More guards will be on their way."
Gylden nodded. She tugged on him, and he turned his back on the dying host. Bianca led him through the corridors, always holding his hand. They ran into guards a few times, but they were simple to deal with. A strange feeling beat against Gylden's chest as they ran. This was escape. This was freedom.
When they got to the docking yard, Gylden almost stopped. Just beyond the ships was a wide expanse of utter darkness. He'd never seen that sort of deep dark before. He'd been kept in the center of the ship when he was brought here, and he lived in the constant light of the filming drones ever since. He shuddered as he considered just how dark and empty space was.
"Hurry," Bianca urged, running for the nearest ship. "We have to leave now!"
Gylden followed her onto the ship. His stomach twisted itself into knots as Bianca jumped into the pilot's chair. She worked quickly, her hands flying over the controls, and soon they were off. Ships followed them from the station, but with a few adjustments to their course, Bianca had them away into the deep of space before any could lock onto their position.
Both sat absolutely still for a long time before Gylden stirred.
"Is that it? Are we free?"
"Almost." Bianca pointed at the drones still hovering over their heads.
Gylden grunted and rose the blaster he still held. Five quick blasts and the drones burst into thousands of pieces, the charred ruins falling to the floor. It felt good. Really, really good. He grinned and turned to Bianca. Her hands were shaking, her eyes wide but she smiled back at him.
"We're free."
She threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his head, but after only a few kisses Gylden pulled away. Bianca looked startled, and he shrugged apologetically.
"We have to talk."
"We can talk after."
"No… you were only with me because you were forced to be. Now that we're free… where do we go from here? I've never had this sort of choice before. What am I going to do? All I know is how to kill, and even if we're free for now, we're still technically slaves. We belong to the Rayne Five Network. Nobody in this galaxy is going to help a couple of escaped slaves."
Bianca's expression hardened with determination. "That's where you're wrong. There are plenty of anti-slavery groups. And as for where to go… Well, all humans have an open invitation to go to Zon's Sanctuary. He protects humans, he'll protect you, too."
Gylden frowned. Zon was one of the few people outside the network that he had heard of. "But he's a bloodthirsty, ruthless warlord."
"He's built a place for humans to live in peace, away from the corporations that want to experiment on them or sell them or any of that stuff." Bianca grasped his hand. "Where else can we go?"
The T'shav opened his mouth, but he didn't have any answers. Billions of people knew their faces. Could they find refuge anywhere? And if Zon was the ruthless warlord he had always heard he was, then he would have a need for a good fighter like Gylden. Perhaps he was trading one life of violence for another, but maybe it didn't matter.
Bianca was safe. Their child was safe. He rested a hand on her belly and smiled. His mate put her hands over his, and when he met her eyes, he could see the truth in them. She wasn't going anywhere, and neither was he. The future might be uncertain, but there was one certainty. They would face it together.
Chapter Ten – Bianca
The Rayne Five Network played recaps of what Gylden had done for a few days, with constant reassurances from the network that the network was looking for the two escaped slaves, even going so far as to place a bounty on their heads–alive, of course, since that was what the public apparently wanted. There were also regular updates for the impossibly long surgery that Taskus Draw was subject to.
Seeing him on the table, surgeons working on him, made Bianca's bionic arm ache and her stomach twist. She watched his glassy eyes and wondered if he was aware of everything that was going on around him like she was during her surgery. And despite what a truly despicable person he was, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It wasn't anything she wished on anther being, to go through that.
On the fourth day, he died.
Bianca wasn't sure what to feel. Should she be a little sad that a person was dead? Happy that a murderer was dead? Gylden expressed no such confliction. He walked around the ship with a giant grin on his face until Bianca turned off the holoscreen.
There was no noticeable difference between her bionic arm and her flesh and blood one except visually, on her bicep. Everything else felt exactly how it had always done before. It was odd; Bianca felt like she should have gone through more of an adjustment period, but there was nothing.
"The network is still after us," she told Gylden, tinkering with the circuitry in her arm. It was fascinating stuff, and when she thought about it, she could actually have weapons up her sleeve–literally. The ship was full of things she could use. "We don't have enough fuel to get us all the way to the Sanctuary. We have no money—"
"We'll just have to steal a new ship. It's going to be okay, Bianca. I won't let anything happen to you."
He sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. As had become a habit, both of their free hands drifted to her stomach. She was pregnant. A little baby was growing inside of her. Gylden's baby. Her worries melted away and she grinned up at him. He always knew exactly how to make her feel better, give her new hope again.
"You never told me about your life on Earth," Gylden said, resting his head atop hers.
"I've done my best to forget."
"Because it's too painful?"
Bianca shook her head. "Because I'm so glad it's over."
Gylden arched a brow in silent question.
"I didn't have a great family. Things were really rough. My parents were constantly making me feel small and stupid. I never did well in school, despite the fact that I loved to learn. Since my life out here, I've found I'm really good with technology, but on Earth, it was like nothing I did was good enough. I wasn't smart the way my parents or teachers wanted me to be smart."
Gylden's hand rubbed small circles on her belly.
"I dropped out of school at sixteen. Started dating a guy who ended up using me to finance his drug habits. He got me addicted. And it continued to spiral from there. I dragged myself out of that relationship into an even worse one. I had a string of boyfriends that would suck my finances dry and gave me only the barest level of affection back. I'm just glad that I never got pregnant."
Gylden tensed, and she shook her head, cupping his face with her hands.
"You're different. You protected me. You got me out of there. And…" she took a deep breath, feeling vulnerable. "I love you."
A sly smile stole over his face and he bent over her, pressing a deep kiss to her lips. "You love me, huh?"
"Yes. If you don't feel the same way, I'll understand—"
"Shh. What makes you think I don't?"
Bianca ducked her head, blushing. "Well… we were together because of the network, and I couldn't know if everything you said to me was real or just for viewers…"
Gylden shook his head. "I may have started off exaggerating for the public, but the core of it was always true. I picked you for a reason, and the time that has passed with you has only confirmed it. I told you I've never known love. Well, I know it now."
Bianca felt her heart swelling. She wrapped her arms around Gylden's neck and kissed him deeply. He pul
led her closer, hands gentle as they moved up and down her back. The warmth of the love in her heart spread out through her body, making Bianca feel like she was as light as air. This was what she had always wanted. Her perfect match, the second half of the flipped coin, the completeness that made her whole.
Gylden tucked his hands under her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her stomach. Bianca leaned into his touch, wanting more. As his hands moved up, capturing her breasts, a new type of heat began building in her. She moaned with desire, flicking her tongue over her mate's lips. He opened them, letting her in.
Desire flooded her. Every inch of her skin began to burn, her heartbeat increasing. She eagerly relished the taste of Gylden's mouth on hers, moving to straddle him as she breathed in his heady scent. His strong fingers continued to drone her breasts, sending tingles down her body. He abruptly withdrew and wrapped his arms around her hips. He stood, lifting her.
Bianca gasped. She clung to him, expecting to be dropped at any second–most of her boyfriends refused to even try to lift her, and those that gave in to her pleading always dropped her on purpose–but Gylden held her close, carrying her towards the little bedroom. Bianca's worries ebbed away and she giggled.
"What's so funny?" Gylden grinned at her
"Nothing. It's just so nice."
Gylden's brow furrowed at that, but he nodded and set her down on the bed. His hands ran up her body, stripping off her shirt. His gaze darkened with desire as he stepped back and look a good look at her. He shucked off the loose robe he wore, baring himself in all his glory to her. Bianca couldn't suppress another moan. She looped her thumbs into the waistband of her booty shorts and pulled them off.
She moved up the bed before lying down, letting her knees fall open. A feral growl rose out of Gylden's throat, surprising her, but not in an unpleasant way. With a saucy wink, she slid her hands between her thighs. Gylden's muscles knotted as he watched, the dilation of his pupils hardly visible in his dark eyes, his massive chest heaving.
When Bianca let her head fall back and she let out a throaty moan, Gylden came for her. She giggled again as he jumped onto the bed before her. His hands roamed every inch of her as he caught her mouth in his. He nipped at her lower lip before trailing kisses down her neck. Rough at first, but gentler as he moved between her breasts and to her stomach. He ended with a kiss so light she could hardly feel it just below her navel.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too."
He made his way back up, his touch tame and gentle this time. When he got back to her mouth, he entered her. Floods of pleasure coursed through Bianca, and she immediately rolled her hips, encouraging a quick pace. Gylden chuckled, grasping her hips tightly. He held her in place as he started a slow rhythm. Bianca's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she grasped at him, trying to anchor herself as heady pleasure made her forget everything but that moment.
Gylden increased his pace, grunting as his face twisted in concentration. Bianca's back arched, cries bursting from her mouth in time with her lover's thrusts, heat coiling tighter and tighter inside her until she couldn’t breathe.
Fireworks exploded in her brain, turning it to mush. Every coiled muscle in her body went slack, a feeling of warmth shooting up and down her spine. She gasped for breath, the only thing anchoring her in place the feeling of her lover's body twined around hers. Gylden also went limp, just barely supporting himself so he didn't crush her.
Bianca smiled. "Amazing."
"Yeah." Gylden kissed her. "And it's ours. All ours. Just for you and me."
She could hear the grin in his voice and nodded. "Ours," she agreed. "Ours."
***
There was no getting to the Sanctuary on the little fuel they had left, so Bianca plotted a course to the nearest planet. There was no talk about what might find them there, no talk about the manhunt that the Rayne Five Network still had after them. They only discussed how they would steal a new ship that would take them all the way to the Sanctuary.
Until they actually landed. Then Gylden grasped Bianca's hand and looked her deep in the eye. "If we are attacked, save yourself first."
Bianca shook her head.
"Yes. Save yourself, and our child."
"Gylden, I don't think I—"
The sound of an explosion rocked the ship. Smoke billowed out from the gangplank. Gylden jumped to his feet, reaching for his traluthian blade. He pushed Bianca behind him as three T'shav emerged from the smoke. They grinned.
The one at the front stepped forward. "Looks like the bounty is ours, boys."
Chapter Eleven – Gylden
The T'shav that he had faced in the arena had never been this big.
Gylden couldn't help but stare in awe. He has always considered himself well-sized, with thick muscles and a tall build. These three, however, were easily three feet wider and two feet taller each. They were sheer masses of muscle, and though none of them reached for the broadswords strapped to their backs, he couldn't help but shiver in both fear and wonder.
"This doesn't have to get violent," the middle T'shav said. He had a scar cut diagonally across his face. "The reward to bring you back alive is higher than the one to bring you back dead. Put that weapon down and we'll be civilized about it."
"Except as soon as the network gets their hands on us we're dead," Bianca spat from behind him.
A second T'shav, this one with a dark tattoo the shape of a sun on his chest, chuckled. "She has a point there."
Scarface gave Tattoo an annoyed look. "Will you let me handle this?"
"If you'll allow Bianca to go free, I'll go with you without a fuss," Gylden blurted.
The third bounty hunter, a man with shaggy hair, shook his head. "Bounty for you both dead is more than the bounty for you alone but alive. So either you both come with us alive, or we take this outside and we kill you. We'll let the girl live, as long as she doesn't put up a fuss."
"Outside it is," Gylden snarled. He wasn't going to let them get their filthy hands on his mate!
Scar-face shrugged. "Come along then. You can't fly anywhere with a giant hole in your ship, anyway."
The three turned their backs and strode back down the gangplank. Bianca gripped Gylden's arm. He kissed her fiercely.
"While I have them distracted, run. Find a new ship and get out of here."
"But—"
"Please." Gylden stroked her hair from her face. "For the baby."
Bianca's eyes filled with tears. The T'shav gave her one last kiss, then marched down to face the bounty hunters. They have spread in a loose triangle formation some distance from the ship. Gylden stopped just off the gangplank to observe them. All three had their swords drawn and were loosening their muscles.
It was clear looking at them that they had experience doing this. In the arena, Gylden had had to fight over T'shav, of course, but none this tall or this strong. His only advantage would be speed. And even that wasn't much of an advantage against the three of them. If they got him surrounded, it was over.
"Let's see how real the Gladiator fighting really is," Tattoo crowed, swinging his sword in a circle. "Let me take at the famed Gylden first."
The other two laughed and nodded. Gylden didn't allow himself to feel relief. Yes, it would be easier to fight off one than all three at a time, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easy. Or that they would, in fact, face off against him only one at a time. At least this was still private–there were no drones filming his every action.
Tattoo charged. Gylden waited for the last moment to pivot out of the other T'shav's way, swinging his sword low across Tattoo's belly. The bounty hunter brought his own sword down, clashing against Gylden's. The shock reverberated up his arms, jolting his shoulders. Gylden grunted as he was forced back a step to regain his footing.
His enemy's sword swung at his head. Gylden bent backward, ducking under the blow, and kicked into Tattoo's stomach. The other T'shav stumbled backward, gasping for breath. Gylden pressed
his advantage, driving in for a killing stab. Tattoo knocked the blow aside, twisting in closer to Gylden as he did so.
Gylden was used to this tactic. He dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around Tattoo's head. His enemy released a small gasp, knowing what was about to happen. As Gylden twisted sharply, he felt a pain blossom in his abdomen. He dropped the other T'shav to find a wicked-looking dagger sunk deep into his abdomen.
The gladiator yanked out the weapon and ripped off his sleeve, packing the fabric into his wound to slow the bleeding. The other two T'shav glanced at their fallen comrade and nodded, looking impressed.
"You do have skills," Scarface said. "Well, that and he was a real hothead. But you got yourself injured. Sloppy. Still, good job. If it wasn't for the bounty on your head, I'd offer you a place with my crew."
Gylden rose his sword again, blinking sweat from his eyes. The two bounty hunters left circled him, splitting to flank him. He backed away towards the ship. And his heart sank as he realized that Bianca hadn't done as he had said. They wouldn't have been so distracted by his fight as to miss her running away.
Which meant she was still inside.
"Bianca!" he shouted as the two bounty hunters moved closer, both with feral grins on their faces. "Run! Get out of there!"
"What's the matter?" Scarface mocked, stopping at a distance that was just too far to Gylden to act on. "Your little slave-of-a-salve not doing as you told her to? It's a shame that you put the life of your child before hers. If you had kept your head and not killed Taskus Draw, the two of you could be living a life of comfort and happiness, together with the universe adoring you. Wouldn't that have been better than dying today?"
"Stuff it!" Bianca's clear voice rang from the top of the gangplank.
A small silver orb flew through the air. It hit the ground at Scarface's feet, and bars of blue energy shot up all around him. He cried out, surprised. A second orb hit the ground at Shaggy's feet, and a second energy cage blossomed around him. The expressions of both bounty hunters twisted in fury, and both struck at the cages–only to be blown backward into the opposite sides. Both shouted in pain.