by Anna Hackett
He glanced over at the screen on the wall. It was full of information Zhim had sent through, and Rory had been poring over it all day. But she hadn’t discovered anything to help her understand why someone was trying to kill her, where Madeline was, or how to find the underground fight ring. Hence, this most recent outburst.
He’d lost count of her impressive displays of temper. Regan had told him it was a common thought on Earth that people with red hair had wild tempers. So far, Rory wasn’t proving that theory wrong.
“You should—”
She rounded on him, her green-gold eyes sparking. “You tell me to recite a chant again, and I’ll punch you in the face.”
Kace raised a brow. It showed just how far he’d fallen from Antarian Military perfection, that this angry woman threatening him turned him on.
“There’s nothing in this data on underground fights or how to find them.” She thrust her hands onto her hips.
“It’s kept a tightly-held secret,” he said. “I told you that you wouldn’t find anything.”
She made a strangled noise and resumed her pacing.
Kace rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Rory needed to do something to ease the tension, or she was going to implode. “Want to spar in the gym?”
She snorted. “Remember what happened the last time we did that?”
Yes. He did. Every glorious detail.
“I want to find Madeline,” she said. “I want to work out why someone wants to kill me.”
Kace did, too. But most of all, he just wanted to look after Rory. He’d spent the night in her room, watching her sleep, and listening to her breathe. She wasn’t a calm sleeper, tossing, turning, and using every inch of her bed.
If she shared his bed, he’d hold her in place and ensure she got the sleep she needed. He swallowed. He should not be thinking those kinds of thoughts. He tried to dredge up the Antarian Military Code to go over in his head.
But as he watched Rory’s slim legs as she continued her pacing, the Code seemed like a distant dream written in an alien language.
“You need a break,” he told her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t the boss of me.” Her nose wrinkled. “Oh God, you’ve got me sounding like a preschooler.”
Kace wasn’t exactly sure what a preschooler was, but he guessed she wasn’t happy about acting like one.
She strode up to him. “Take me to the Kor Magna Markets. I want to ask around and see if anyone’s seen Madeline, or knows how to get down to the underground fight ring.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You what?”
“The Srinar are down below, somewhere. And so are the answers we need.”
Kace shook his head. This was a dangerous idea. “The fight ring is hidden, and you’ll never find people willing to talk about it. You start asking questions, and someone will come to shut you up.”
“Pretty sure the Thraxians are already trying to kill me.”
“More reason not to parade around the market.” He touched her hair. “This is far too distinctive.”
“I’ll be careful, and wear a cloak. I’m not stupid, Kace. That’s why I’m asking you to come with me.”
With her direct gaze on him, pleading with him, he felt his resolve waver. “No one will talk.”
“I’ll never know unless I try.”
“No.” Kace was well-known on Antar for issuing firm orders. Orders that no one ever questioned.
So he was more than a little bemused when half an hour later, he found himself taking the spiral sinkhole ramp down into the Kor Magna Markets with Rory by his side.
The underground network of tunnels opened up before them. It was packed with stalls and people. He picked up the scents of both fresh and cooked food, and heard a jumble of voices—some raised as they hawked their wares. The tunnels were illuminated by light filtering down through other sinkholes, and by orange lamps attached to the carved rock walls.
In the District, the tourists could find everything they wanted—gambling, drugs, sex. In the markets, the locals could find everything they wanted—food, clothing, crafts, weapons.
Kace watched Rory taking it all in. Harper and Raiden stepped up behind them.
“For the record, I still think this is a bad idea,” Raiden grumbled.
“You aren’t the only one,” Kace said.
But Rory talked him into it, and Harper and Raiden had agreed to come to help watch her back while they were down here. Kace had been overpowered once before, and Regan had been snatched. He sure as hell wasn’t making the same mistake again.
They moved past the main hub of the market and its loaded stalls. He noticed Rory eyeing the stalls filled with weapons and tech. But if they were ever to find a way into the underground fight rings, they had to go into the deeper, darker recesses of the market.
Taking a side tunnel, they moved into an area where the walls moved closer, and the shadows grew longer. Here, fewer lanterns gleamed from the rock, and groups of people congregated against the walls, loitering. These people weren’t the smiling, more prosperous stall owners and shoppers in the main part of the market. These ones wore ragged clothes, with weapons worn openly, desperation, fear, and suspicion on their lean faces.
Kace didn’t like the way some of the men watched Rory. He made eye contact with more than one or two, and after some scowls, they looked away.
Rory walked up to a group of older men and women holding baskets filled with fruit and vegetables. “Hi, my name’s Rory, I’m looking for a friend.”
A few people were polite, but no one recognized Madeline’s description. As soon as Rory mentioned underground fight rings, people clammed up and scuttled off. As they moved into another tunnel, Kace saw the word had traveled. Most people took off before Rory could reach them.
She sighed. “Nothing.” She shook her head. “But I can tell people know something.”
Kace shared a look with Raiden. Yes, that was his view, too. A few of the people hadn’t been quick enough to hide their reactions.
As they moved deeper through the tunnels, Kace kept his attention moving. He noted an old woman watching them from a nearby tunnel entrance. She peered around the edge, staring at Rory. When she noticed Kace watching her, she pulled back and disappeared.
But as they moved into a new set of tunnels, and Harper and Rory stopped to talk to a small crowd of teenage children, he spotted the old lady again.
She was covered in a cloak made of rough, gray fabric, a hood pulled over her head. He could only see the bottom of her wrinkled face, but he also saw scars. Her back was bent in a way that had to be painful.
It took him a second to realize what she was. The woman was a former gladiator.
She would have fought in the arena years ago, and been injured numerous times. Back before the high-tech medical technology that the houses used today to heal and keep gladiators in peak physical condition.
They got closer, and this time the woman didn’t scamper away.
The woman moved, her gnarled hands twisting in her cloak. “I’ve seen your friend.” Her voice was barely more than a rusty whisper.
Rory’s eyes widened, and she reached out a hand. “What can you tell me—?”
The woman shook her head, pulling her cloak around herself tightly. “Not here. Too many people listening. Come with me.”
Rory and Harper followed the woman instantly. Kace and Raiden followed and shared a look. Kace knew the other gladiator was thinking the same thing—this could be a trap.
Kace reached back and touched where his staff protruded above his shoulder. Ready for him to grab when needed. He noted Raiden resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.
They followed the woman down some older, twisting tunnels stained with graffiti. She led them through a narrow doorway.
A large fan rotated in the wall, and the hum of equipment reached Kace’s ears. He realized it was some sort of ventilation room that kept air moving through the under
ground tunnels of the market.
“I can’t risk anyone overhearing,” the woman said.
“What’s your name?” Rory asked.
“Hilea.”
Rory reached for the woman’s gnarled hand, but hesitated, and didn’t make contact. “You’ve seen our friend, Hilea?”
The old woman nodded. “Yes. Yes, I saw her. Dark hair that finishes here—” Hilea stabbed her palm at her jawline.
Kace saw Rory pull in a shuddering breath. “That’s right. Where is she? Where did you see her?”
“Underground—” Suddenly, Hilea’s dark eyes went blank. She blinked at all of them, confusion twisting the scars on her face. “Who are you people?”
Kace went still, studying the woman. He saw Rory and Harper trade a puzzled look.
“You brought us here,” Rory said slowly. “Hilea, you said you’ve seen my friend. You were going to tell me about the underground fight rings.”
The old woman blinked and blinked again. She pressed a palm to the side of her head, hitting it a couple of times. Kace had seen it before—Hilea had a long-term head injury.
“You asked to talk to us,” Rory continued.
Suddenly, the woman’s gaze sharpened. “Right. Right. You’re looking for your friend.”
“My friend. Her name is Madeline and she’s small like me,” Rory said.
The woman’s eyes focused on Rory and Harper. “The Earth woman.”
Rory reached out, but the woman pulled back before Rory could touch her.
Kace felt a rush of sympathy. Hilea had been used up and spat out by the arena, and now she was down here, living like a rat.
“The Thraxians call her bait,” the woman said. “They want you, the woman with red hair, dead.”
Kace sucked in a breath and he saw Rory’s jaw tighten. So it was the sand-sucking Thraxians. “Why?”
“You have the Talos.”
Talos? Kace frowned. What the hell was the Talos?
“We don’t know what the Talos is,” Raiden said.
“Can you tell us what it is, Hilea?” Rory asked.
Hilea started blinking. “Who are you people?” She pressed her palm to her temple.
Rory sighed. “You asked to talk to us. Can you tell me where the underground fight rings are?”
Fear skittered over the woman’s face. “Don’t go there.”
“I have to find my friend.”
The woman shook her head. “Don’t go there. It breaks a person. You can never pick up the pieces. You can never put yourself back together.” Hilea gripped Rory’s arm, her ragged nails digging into Rory’s skin. “Don’t go there.”
Hilea staggered back and opened her palm. On it was a small coin with an image on it. She glanced at them all, then turned and rushed out. The coin fell onto the floor with a metallic tinkle.
Rory bent down and picked it up. “What’s this?”
The coin was a bright copper color, stamped with a stylized lightning bolt.
Kace looked at the coin with a frown. It looked familiar.
“That is not local currency,” Raiden said.
Rory gasped. “It looks like the coin Malix gave me.”
The memory hit Kace. “The sponsor at the party.”
She nodded, stroking the coin. “He said it was an invite to something.”
Raiden frowned at the coin. “We need to find someone who knows what it is. Someone with lots of information.”
Kace grimaced. “Looks like we need to talk to Zhim again.”
Chapter Eleven
Rory’s fingers clenched around the coin, the edges biting into her skin. They were back in the main part of the market, heading for the exit. She was feeling edgy and dissatisfied. She’d wanted to find Madeline or at least the location of the underground fight rings.
But Rory reminded herself they had more to go on than they did before.
“Rory, wait.” Kace’s large hand wrapped around her arm. “Are you okay?” His gaze searched her face.
She drew in a long breath and caught a hint of his scent. It steadied her. It was as strong and sure as he was. “No. But we have something to run with now.”
He nodded, then pulled her over to a store near the entrance. Harper and Raiden paused nearby, waiting for them.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked.
“I need to get something.”
The storeowner, a tall thin man with graying hair and a patch of scales on his forehead, smiled at them. Kace leaned over and started speaking softly to the man. The long table was loaded with electronics. There were screens, appliances she couldn’t identify, and the alien equivalent of tablets and computers.
Interest piqued, she touched a few things. She saw a small, perfectly crafted robot. A child’s toy, she guessed.
Rory didn’t pay much attention to Kace until she heard him raise his voice a little. “I know you keep them. I want one.”
The storeowner’s eyes turned considering. “They’re expensive, gladiator.”
Kace held up a token with the logo of the House of Galen on it. “That isn’t a problem.”
With a nod, the storeowner rummaged below his table, and then came back up with a medium-sized box. He handed it over to Kace.
“What is it?” Rory asked.
“A gift. You’ll have to wait until we get back to open it.”
A smile tugged her lips. He’d bought her a gift. She eyed the box, curiosity niggling at her.
Soon, they left the markets and made their way back through the city. Before long, they were walking back into the House of Galen.
“Rory?” Raiden’s deep voice rumbled beside her.
She turned to look at the gladiator. “Yes?”
“May I have the coin? I’ll talk with Galen, and we’ll contact Zhim.”
With a nod, she set the coin down in Raiden’s large palm. “How long do you think it will take for him to give us anything?”
Raiden touched her shoulder. “With Zhim, you never know. Have patience.”
Patience. Right. While she sat here, imagining poor Madeline stuck in some underground fight ring. She thought of poor Hilea, about how broken, and damaged, she was.
“Come on.” Kace nudged Rory into the living area. He set the box down on the table. “Go ahead.” He nodded his head at it.
“I am well aware that you’re just trying to distract me.” She carefully flicked open the top of the box.
A small smile touched Kace’s lips. “Is it working?”
“Yes.” Equally distracting was the man’s perfect, handsome face. A yearning spread inside her and she had to remind herself that Kace had other priorities, other duties.
Rory peered inside the box. A small head poked out, and she took a step back, letting out a soft gasp.
The head was made of a smooth black plastic, with glowing gold lights for eyes. It tilted its head to the side as it studied Rory, then it lifted two perfectly formed paws onto the edge of the box.
The thing made a mechanical-sounding chirping noise at her. With a single leap, the creature jumped out of the box onto the table.
No, it wasn’t a creature. It was a robot. A mechanical, dog-like animal.
“I see people in the District with them,” Kace said. “It is a mechanical pet. I thought you might like one.”
Rory watched, astonished, as the small, dog-sized robot walked around, appearing to sniff at the table. She knew the thing wouldn’t have a sense of smell, but possibly sensors to detect sensory input. Lights blinked along the dog’s side. Its head was black, but its body was made from a sleek, gray metal.
It looked up at her and moved closer, nudging its head against her hand. It wanted to be rubbed.
With a laugh, she obliged, rubbing its head, then running a hand down its sleek body. It made another chirping noise and then leaped off the table. It started to explore the room.
“They are made on a planet called Zayno,” Kace said. “They have very advanced technology, including some of th
e best artificial intelligence.”
Rory watched as the dog jumped up on a couch, circled around just like a real pet would, and then sat down like it was going to take a nap.
Kace had bought her a pet, because he knew she was upset. She glanced over at the gladiator, drinking in the hard planes of his face.
“You’ll have to think of a name for him,” Kace said.
He felt something for her, but he kept holding himself back. She knew he was torn between being the perfect Antarian soldier, and being with her.
There was too much inside her right now. She’d lost everything. She was afraid the Thraxians were going to kill Madeline, and she was deathly afraid that Kace was going to break her heart.
Kace wasn’t hers, and he would never be.
The dog lifted his head, looking at her. He let out a whine, as though he could detect her turmoil.
“I can’t do this.” She shook her head.
Kace cocked his head. His small smile disappeared. “Rory—”
“I can’t be around you, Kace. You’re being nice to me, and I want you, but I know I’m making you question vows that are important to you. Even so, I want you to grab me, touch me, be with me.”
His face was frighteningly blank.
“I…I can’t do it.” Rory drew herself up. “Thanks for this little guy.” She went over and scooped up the mechanical pet, and strode out of the room. She walked into her bedroom, set the dog down on the bed, and slammed the door behind her.
It didn’t make her feel any better.
The dog whined softly.
Rory dropped onto the bed beside the adorable creature. “Yes, I know exactly how you feel.”
***
“I have Zhim pulling info on the term Talos,” Galen said. “I’ve also sent him images of the coins Rory received from the sponsor and the woman below.”
“Anything?” Kace asked.
They were standing in Galen’s office. The large arched windows behind his huge desk gave a perfect view of the training arena, and the recruits who were busy training. Kace caught a glimpse of Saff’s tall form as she put them through their paces.
He saw a flash of red, and spotted Rory down on the sand, as well. She was standing beside Harper, both of them holding nets.