He hoped she got it.
“He’s here, Empress.”
He looked up from his manacled wrists and saw the guard come in front of the bars. The Empress followed. For all her beauty, she looked tired. Dark circles under her eyes were apparent, along with a sunken nature to her normally healthy cheeks. He’d only ever seen her from afar, his Empress, but he knew she didn’t normally look like this.
“You,” she hissed out venomously. “Your treason has led to the loss of my most valuable property, and I’m going to make sure you pay for that. You and that damned insignificant human. He’s gone into hiding, but we’ll find him soon. He doesn’t have the intelligence or resources to get out of the Empire.”
He should have been scared, but all he heard was the word loss. She had lost them. They were gone. They had made it out of the Empire.
He’d never felt such joy. Six hundred years of waiting and watching the horrors done in the pits to an innocent people, and he finally got to see at least one of them, the most beaten-down of them, into freedom.
“I know exactly what I’m going to do, as well.” The Empress motioned with her hand and a guard unlocked the cell door. “You love your precious Andinna so much? You want to help them? Then maybe you should try living as one, with them, the barbaric warriors they really are. You’re going to be the first Elvasi criminal doomed to the pits. You’ll probably be the only one ever. I hope you enjoy being one of the gladiators you worked so hard to save.”
Trevan’s heart sank at that.
The cruel bitch must have noticed the overwhelming despair that washed over him. “Did you think I would let you off so easily by just executing you?”
Yes. Why hadn’t I figured your cruelty knew no bounds?
Two guards walked in and forced him to stand. He was weak from days without food and staggered, but they didn’t let him drop. His vision was hazy, his thoughts lost as they marched him to the pits he knew so well. During the afternoon training, they tossed him in the middle of the gladiators, undid his chains and left him there.
“Everyone, welcome the new gladiator, One.” The lenasti didn’t sound very welcoming or excited.
The last person who wore that number was Mave, the Champion everyone had hated. They all knew he was the guard who helped her and the two males of the Ivory Shadow Mercenary Company escape.
As he stood weakly, he remembered one thing.
He’d done it.
He could die in this hellhole, but he’d fucking done it.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading!
I’m an epic fantasy reader and let me just say, I had blast finally diving into my own. This is going to be a long story, as Mave succeeds, fails, and falls in love. We’re talking seven novels of story, so it’s going to be quite a ride. I hope you stay on the journey with me as the Andinna try to reclaim the skies they once ruled.
Reviews are always welcome, whether you loved or hated the book. Please consider taking a few moments to leave one and know I appreciate every second of your time and I’m thankful.
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Andena Glossary
Feminine- ‘am’
Amin- Female
Ami- Baby
Amra- Mother
Arra- Mommy/Mom (Informal mother)
Amara- Daughter
Amir- Sister
Amrya- Aunt
Amyra- Neice
Amran- Grandmother
Amanra- Lover/Wife
Masculine- ‘bod’
Bodin- Male
Bodi- Baby
Bodra- Father
Baba- Daddy/Dad (Informal father)
Bodara- Son
Bodyr- Brother
Bodrya- Uncle
Bodyra- Nephew
Bodran- Grandfather
Bodanra- Lover/Husband
General Terms
Oldura- Official Andena word for a ‘Blackblood’. No real translation.
Tatua- The Andinna ‘ink’ normally done by a Blackblood with blood magic.
Mayara- Andinna family unit. The band of males who center on a female to protect serve, and in most cases, love. Generally husbands/lovers, but can also include brothers, fathers, sons, or just close male friends.
Illo- Big, large (Illon- bigger, larger)
Illi- Little, small (Illin- smaller, littler)
Oto- Old (Oton- older)
Oti- Young (Otin- younger)
Ildan- Friend
Ensam- An Andinna without social place. Forced out by the community or by choice.
Sema- Skies or just the sky.
Curses
Linti- Pigeon.
Voek al Sema- Damn the Skies
Na al Sema- By the Skies
Skies/Sema- a way Andinna reference their gods without blaspheming. “Damn the Skies.” “By the Skies.”
About the Author
KristenBanetAuthor.com
Kristen Banet has a Diet Coke problem, smokes too much, and cusses like a sailor. She loves to read, and before finally sitting to try her hand at writing, she had your normal kind of work history. From tattoo parlors, to the U.S. Navy, and freelance illustration, she’s stumbled through her adult years and somehow, is still kicking.
She loves to read books that make people cry and tries to write them. She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
Also by Kristen Banet
The Redemption Saga
A Life of Shadows
A Heart of Shame
A Nature of Conflict
An Echo of Darkness
A Night of Redemption
Age of the Andinna
The Gladiator’s Downfall
Wild Junction
The Kingson Pride Series
Wild Pride
Wild Fire
Wild Souls
The Wolves of Wild Junction
Prey to the Heart
Heart of the Pack
The Gladiator's Downfall Page 40