I hear the lock click, and the sound of the guards’ retreating feet.
The room is completely dark except for the errant streams of sunlight that are coming through slits in the wood. I wait a brief moment for my eyes to adjust before moving from my spot on the floor. The furnishings are identical to the ones of the room I was previously held in, and the odor is just as bad. I eye the hay with suspicion and decide to sit against the wall next to the door instead.
The heat in the room quickly climbs and I begin to sweat, drenching my clothes and hair. My head begins to ache as the moisture rapidly escapes my body. I contemplate testing the integrity of the walls, but I feel this move by Artemis is intentional.
I lean my head back and close my eyes, listening to the two men out in the ring battling. After several minutes one finally goes down, screaming from a wound his adversary has inflicted. The others clap and cheer the victor. From the voices, I can tell the audience consists of two women and one man. I sit and listen to the injured man’s wails that slowly become whimpers, and then silence.
“Who’s next?” One of the men holler, but no one volunteers.
I hear footsteps approach my door, but I’m too tired to move. After some fumbling with the lock, my door is opened and I’m dragged out into the sunlight. I wince at the sudden assault on my vision while I’m being pulled through the dirt into the makeshift ring.
“How about this one?” The man who seized me says to the others.
“Sweet,” the victor says as he walks over to me. “Hey little girl, want to play?” He bends down to look into my face.
I don’t acknowledge his presence, so he grabs my ponytail and hauls me to my feet.
“This should be easy,” he says as he lets me go and walks to the others. “Choose a weapon.” He nods his head to where several Pugio blades lean against the wood railing that encircles the area, along with a couple of Beta guns, but I don’t move. “Have it your way, then.”
He comes at me full speed, blade over his head. I wait until he is practically on top of me then simply step aside. He falters and slams into the railing, the blade of his weapon cutting his hand as he falls forward. The others break out into laughter, including the man he had wounded before, who is now resting in a far corner.
“Great job, Matt,” one of the cheerers chuckles.
The man they call Matt gets up, wipes the blood from his hand onto his shorts, re-grips the blade, and changes his approach. Seems like he realizes there’s more to me than he thought. He walks slowly around the outer rim while I walk in the opposite direction. This goes on for some time, neither of us giving in.
“This is ridiculous,” Matt shouts at me. “Pick up a weapon and let’s go.”
“No,” I shout back.
“Fine, then at least stand still so I can practice gutting you.”
I reluctantly reach down and pick up one of the blades. I’ve never used them before, so I’m unsure of how to hold it correctly. Something Devlan didn’t have me train with. It hits me again that I’ll never that chance to learn from him again.
Thinking of Devlan makes me suddenly feel weak. My knees collapse, giving Matt an opportunity to attack. He seizes the moment to slash my back with the sword. The pain is something I’ve never felt before, my flesh ripping open with the sensation of thousands of pinpricks radiating down my spine. I scream and fall on my stomach as the ground begins to soak up the blood dripping from the wound, but the pain begins to subside as I begin to heal.
Matt lifts up his blade, readying himself to plunge it into my back. I grab the hilt of my blade, roll over, and slice open his thigh. He drops to the ground, and the others immediately run to his side, tending to his wound. Artemis walks into the arena, clapping. Another man follows, carrying a medical bag. He begins to attend to Matt’s wounds.
Artemis walks up to me, lifting up my shirt to examine the slice in my back, which no longer exists. He doesn’t say anything, just simply lets my shirt fall back into place. Matt and the man he defeated are carried out of the ring and up the hill towards the house to be tended to properly. Artemis motions towards several bodyguards that have joined the crowd. They walk over to me, remove the blade I’m still holding, and secure my hands behind my back. We too walk back to the house, while Artemis instructs the other fighters to return to their quarters.
I’m led into a small but lavish bedroom off the stairs that rise to the second story. My restraints are removed, but I’m advised I can’t leave my room. Of course the minute I’m left alone I try the doorknob but find it locked from the outside. My room has one window without any coverings, a large brass bed covered in a floral bedspread, a teak dresser and matching nightstand, and my own bathroom with both
