He sailed back and collapsed on the floor.
The first guard reached for his shock rifle.
I swung my foot up and caught his chin, laying him out cold.
I didn’t pick up their weapons. That would only cause more trouble. If I was armed, the other guards would come down hard on me, shocking me to within an inch of my life.
Or beyond.
Whereas if I was without any weapons…
Well, they were still going to crush me, just not as hard as they would with the rifle.
I bolted down the hallway in the direction of Dreth’s quarters.
I took the stairs, leaping one floor at a time. I smashed into prisoners in the way, knocking them aside.
They growled at me angrily until they saw who I was and raised their hands in surrender.
Just thinking about what Dreth might be doing to her right now…
It was too difficult to think about.
Did he not realize the fatal mistake he was making? Didn’t he realize how I was going to respond?
I came to his floor and skidded to a stop as guards ran in my direction.
“Halt!” one yelled, raising his shock rifle.
Not yet. I couldn’t halt. Not yet.
The other prisoners dived out of their way, taking to the safety of their cells. They didn’t want to be a part of what was going down.
I ran back up the stairs I’d just taken, to the floor above. I came off the stairs and ran in the direction of Dreth’s room—though I was still one floor above his cell.
BLAM!
A bolt from a shock rifle slammed into the grating at my feet. The surge rushed up my legs. It locked up my muscles and I could hardly move.
It was okay. I didn’t need to move.
I just needed to fall forward.
I did, into the railing. The plastic railing cover gave me at least a little protection from the shock. I pulled myself up and over the side, dragging my legs behind me.
I hung there and looked down.
It was a long way if I fell…
And falling was going to be a part of my plan to reach Ivy.
The guards rushed over to me, reaching to grab me by my arm.
I’d already run out of time.
I muttered a prayer under my breath and let go of the railing.
The guards’ grasping hands missed me by mere inches.
I fell down, down, down…
Time slowed. It reminded me of the meditative state each time I entered the pit and prepared to go to war with my next opponent.
The railing for the floor below rushed up to meet me.
It zipped past, faster than I expected.
I hurled out both my arms and…
Caught something.
The final strut of the railing.
My forearm had snapped as it wrapped around the strut.
But I was still alive.
I felt the pain but blocked it out.
I pulled myself up with my uninjured arm and rolled over the railing and onto the floor.
I grunted as I got to my feet.
I straightened out my snapped arm and hoped it would heal fast, but it was never going to be fast enough to do what I needed.
I rushed toward the door ahead.
Dreth’s door.
I ran at it and bellowed.
I threw my foot at it, smashing into it hard.
Thud!
I slammed my fist into the metal. It dented but wouldn’t open.
It was going to take too long for me to break into it.
Already, the guards were on their way.
I needed to use my ability.
Doing so would reveal to everyone I actually had one. Up until now, they assumed it was fighting prowess alone that got me through. Then it would only be a matter of time before someone discovered my fatal flaw.
And there always was one.
But it had to be done. I couldn’t let Dreth do what he wanted with Ivy.
I pressed my palms to the door and shut my eyes. I focused on the console. It became everything I was aware of, everything I knew.
I could hear Ivy inside, screaming.
Had I failed her? Was I too late?
I felt the familiar golden pulse build up inside me. I absorbed the electrical charge and reversed it, turning it on itself.
Sparks issued from the door and it slid open.
Dreth lay on top of Ivy. He was naked.
He turned to look at who had disturbed him. His eyes widened in shock that it was me.
“Kren? How… How did you get in here?”
“Get off her,” I said. “Now.”
Dreth rolled off Ivy.
I glanced at her pussy and was relieved to see Dreth hadn’t violated her. She was clean and unmutilated by his affliction.
“Are you all right?” I said.
“Yes. I’m okay.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her face was beaten and bloody and swollen.
Not completely untouched…
I took her into my arms but knew the guards wouldn’t let me take her from here. Which meant they might leave her here with Dreth.
The guards’ footsteps rang up the gangway toward us, their boots growing louder each passing moment.
I held Ivy close and ran my hand over her face.
“Everything’s going to be all right now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Will you stay with me?”
So soft, so sweet.
Too good for this place. Too good for me.
“I can’t,” I said. “They’re going to take me away but I’ll be with you again soon.”
I kissed her on the lips and tasted her tears. Leaving her like this was the very last thing I wanted to do, but pretty soon, I was going to have no choice.
The boots thudded so loud, the guards were almost on us.
I turned to Dreth, who raised his hands.
“Hey. It was my turn to choose a Prize. It’s a free market, right?”
“Right,” I said.
Dreth looked relieved.
I snapped his metal cock off and jammed it in his surprised mouth. Then I smacked it hard with my palm. It pierced his throat and came out the back.
He had the ability to heal fast too—almost every prisoner in this godforsaken place did or else they wouldn’t have survived this long. But he
