What should I expect when I was standing there, nothing more than a lump of meat for him to beat at?
The snorlak frowned and grunted, snorting through his pig-like nostrils at me.
He’d taken offense to me being able to stand, it seemed.
So, finally, once and for all, knock me out already!
The snorlak shoved his back hoof into the dusty floor of the fighting pit and shifted his weight.
Nice, I thought. A tell to make sure your opponent knows—well ahead of time—what you’re planning to do.
Finally, he pulled his head back, let out a shriek, and bolted forward.
He struck me in the chest, winding me, and knocking me to the ground again. But not hard enough to make anyone believe I could manage to get up.
The snorlak turned to the crowd and raised his arms victoriously.
Oh, man. No wonder this guy’s rank was as low as I pretended mine was. If he spent this long preening himself in order to look good in front of an adoring crowd, there was no time for fighting.
The snorlak turned to me and had a serious look in his eye.
This was it. Finally, the blow that would knock me out. Then I could go to my cell and rest and forget this entire thing had happened.
The snorlak pulled his arm back and swung the ax down at me.
Okay, so I wanted him to knock me out, not kill me!
I rolled to one side, avoiding the blow.
“Stay still!” the snorlak bellowed.
I have been!
He swung his ax again and this time it came for my arm.
I couldn’t let him chop it off so I rolled aside again.
The snorlak snorted with anger and yanked the blade of his ax free from the ground and prepared to swing again.
“Hold still so I can claim my Prize!” he said, bringing the blade back around. “I’ll think of you while I bury my other ax inside her!”
His words made me think about Harper, that gorgeous girl who had claimed my heart.
Claimed my heart.
Was that right?
Had she already made me hers?
The ax came in again and I swung my sword around to block the attack and shift it off course.
The ax slammed into the pit’s floor and I rolled up onto my feet.
If this snorlak won this fight, would he claim her? Claim my precious Harper?
The thought of his snorting ugly shovel-face pressed against her, with her needing to smile and cater to his every need…
It made me feel sick.
And if he was the one to impregnate her…
No. I couldn’t accept that.
Without thinking through the ramifications of what I was doing, I found that calm center inside myself and accessed the incredible pulsing light of power in my chest.
Shink!
And just like that, there were a dozen of me spread in a circle around the snorlak.
It was my unique ability, the gift handed to me from my genetics, my species—the Miragians. We could multiply our number and make it appear there were many of us.
But the snorlak already had his beady eye on me and swung his ax.
I dodged to one side. Once his back was turned, he was doomed. He didn’t know which of the reflections was the real one, so he took to hacking at each in turn.
His blade slid through the images one after another as if they weren’t really there. They didn’t fade or disappear after they’d been “killed,” they only laughed at the stupid snorlak.
“Stop that!” the snorlak said. “Stop laughing!”
His eyes blazed as he reached deep inside himself and accessed provisions of strength and stamina his species was known for. They might be ugly and brutal but they could enter a wicked berserker rage when pushed.
But it wasn’t going to save him. My reflections struck at him, none of them connecting, causing the snorlak to expend huge amounts of energy, exhausting himself.
I kept a safe distance from him, working as puppet master as my reflections did the work for me. The snorlak swung at them each in turn.
With his energy reserves sapped and lacking the strength to heft his ax even one more time, he staggered on his hooves, panting with exertion. Spittle slid out the corners of his mouth and he gasped for oxygen that wasn’t there.
I tugged on my reflections until there was only one of me remaining. I approached the snorlak, who struggled to breathe, gasping around each mouthful of air. His eyes fluttered and I thought he was going to pass out any moment.
I didn’t need to strike at him. I simply shoved him. He staggered and collapsed on the ground, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, his chest heaving.
The crowd roared. Everyone liked a surprise victory that came from the jaws of defeat.
I glanced up at the observation window that looked down on the fighting pit.
A figure stood with their hands behind their back and stared down at me. It was one of Krial’s other guards but their face wasn’t visible from this angle due to the bright light bouncing off the glass.
A finger of fear slid up my spine as I considered the ramifications of what I had just done.
I had ignored a direct order from Krial himself. I was supposed to lose.
Shit.
My insides curled into a fist and jabbed at me as I thought about what I’d done.
Lose. I was supposed to lose.
There would be punishment for this and no mistake.
What would I say when Krial confronted me about it?
I didn’t know. There had to be something I could say.
But what?
I followed the guards, this time with a great deal less bounce in my step as I did the day before.
Should I bypass the Prizes altogether and be on my way and await the punishment that would befall me?
I had removed the possibility the snorlak would claim Harper. I didn’t need to choose her and add to her woes. There
