I straightened up, tore my eyes from the floor, and stared ahead at the guards’ broad backs. They peeled off in either direction, one left, the other right, and waited on either side of the tunnel as I entered the Prize Pool.
It always had a strange smell, like kiratz rinds left in the sun. Strong, bold, and more than a little dizzying. A candle burned on the right. It gave off a thin tendril of smoke and covered the room with its citrus scent.
The madam, the one they called Lily, swept forward and greeted me with arms held out to either side and bowed low, her head almost skimming the floor.
“Excellent fight,” she said, her eyes and smile not fading for a moment. “Please come to inspect my wares.”
I knew Harper would be standing right there, in her usual spot. I didn’t turn my head to look at her but I could see her out the corner of my eye.
My mouth felt dry. I couldn’t bring myself to glance at her for fear I might lose control of myself again the way I had the day before.
“Would you like Harper again?” Lily said with a twinkle in her eye.
A twinkle. As if she knew something she shouldn’t. Had Harper said something to her? Or the other girls in the Pool that she shouldn’t?
But what could she tell them? She didn’t know anything about this situation.
Or did she?
It was hard, carrying secrets. You always wondered if the person you were keeping them from could somehow pick up on them. I might look at her a certain way or say a word with a certain cadence and it would reveal too much of my hidden meaning.
Maybe I even spoke in my sleep.
Anything could give me away.
Before I knew what I was doing, my eyes slipped over to the dais where the girls stood.
Their faces were bright and alert, their smiles warm and welcoming…
And not one of them was the face I wanted to see.
My eye drifted a little further to one side.
I couldn’t help it.
I couldn’t prevent myself from looking at her.
What was more, I didn’t want to prevent it.
There she stood, wearing a regular sheer dress and a distant smile as if she were far away and thinking on other things.
She was different from the other girls. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was but it was undeniable.
“Yes,” I was surprised to find myself saying. “Yes, that would be fine.”
The smile broadened on Harper’s face but there was a tinge to it too that wasn’t altogether welcoming.
She was thinking about us having sex and sleeping together again, and the fear one of my swimmers might take action and get her pregnant.
Lily turned and nodded to Harper, who stepped from the dais and joined me. She took my arm and we turned to leave and return to my cell.
Knock, knock, knock.
Tus stood at the foot of the steps that led up to the research center and—gulp—Krial’s apartment.
Tus approached me with a broad smile on his face and braced my shoulders as if we had never met before.
“Trayem!” he said, pulling back and beaming at me. “Krial was very impressed with your performance and requests a private audience with you to discuss it.”
He spoke loudly enough so everyone in the room could hear him.
He wasn’t speaking for me. He was speaking for them.
I smiled back. It was as fake as Tus’s was.
I wondered absently if Harper would recognize that.
Tus turned to Harper.
“Do you mind if I take him for a moment? Krial has always been a big fan of the fighting pits and meeting a fighter of Trayem’s caliber is a real treat.”
Harper nodded and returned to the dais where the other girls remained standing.
“Shall we go upstairs to… discuss your victory?” Tus said, smiling through his teeth.
“Sure,” I said.
He led me toward the steps. Together, we marched up them, the Prize Pool shrinking below us. The girls broke apart and moved into the backroom. Only Harper hesitated, watching my departing back.
“You sure don’t like to make things easy for yourself, do you?” Tus said.
He shook his head admonishingly and with more than a little awe.
Tus was the second eldest guard. The oldest was Annas and she seemed to think that gave her authority over the rest of us. I was the youngest, with Rarr the other middle sibling.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I said.
“Didn’t you?” Tus said, leering at me. “Then why did you make reflections of yourself?”
“I… did it by accident.”
“And then kicking his ass? Was that by accident too?”
He sighed and shook his head.
“Is Krial very angry?” I said.
“No. But only because I didn’t tell him what really happened. If he ever discovers I lied to him…”
He left the sentence to hang between us.
I could well be the next one to be Reaved. And then it would be your turn.
“It was you watching me from the observation window?” I said.
Tus nodded and I felt a well of relief open up inside me.
“And you’re lucky it was me,” he said. “If it was any of the others, or Krial himself…”
He shook his head. Then we wouldn’t even be having this conversation, I knew.
Tus had always been kind to me, and he didn’t have to be.
“Look,” Tus said, placing a comforting hand on my arm and drawing me to a stop. “I can cover for you this time but if it happens again…”
There would be no help from him.
I nodded in understanding.
“What made you do it, anyway?” Tus said. “You’ve taken a bunch of losses before today. Why did you refuse to throw this one?”
Of all the other guards, it was only Tus I felt comfortable talking with about Harper. But no. I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to get Tus into even more trouble than he was already setting himself up for on my account.
“It won’t happen again,” I said.
“I hope not. I’ve never
