Some things change, and some things stay the same, I guess.
She watched the crowds until she saw her favorite males walk in. Matesh was first, taller than most, his signature broken horn standing out. Brynec snuck in behind him, sticking close. They both looked tired but uninjured—the first thing she always looked for when she saw them. The patrols weren’t dangerous, but one could never be too cautious.
Mat looked over the crowd and found her, his weary expression turning to one she could only describe as loving. His emerald eyes lit up in a way she only saw when he looked at her. Bryn’s eyes followed his, and she grinned as he found her as well.
Very few things in life made her genuinely happy—Bryn and Mat were at the top of that list.
She went back to eating as they got their food, then looked up again when they were close, standing up before they made it to the table.
“How was patrol?” she asked, stepping around the table to greet them. She took Matesh’s plate and put it on the table, then Bryn’s, but she didn’t let them sit just yet. Mat wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning down to kiss her neck.
“Exhausting,” he answered softly.
“Sorry we’re late. Needed to stop at Senri’s. Had to report somethin’ to her,” Bryn explained. Mat let go of her, and Bryn took his spot quickly. She kissed him slowly, savoring the taste of him. She hated their patrols because it meant she slept alone. Seeing them again, even though it was just one night away, always brightened her mood.
“What kind of news?” she asked, pulling away. “Sit, eat. I’m not done either.”
They quickly took their seats. Mave took a moment to look over the room and realized a few Andinna were watching her. They all quickly turned away when they were found out.
“We found an Elvasi scouting camp. It’s not uncommon for them to look for good hunting spots on the edges of the mountains, but we reported it to Senri, anyway. It was far out, so it didn’t concern her too much.” Mat started eating when he was through talking. Bryn jumped in afterward and continued.
“Rule is we watch the area closely for a few months and hope they don’t come back to it. If we find them there again, we put a unit on it full time.”
“I hope nothing comes of it,” she commented, going back to her own food. “So…what do we want to do tonight?”
“Tonight? Take the afternoon off from Senri and come home with us,” Mat said, an arrogant smirk forming. “I promise it’ll be worth it. We might be tired, but we missed you last night.”
“I missed you too, but you know I don’t like skipping things,” she reminded him. She wanted to, but she also wanted to make sure she was ready for the spring festival too. It was still a little way out. I could skip one day. Right? “Let me think about it. If Senri shows up for lunch, I’ll ask her if she thinks I can get away with it.”
“She was headed this way when we saw her. Or said she was. How was this morning with Luykas? You said yesterday you two were doing better, getting along more. That’s good.” Mat reached out and brushed his thumb over the now black scar under her eye. Her tatua decided to highlight it, something she was indifferent about until he touched her like this. It made her self-conscious in a way the scar never had before. Maybe it was the intimacy of his touch and not the scar. She couldn’t tell.
“We had to make some adjustments today, but we’re going to make it work.” She quickly explained how her morning went, watching as both her males developed a case of wide-eyed shock.
“That’s interestin’,” Bryn mumbled. “Well…”
“Perceptive of Varon,” Mat said softly. “He’s right. The other females might not realize it but…”
“I honestly don’t understand it that much,” she admitted. “They don’t talk to me. They don’t ask me for help.”
“But they could and having a female who can go toe-to-toe with Alchan…that’s important.” Mat smiled kindly, leaning forward as he pulled her by the chin, meeting in a sweet kiss. “If you think about it, Alchan wanted you to stay the way you were when he told you who he was. He likes having a female around who isn’t scared of him or something like that.”
“You make it sound like he knew this was going to be the case.” Mave could believe a lot of things, but that? Alchan didn’t strike her as a male who considered these sorts of things. Maybe she should, but she couldn’t fit it with the image she had of him—grouchy loner king who was obviously uncomfortable with his station in life, not very political. Honestly, she figured he brute-forced his way through most situations, the way she did.
“Alchan is a complicated male,” Bryn reminded her. “He’s a great military commander, a bedru and different from most males, but for all the years he was trained by yer father, he was also raised by the royal family. I wouldn’t say it’s his strong suit, and I’m pretty sure he hates it, but he knows how to look at things from a political angle when he needs to.”
“I’ll keep that in consideration,” she promised, leaning over to meet him across the table for a kiss as well. “What would I do without you two?”
“Deal with males fawning over you without us running interference,” Mat told her casually. She narrowed her eyes on him, only getting that arrogant smirk in return. “Don’t look at me like that. I like it too much for the public place we’re in.”
She couldn’t help laughing. Her damn males. “Fine.”
“Sorry I’m late!” a female said loudly, a plate hitting the table next to her. “I was giving your unit the ass-chewing I promised you I would.”
Mave looked up at Senri, frowning. “What happened?”
“We had Zayden spy on them. Zayden said he mentioned it to you,” Mat said, and when she nodded, he turned his attention on Senri. “What did they do? Have any excuses?”
“No. They all agreed to an extra day of patrol next week, and they’re required to present their gear to Gentrin for inspection. Since he’s male, my husband, and the blacksmith, he’s a good authority on whether the gear he makes is treated well.” She sighed, sitting down. “Mave, save me from single young males who only think with their cocks.”
“There’s really only two ways to fix it. Break them or fuck them. I think breaking them might leave you without guards, and I have no intention of fucking any of them, so you’re out of luck. Sorry.”
Bryn snorted, leaning down. Mat fared worse, leaning back as he started to laugh loudly. Senri shrugged at her.
“I was thinking the same thing, but I had to ask.”
“Then you and I think alike.” Mave grinned. “Tell me if they’re still a problem come spring, and I’ll give them a piece of my mind. If they don’t shape up, I’ll start in on them. They won’t like me nearly as much as they like you three.”
“They hate us,” Mat said, sobering. “They don’t like us at all.”
“Exactly.” Mave turned serious. “If they think you’re a problem, I know a training schedule to put them on that will make them think you’re their best friends.”
“Oh, that’s mean, beloved,” Mat crooned, smiling again. “They aren’t gladiators in the pits.”
“I’m just saying, it’s an alternative.” She held up her hands. Bryn was still snickering into his food. “Oh, Senri, since you’re here. I’m thinking of skipping this afternoon. Think I can get away with it?”
“Practice on your own, and I’ll see you tomorrow. I should tell Jesvena and Alchan what these two found. Enjoy your males, Mave.”
“I intend to.”
11
Trevan
There were no jeers as Trevan walked out onto the training grounds from the pits. It was just another day. He was either ignored or targeted. Today, he was ignored, and he was grateful. He knew the reason—he was out on the training grounds for the same reason. There were new arrivals today, and he wanted to see them. He wasn’t sure why, but he was always drawn to see the newcomers.
Maybe I just want to see them before they jump me in the middle of the night.
/> He huffed, shaking his head at his own thoughts. He hadn’t been jumped in over a month, probably because he had killed one of them the last time. He was getting too dangerous for them to harass without a large group. Now he understood why the Champion always exuded the power she did, even when she was alone. If she didn’t, she would have always been a victim. Killing one or two here or there was a deterrent to keep others from trying.
He’d worked in the pits for centuries and hadn’t understood anything. He had no idea.
Now, I know.
“Back up!” an Elvasi roared. Trevan crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar near the living and working quarters for the lenasti. They didn’t bother with him anymore. They didn’t jump to defend him if he was being shit on, but they didn’t go out of their way to make his life miserable. He knew they wouldn’t mind if he stole a little shade while waiting.
The gates opened, and the event started. New arrivals were shoved in by more guards, flooding the training yard. It would thin out within the month. It always did. When he was just a guard, he’d never seen this, never seen just how many Andinna were really thrown down here and how many survived it. He’d always been on nights, the same schedule, in the same location, for six hundred years.
“See anyone you want to kill next month?” a lenasti asked him. “Also, get off my pillar, slave.”
“Of course, sir.” He pulled off the pillar, a little disappointed they wouldn’t give him that today. He’d gotten away with it last month. “And no.”
“Why? Got a soft spot still?” The lenasti snorted. “That’s why you’re here and don’t think we’ve forgotten that. You might be undefeated now, but they’ll gut you if they get the chance. Wild animals, every single one of them.”
He didn’t reply, knowing the Empress would be stepping out any moment. Sure enough, she showed up right on cue and gave her famous little speech about dying on the sands or making owners rich. He grew tired of it, but he still came to see the newcomers.
He ignored her, looking over the new faces. None of them stood out, which was normal. He didn’t think every Andinna looked the same, even with their coloring, but they did start to blend. Most were massive, all of them taller than him, and had matching black wings, hair, and ink. He thought he caught a hint of another color but couldn’t find it again and gave up thinking anything different would happen than what he normally saw.
As his mother once said, the scene before him wasn’t visually interesting.
“Another crop of Andinna who are going to want to kill you. Excited?” The lenasti didn’t know when to quit.
He was still looking over the crowd and again didn’t reply to the Elvasi next to him. He’d learned to keep his mouth shut early on, especially to the questions meant to goad him. He couldn’t fall for it. He couldn’t talk back and fight it.
“Too bad the Champion didn’t show her true colors and gut you the moment she was free. Would have saved us all a lot of trouble.”
He ground his teeth—the Champion. Her face haunted his dreams every night. Everyone brought her up when they saw him. Every piece of hate they all harbored for her was directed at him because he took her out of their grasp.
He held onto the belief he did the right thing. It was hard, but he held on.
“You’re boring today, slave.” The lenasti sighed and shook his head. “You aren’t going to find any friends out there. Stop trying.”
He wanted to bare his teeth but resisted the urge. He was picking up habits from the Andinna around him, and if he stupidly showed that to the Elvasi, they would make his life even more miserable.
The lenasti finally walked away, realizing he wasn’t going to engage. He took a breath in relief, glad it was finally over. The new gladiators were getting their ear tags now, and he was finally being noticed by them. He could see them stop and stare, confused. He had an ear tag like them and wore the same collar. He knew it was probably a shocking sight and decided it was time to retreat before they figured out he was alone in the pits with them. The new ones always blustered and caused the most trouble for him. It would take a couple of weeks before they settled down.
He was halfway down the stairs, glad he earned the weekend off—so he could hide from everything above—when he heard hurried stomping down the stairs behind him. He turned quickly, ready to defend himself. He’d been kicked down the stairs once and knew he couldn’t keep his back to them. They were looking to kill him every time they had the chance, and he couldn’t relax.
The Andinna walking quickly down behind him wasn’t what he expected. His skin was rich mahogany not found in the Andinna, but rather, a certain subset of Elvasi. He had red-orange eyes that went well with his blood-red wings, tail, and horns. There was no missing them. Trevan sized him up quickly, realizing the male was shorter and leaner than most of the other gladiators. Not much leaner but enough. He could beat this one.
“You’re Elvasi,” the Andinna said in shock. “Why are you down here?”
“Because I’m being punished,” he snapped. He didn’t have time for this mutt. “Why else?”
“I mean…” The Andinna stepped closer, obviously confused by his existence.
“Stay back. I’m not afraid of you, and I’ll kill you if you come any closer.”
“Wow. Okay…We’re off on the wrong foot…” He pushed back his black hair, and Trevan nearly fell down the stairs on his own—the Andinna revealed pure Elvasi pointed ears.
“You’re a mutt. Half-Elvasi.” Trevan wasn’t completely surprised, based on other indicators—between the skin tone and size of the mutt, it was really the only guess.
“Yeah. Name’s Emerian. I saw you up there before I was shoved in line to get this,”—he gestured to the new ear tag—“but then you disappeared when I was done.”
“What do you want?” He didn’t have time for games. Just because the mutt was part Elvasi didn’t mean anything.
“I don’t do well with Andinna. Saw you and decided to try to talk…”
“You’re Andinna. What do you mean you don’t do well with them?”
“No, I’m not Andinna. I’m half-Andinna and half-Elvasi. Those two things don’t play well together, for anyone.” Emerian gave him a bitter smile, but it faded. The mutt shook his head, looking away. “Fuck it. You can go. Sorry for bothering you.”
“I’m here because I freed three Andinna from this place,” he said, not sure what drove him to admit that to the new slave. “I’m Trevan. I have no friends, and being around me will probably get you killed.”
“Being around them will probably get me killed.” He nodded back up the stairs. Trevan caught his meaning. The mutt shrugged, obviously still caught off-guard by Trevan’s hostility. “Look, I saw you and…”
“Come on. I’ll get you down here before the others have a chance to follow. You’ll be able to find a sleeping spot.” He shouldn’t do it, but he gestured down the stairs, hoping this Emerian would follow him before others arrived. He didn’t look particularly young or old, but with the long-lived races, that didn’t mean much. He could have been a hundred or three thousand. Trevan was leaning to the previous. The mutt struck him as a bit young.
“Tell me about yourself. I told you my reason for being down here. Tell me yours.”
“Owner decided to sell me,” he said blandly. “Nothing special.” He caught up to Trevan, who couldn’t help but frown at him. “You know, I’m glad there’s one sane person down here. Thanks for the company.”
“No one’s sane down here. Really, though, what’s your story? Every Andinna mutt I’ve ever met would rather have the company of other Andinna.”
“It’s complicated.” Emerian followed him out of the chow hall into the dark halls of the pits. “Maybe I just know they’ll try to kill me for being half-Elvasi.”
“Maybe. Or you’re lying to me, and you’re looking to get me alone to kill me. That would put you in their good graces.”
He wasn’t stupid. Letting Emerian follo
w him out of pity was idiotic and suicidal, but he didn’t have it in him to leave the mutt on the stairs as he should have. He stopped where the hall broke into five smaller hallways.
“This is where I leave you. Find a place to sleep away from the others. Keep your head down. If you win in training and win well enough, they might not mess with you. Go for the kill if you’re on the sands. Mercy won’t earn you any favors here.”
When he started walking again, Emerian tried to stop him. Trevan snarled this time, grabbing the male by the throat and shoving him into a wall.
“Don’t. Follow. Me.” He pushed Emerian away when he was down, wide-eyed as Trevan started to stomp off again.
He ducked into a dark room when he knew the new mutt wasn’t following him. Only the guards knew where his current hiding spot was. Being a guard, he knew it was impossible to completely hide from them. Guards had a map of the pits, which was precious and wasn’t allowed off the premises of the guardhouse. They tracked the sleeping locations of every Andinna during night rounds, seeing who was where, and updated the map when they noticed the pattern changed. He could stay secret for all of a day, but the moment he went to sleep for a night, a guard would find him and update the map.
As long as the Andinna didn’t find him, he didn’t care. The guards could be cruel, but they didn’t hit him while he was asleep. Their number one duty was to keep the peace, and he knew the Empress wouldn’t be happy if they killed him. The Andinna, on the other hand, were the reason he lost sleep.
He curled up, trying to ignore the drips of water coming down from the ceiling. Winter was the wet season for Elliar. The rains never ended, and in the pits, life became even more miserable. He didn’t know how long he was hiding when he heard the metal clank of armor and boots coming down the hall.
“Trevan, the Empress wants to see you before she goes back to the palace.” The guard stopped in his door.
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