by Presley Hall
Forget interplanetary communicators, I think as Kaide and I step out of the battered building. I’d kill for a regular communicator right about now.
Cell phones or walkie talkies or something would go a long way toward making this search more effective, but we don’t have time to try to track down anything like that. Which means we’re stuck doing things the old-fashioned way.
We pause outside the building, and Kaide shares a look with Orin and Ochar before the two men split off in different directions. Bohrir will stay behind to look for any clues in the workshop before moving on with his search.
I look up at Kaide, who’s surveying the streets around us with an assessing gaze. “Any ideas where we should start?”
“Orin is heading toward the Sevlen District, and Ochar is going to try to track down the man who introduced us to K’Mek,” he tells me. “I think we should head toward Ryyme. It’s a part of Pascia that sees a lot of salvage trade, which means it’s likely K’Mek has done business there. Maybe one of the vendors will be able to tell us where he might be.”
For the first time, the enormity of what we’re about to undertake hits me fully. In the space of less than an hour, our mission changed from overseeing K’Mek build the communicator device to trying to locate him somewhere in this sprawling, chaotic city. It changed from nearly accomplished to almost impossible.
Doing my best to keep those defeated thoughts from showing on my face, I grin up at Kaide. “Sounds like a good plan.”
He smiles wryly at me, looking amused despite the worry and stress I can still see in his eyes. “No, it doesn’t. But it’s the best plan we’ve got.”
I chuckle. “It’s okay. I’m used to working with the best I can manage.”
He laughs, and some of the tension that’s hovered between us since the moment I woke up dissipates. I like the fact that although Kaide can be serious sometimes, he doesn’t stay that way for long or get lost in doubt or worry. His default setting is to tackle life head on with a smile on his face and a joke on his tongue, and it makes our circumstances feel slightly less hopeless.
Walking quickly, we make our way toward the part of the city Kaide suggested. Other aliens glance at us as we pass by, and I can feel several gazes lingering on us. We cleaned up a bit before we left the workshop, wiping away most of the dust and blood, but I still feel like we’re drawing more attention than we should.
Goosebumps prickle over my skin. I’m suddenly glad that Kaide and I decided to stick together, and I hope like hell that the other Voxeran warriors look intimidating enough that no one will decide to attack them or try to capture them.
Unconsciously, I find myself walking closer to Kaide, one hand on the hilt of my knife as my arm brushes against his. Right now, I don’t really care if the aliens we pass by think I’ve been claimed by him. I just want them to know that he and I are together—that we’re a united front, and if they fuck with one of us, they’ll have to deal with both of us.
He makes a pleased sort of growling sound in his throat, glancing down at me as we walk side by side. His markings are glowing a little, and I decide not to let myself wonder if it’s from arousal or because his adrenaline is high.
It takes us a while to reach the area called Ryyme, partly because we take a circuitous route through the city. Based on what I know of Pascia, I’m certain it’s because Kaide is trying to avoid stepping foot in the most dangerous territories. When it comes down to it, we may have to enter those more dangerous areas eventually in our hunt for K’Mek, but we might as well wait until it’s necessary.
The market district where salvaged goods are bought and traded is loud and raucous, with sellers hawking their wares and buyers haggling for better prices. I see two fights break out as we pass by, and Kaide adjusts his grip on his spear as shouts and yells rise up.
I keep my gaze focused straight forward, ignoring it all.
Since there are no wardens on the planet, no law enforcement is going to show up to break up the fight, which means it’ll either resolve on its own, or someone will end up dead or badly injured. Either way, I don’t want to get involved.
“We’ll start at this end and work our way through the market,” Kaide murmurs to me, leaning down so that I can hear him over the din. His breath caresses my ear, making a shiver run down my spine.
Sticking close together, we approach several vendors, asking each one if they know K’Mek. Kaide describes the bony, gangly alien, but all of the people we talk to deny having ever seen or heard of him. We move on to other booths and tents, but even though we speak to dozens of different aliens, the answer we receive from each one stays roughly the same.
No one knows anything.
No one has seen anything.
No one wants to talk at all.
Fuck.
I know what’s going on here. It’s the same automatic response I had when I saw the fight break out as we entered Ryyme. Even though they don’t know why we want to find K’Mek, these prisoners have clearly decided that it’s better not to get involved. Why risk their own safety over an issue that doesn’t concern them? Better to claim they don’t know anything and keep their heads down.
Frustration tightens Kaide’s jaw as the day wears on, and as dusk begins to turn the sky a dark pink, I can practically feel it radiating from him.
The next tent we step up to is manned by an alien who looks a lot like a beetle, with a round body and two antennae protruding from his forehead. His eyes are multifaceted and shiny, and he tenses slightly as he stares up at Kaide, who towers over him by a good two feet.
“What do you need?” the bug asks warily.
“We’re looking for someone. A male named K’Mek,” Kaide tells him, getting right down to the point.
The alien’s antennae swivel outward and back, a look of recognition passing over his face. He schools his expression quickly, but it’s too late. I already saw it, and I know Kaide did too.
“I’ve never heard of him,” the bug insists, taking a step backward.
Kaide follows him smoothly, not allowing him to put space between them. “That’s a lie. I can tell the name is familiar to you. If you don’t know his current whereabouts, then tell me what you do know. What establishments does he frequent? Who does he do business with? Tell me something, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
As he speaks, Kaide reaches into his pack and produces one of the gems from our small stash, holding it out toward the alien vendor in a subtle gesture so that people at nearby stalls won’t see it.
The alien’s antennae swivel again, and his eyes widen. I can tell Kaide is getting desperate, or he wouldn’t have offered such a high payment for information—we have a limited number of these gems, so we need to spend them sparingly.
But it works.
The bug-like alien glances back up at Kaide’s face, looking a lot more eager and less afraid than a moment ago.
“I haven’t seen him in several days. I don’t know where he is now. But I know he frequents The Pits often. Last time I saw him, he was grumbling about how he’d lost a large wager there the night before. If you’re trying to track him down, start there.”
I have no idea what The Pits are, and my imagination immediately conjures up several unpleasant possibilities. But Kaide must know what the alien is referring to, because he smiles triumphantly as he drops the gem into the bug’s outstretched hand.
“The Pits it is, then.”
13
Kaide
The squat prisoner clutches the gem in his hand as if he’s afraid I might realize I overpaid for the information he gave me and snatch it back. The truth is, I did overpay. But it was worth it, because it gave us a solid place to start our search. We don’t have time to comb through the entire city looking for K’Mek, and if this alien is right that he frequents The Pits often, someone there will likely know more about him. He may even have done business with some of the patrons of that establishment, so maybe we’ll get a lead on who he’s planning to
sell the communicator to.
“Thank you.”
Turning away from the vendor, I rest my hand at the small of Raina’s back, guiding her away from his booth. She stiffens just slightly at the contact, her breath catching, and I realize that I reached for her automatically, without thought—as if it’s becoming second nature to have her at my side, and to keep her close. I drop my hand, immediately missing the warmth of her body beneath my palm, and lean down to murmur in her ear as we move toward the exit of Ryyme.
“This is good. We can grab food on the way to The Pits and then continue our search there.”
“What are The Pits?” she asks. “Have you been to them before?”
“No. But I know of them, and I know roughly where they are. They host fights, and prisoners from Pascia show up to watch or partake, and to bet on the fighters.”
“So, like a boxing ring. Or an MMA arena?”
“I don’t know what those things are.” I glance down at her, amused by the way our translators can give us the words, but they still don’t always make sense.
“They’re considered a sort of sport or entertainment back on Earth,” she clarifies. “MMA stands for mixed martial arts. People fight, and other people watch.”
“Yes.” I glance around as we leave the chaos of the salvage market behind, spotting a street vendor selling some kind of meat. “That sounds similar to what I expect to find in The Pits.”
We approach the vendor, and I quickly barter for a meal. I refuse to spend another one of our gems, since it would be an even bigger overpayment for food than it was for information. Fortunately, he accepts one of the small talons Argok didn’t want as payment and hands each of us a piece of seared meat, still attached to a bone that serves as a stick. We step off to one side of the street to eat quickly, and although the meat is dry and overcooked, it’s filling enough.
I catch Raina’s gaze as she wipes her lips with the back of her hand. “We’ll need to be careful. Although The Pits may bear some resemblance to the ‘boxing rings’ back on Earth, they’ll be much more dangerous. This city is wild and savage. There are no laws except for those that the most powerful criminals make. In a place where violence is in the air, and where prisoners are gambling with the precious little they’ve managed to accrue for themselves on this planet, things could turn deadly at any moment. Keep your guard up, and remember not to trust anyone.”
“Except you,” Raina says, taking another bit of her meal.
The words fall from her lips easily, as if she didn’t even have to think about them, but I can feel the weight of them in my bones.
She trusts me.
I know she hasn’t truly accepted the mate bond yet, despite the fact that she clearly desires me. I know I haven’t succeeded in earning her love yet. But she trusts me.
A swell of protectiveness and pride rises in my chest. There’s no question in my mind that I will do anything in my power to keep Raina safe, and the fact that she sees that, that she accepts it, means more to me than I thought it would.
She finishes eating and tosses her bone onto a pile of similarly discarded scraps next to the street vendor’s tent. Then she rests her hands on her hips, looking at me expectantly.
“Ready?”
I laugh, quickly finishing the last few bites of my own food before nodding. “Let’s go.”
The streets grow dark as we make our way to The Pits, and my shoulders stiffen with tension as I keep an eye on our surroundings as well as I can. The city is more dangerous at night, with possible threats lurking in every shadow. By the time we reach The Pits, I’m almost relieved—not that it will be any safer here, but at least it puts us one step closer to completing our mission.
The building that houses the fighting arena is made of rough stone, and Raina and I join the crush of people flowing inside through the wide entry doors. The interior stinks of blood and sweat and the unpleasant odor of too many bodies. Raina’s hand moves to the hilt of her knife, and I suppress a grin.
My instinct to protect her is as strong as her instinct to protect herself.
I like that.
The reason this place is called The Pits becomes obvious immediately. In the middle of the large space, three shallow pits have been dug into the ground, and fighters face off in each one as the crowd gathers around to watch.
It’s difficult to hear anything over the din of shouts and jeers, but as I elbow my way through the crowd, I begin to question people just like we did back at the salvage market.
Unfortunately, our luck here is about the same as it was there. Nearly everyone I speak to refuses to answer my questions, and if any of them know K’Mek, they’re better at hiding it than the squat alien was.
After a while, the noise of the crowd reaches a lull as the current bouts come to an end and new bets are placed. I take advantage of the semi-quiet to continue my inquiries, approaching a Reskin male. Like all of his species, he’s broad-shouldered and completely hairless, with purplish skin and tusks that rise from his lower jaw to brush against his cheeks.
At the mention of the name K’Mek, recognition flows across his face.
“Of course I know him,” he mutters, glancing down into the pit nearest to us. “Who here doesn’t?”
I refrain from telling him that nearly every other prisoner I’ve spoken to has denied knowing the slippery little alien. If this man is willing to speak to me, the last thing I want to do is antagonize him.
“Have you seen him recently?” I press. “Where does he go to do trade? What establishments does he frequent most often?”
“Eh.” The Reskin waves a hand, still looking down at the pit. He seems agitated and distracted. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you must know something. What can you tell me?” I step in front of him to get his attention, knowing I may antagonize him if I push too hard, but unwilling to let this opportunity pass.
For the first time, the Reskin male seems to truly focus on me. His forehead wrinkles as his eyes widen a little, and then a cunning looks comes into his eyes.
“I can tell you quite a bit,” he says smoothly. “But it’ll cost you.”
“I’m prepared to pay.”
“Good.” He smiles, gesturing to the pit behind me. “Because the fighter I bet on for the next match just dropped out. From the look of it, his replacement is a scrawny little pillu who won’t last three heartbeats down there. So I’ll make you a deal. If you take his place, fight in the next match, and win, I’ll tell you everything I know about K’Mek.”
My jaw clenches. I spar almost every day with my fellow warriors back at the village, and it’s one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I live for a good fight, but battling for sport, for the entertainment of strangers, has never appealed to me.
Still, if this is what it takes to get the information we need, I don’t see that I have a choice.
“One match,” I tell the Reskin, my voice hard. “And when I win, you’ll give me the information I require.”
He laughs, tipping his head back and resting a hand on his stomach. “Such confidence! I like it. It makes me think my bet might not go to waste after all. Agreed. One match, one victory, and I will owe you in return.”
I nod curtly, then turn away from him. Raina follows closely behind me as I make my way toward the alien who seems to be in charge of organizing the fights. One look at the terrified looking man waiting to go into the pit tells me that the Reskin’s assessment was right. This prisoner won’t last long at all if he’s allowed to fight.
“Kaide. Kaide!” Raina tugs sharply at my elbow before I can step forward and speak to the fight organizer. When I turn back to look at her, she’s staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Bartering for information,” I tell her, letting one side of my mouth stretch into a grin. “Better than spending any more of our gems when we might need them later.”
“Yeah, but…”
She trails off, glancing ove
r at the fighter standing next to the terrified alien—the man who will be my opponent in the pit. He doesn’t look afraid at all. In fact, he looks bloodthirsty and a bit feral.
“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Raina asks, her gaze finding mine again. Worry glints in her lovely forest colored eyes, and it makes me want to pull her into my arms and kiss her in front of every slanching alien here. To prove to them all that this fierce, sweet woman is mine.
Instead of crushing my lips to hers, I shrug off my pack and hand it to her, then guide her to a spot right near the edge of the pit where I’ll be able to keep an eye on her.
“It’ll be all right,” I tell her. Then, because I can’t resist, I jerk my chin toward the pit and give her my cockiest smile. “This won’t take long.”
Despite the concern that still tightens her features, her lips twitch as if she’s fighting back a grin. “So modest.”
I laugh and turn to go find the fight organizer, but before I can take a step, Raina reaches out and catches my hand. All trace of humor is gone from her face when I look back at her.
“Kaide.” She licks her lips. “Just… be careful.”
I nod, my own smile fading as I squeeze her hand. “I will.”
14
Raina
My stomach churns as Kaide’s fingers slip from mine, and I watch him make his way through the throng toward the guy who seems to be in charge of choosing the fighters.
Oh my god. Is he really going to do this?
I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised that violence is practically a form of currency in a place like this. Despite the thin veneer of civilization that hangs over the city, it’s still a wild, savage place.
Clutching the pack Kaide gave me, I brace my feet against the jostling of the many bodies that surround me. Things got a bit quieter after the last fight finished, but I can tell the crowd is getting restless, calling out for more and stomping their feet. It’s way too noisy for me to be able to overhear Kaide’s conversation with the fight organizer, but it obviously doesn’t take him long to convince the man to let him sub in for the terrified looking alien. The organizer takes one look at Kaide’s brawny, muscled body and grins.
