by Penny Rose
She stood in the corner, watching the other partygoers and thinking about Cade. Their intimacy was bringing them closer together, and she found herself constantly longing for him. She couldn’t help but crave what he gave her.
Prinzton watched her from across the room. She tried to avoid his gaze, but every time she looked up, he was watching her like a hawk. Cade had asked about Prinzton approaching her earlier. It was pretty obvious that he had seen the exchange between them at the arena. Prinzton was one of the other slave owners, and she had always tried to avoid him as much as possible. She hated the way he looked at her. She knew that he had a thing for her. She’d never had an interest, but he always seemed to find her. Luckily, he hadn’t acted on his admiration, but that meant there wasn’t a whole lot that she could do aside from just avoiding him.
The thing that bothered her the most was the fact that he seemed to notice that she’d had her eye on Cade during the fights. He’d made a comment about the green-skinned barbarian when he approached her. It had made her more than a little uncomfortable. Was he just guessing, or did he actually know something? And if so, would he use that information against her? He had practically salivated all over her, and she wished that she could just tell him to buzz off, but that wasn’t an option. She would be in a lot of trouble if she talked back to one of the owners like that. She found him just a little too aggressive for her taste. The reason that the healers were invited to a party like this was because the federation held their position in high esteem. So, it was very odd that Prinzton was treating her so disrespectfully.
She went to one of the tables that held great platters of food. Meats, cheeses, fruits, and all manner of desserts were spread out in beautiful arrangements. She grabbed a plate and looked around at the selection. She had worked up quite the appetite with all the vigorous lovemaking, so she filled her plate. When she turned to find a seat, she found Prinzton right beside her. He looked at her with hungry eyes. She backed away, but he leaned right into her face. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her skin, and it made her shudder.
She took a few more steps back, and he grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. An icy terror ran through her. She looked around for help, but no one seemed to notice them.
She pulled her arm, but he didn’t release. Why was he acting like this? Men weren’t supposed to treat the healers so disrespectfully. His behavior was scaring her.
He scowled at her, finally releasing his grip. “What, am I not brutish enough for you?”
She looked around the room, searching for anyone she might recognize. The situation was becoming threatening, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
Eldredth straightened her shoulders. “Please leave me alone.”
He sneered at her. “I will be seeing you around, Eldredth. You can bet on that.”
Prinzton stormed away, head held high. Once he disappeared into the crowd, she finally expelled the breath she was holding. The man was terrifying and although he used to make her uncomfortable, something was very different with him now. She didn’t like the way that he had treated her, and she wondered if she was in danger. She wasn’t sure who she could tell about the situation. Who could she tell? It’d be the word of a healer against a man of wealth and power. She had never seen him behave that way before and wondered what he might be capable of next.
Aira approached her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Eldredth blinked a couple of times, fighting back the tears that threatened to brim over. She sighed. “Prinzton just got in my face, and it didn’t feel good. It felt like I was being threatened.”
“Are you sure? Prinzton knows that we are haloed. Maybe you just misunderstood the situation.”
Eldredth stared at Aira for a moment before deciding to keep the rest to herself, for now anyway. She wasn’t surprised that Aira didn’t believe her. Prinzton was acting out of character so maybe she had misread it. She wasn’t going to take any chances with him, however. She would do her best to avoid him completely, though she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
There would be more fights tomorrow, and maybe there would be a chance to connect with Cade again. She wished that she could run to him right now and talk to him about Prinzton. The smart thing was to give Cade some space, so that Prinzton wouldn’t suspect anything further. She also didn’t want to add to Cade’s stress. He had enough to deal with. It would be difficult, but if Cade was able to find a way off the planet, it would all be worth it.
****
Cade sat on a bench in the chambers beneath the arena. A table full of massive slabs of meat, bread, and cheeses had been set up for the gladiators while the wealthy had a feast of their own in the mayor’s mansion. The food was delicious, not that that was anything new. Gladiators always ate well, or at least Cade thought so. It was one of the few good things about the title.
He thought of Eldredth being amongst the wealthy and wondered what she was doing. She was certainly worthy of that type of lifestyle but not as a worker. The gladiators would have the evening to rest before the next round of fights tomorrow. Cade had slept for most of the time after his fight, and now he feasted on steak and bread. He was feeling good, strong, and ready for his next opponent.
The next morning, the guards arrived to collect the men. A large screen displayed pictures of which opponents they would be facing. Cade was set to fight against Prinzton’s top fighter, Sanir. It was an important fight for Cade because it would allow him to move higher in the tournament and possibly secure a place to earn his freedom back.
Cade had witnessed Sanir fighting the previous day. He was a rather large man, but not much bigger than Cade himself. He had blue skin and webbed fingers, reminding Cade of an underwater creature. If he was from an aquatic planet, then Pendoria had to be taking a lot out of him. Aside from his skill, it didn’t appear as if Sanir had any more of an advantage over Cade. It should be a fair fight, and Cade had every reason to believe that he would be victorious.
The men lined up in the tunnel as they were given the weapons they would use in the fight. Cade smiled as he was handed a large sword, remembering the time he had shared with Eldredth in that very closet. He set the sword aside so he could stretch out his upper body.
Next to Cade, Arc swung an axe through the air, taking practice swings. He was glad that he had Arc with him, regardless of how weird he was. He was a strong fighter as well.
“I’m glad they didn’t put me against any creepy guys this time.”
Cade laughed. It was funny how the guy with tentacles for arms thought other races were creepy. Cade picked up his blade and did a few practice swings himself. When he swung, he noticed that the balance was off. He took a closer look, inspecting the metal. There was a large crack in the blade, and the metal itself was brittle. He took a deep breath.
“What’s up?” Arc said as he approached Cade.
He lifted the sword. “I think my blade has been tampered with.”
Arc took the blade and examined it. “Not tampered with. They just gave you a terrible blade. What are you going to do about it?”
Cade tapped the guard handing out weapons on the shoulder. “You gave me a damaged weapon.”
The guard looked down at the tablet with the fighters and their weapons listed. “Nope, this is yours.” He returned to handing out weapons.
Cade sighed, turning to Arc. “Someone is trying to sabotage me. If I had to guess, I’d put my money on Prinzton. What can I do, though? Who’s going to believe me or even care for that matter?”
“Maizon would care. You are his warrior,” Arc argued.
“Maizon isn’t here right now.”
Arc approached one of the guards and thundered about the blade. “We need to see Maizon immediately. He can’t fight with that weapon.”
The guard looked at them with contempt. “He can either fight with his chosen weapon or pay the price. These are the weapons that were provided, so I suggest you deal with it.”
Arc wal
ked away from the guard in disgust. “You need to be careful, Cade. There is more going on here than we know about. My blade is fine. Do you want to take it?”
Cade shook his head. “No. I will make do. Sanir won’t get the best of me.”
“How are you going to fight with that thing?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll make do.”
Cade and Sanir’s faces flashed across the screen, telling everyone that they were the next fighters up. He turned to make his way out to the arena.
“Watch your back,” Arc called after him.
Cade wasn’t sure why Prinzton had decided to switch out only his weapon, but he knew that Arc was right. He needed to watch his back at all costs. Was it possible that Prinzton knew about he and Eldredth? Somebody had it out for him, and he needed to be aware that he could be hurt at any moment.
Lights flashed, and drones zoomed through the air as he made his way out to the arena. He glanced up to the balcony where he knew Eldredth would be sitting. She sat near the front, while Prinzton stood over her with a predatory look. He watched her like she was a meal that he was about to devour.
Cade clenched his fists. He knew for sure now that it was Prinzton who had it out for him, and it had everything to do with Eldredth. He didn’t like the way the man was looking at her, and he wished that he could go up there and defend her. He was worried for her safety, but first, he had to worry about his own.
Sanir waited for him in the center of the arena, a long spear clasped in his webbed fingers. He wore an arrogant smirk. Was he just that confident or did he know that Cade was fighting with a broken weapon?
His weapon was brittle, but that didn’t mean it was useless. It might not be good for sword-fighting, but it could still kill a man if it stabbed him. He was determined to win the match and his freedom, and he wasn’t going to let a weak blade get in the way. He might be outmatched with his weapon, but there wasn’t a better fighter than him. He would have a hard time blocking the spear with the brittle blade, so he would need to be a little more creative in avoiding the blows.
Sanir lunged at him immediately, and Cade again wondered if he knew about his weapon. The spear was thrust toward his chest, and Cade swung his blade to parry. The dull thud of the brittle blade resonated through his arm. He knew that the blade wasn’t going to last very long.
Cade dodged the next attack, leaving Sanir’s spear slicing at air. The blue man spun, bringing the spear around in an arc. Cade jumped back, but the tip of the spear sliced his ribcage. Blood trickled down his side.
Sanir growled at the damage he had inflicted. He swung again, and Cade raised his sword to block it. The blade cracked, snapping it in two and leaving him with nothing more than a broken dagger. He could imagine Maizon on the balcony cursing at that very moment. All that Cade had left was a broken hilt to defend himself against a spear. He took a step back to plan his next movements. He couldn’t just wait around for Sanir to slip up. It wasn’t looking good for him, but he couldn’t give up. He had too much to live for.
The two gladiators stepped in a circle, sizing each other up.
“You could give up now,” offered Sanir. “The crowd might show you mercy.”
Cade knew that wouldn’t happen. He hadn’t put on enough of a show to earn the crowd’s respect yet.
There was no way he was getting past Sanir’s spear without a weapon of his own. He needed to do something drastic. Something to show Prinzton and anyone else that he wasn’t a man to be trifled with.
He marched toward Sanir. The confusion in Sanir’s eyes was almost worth the pain he was about to endure. Sanir stabbed him in the side with his spear. Cade cried out. When Sanir tried to remove his weapon from Cade’s flesh, Cade grabbed the shaft and pulled it in deeper.
The pain was intense, surging through his side. Blood poured from the wound, and he worried that he might actually die before a healer got to him. He looked up at Eldredth, and she had her hands to her face. She wasn’t allowed to come to him until the fight was called and a winner was decided. Cade pushed the spear until it pierced through his back. He fell backward, the spear stabbing into the ground underneath him. He fought the stars that danced at his vision. He had never felt that much pain before, and he was confident that he was dying.
A drone hovered above his bleeding body, broadcasting the close-up view across the galaxy.
“I never took you for one to take his own life.” Sanir smirked. “I guess the arena isn’t for everyone.”
Sanir bent down to pull the spear out, and Cade saw his opening. It took all his will and strength to bring his arm up and bury the jagged sword remains into Sanir’s throat. The look of surprise that came over Sanir was quick. He grasped his neck as blood spurted out.
“I guess not,” Cade gasped.
The horn blew, announcing that the fight was over. Cade wasn’t sure if Sanir would make it. Healers spilled into the arena, and Eldredth was by his side. His vision grew cloudy, and he couldn’t see her as well as he wanted to.
Eldredth put her hands on Cade’s side and flooded him with healing energy. Her face was stricken. “He’s lost too much blood, Maizon. We need to move him to a private room. I can’t do my work here.”
Maizon stood by his fighter’s side and looked down with concern. He turned and called for a stretcher. Cade could feel himself drifting away. His body was growing tired and felt so weak.
Arc had come into the arena with the guards. He picked up the bloody hilt and handed it to Maizon. “This was an issue. You might want to look into it.”
The guards lifted Cade onto a stretcher. He was drifting in and out, but he could see that Sanir was also going on a stretcher. He didn’t know what was happening. Everything was going by in a blur. There were voices around him, talking to him, but they were distant.
The next thing he knew, he was in a private room with Eldredth. He was drifting and wondered if this was what death might feel like. Eldredth continued working on his wounds. She bent down and kissed him softly on the lips. “Stay with me, Cade. Please stay with me. I love you.”
His eyes fluttered back open and he looked in her eyes. She loved him. “I love you too, Eldredth.”
Slowly, the pain began to subside as she worked on his body. He no longer felt like he was drifting away from her. He had been wounded badly, but he could always count on her to bring him back to life. He reached up and stroked her hair with a bloody hand. It was soft to the touch, and he wished that he was wrapped within her hair. She was so beautiful. Her skin, her hair, those stunning blue eyes. She was the most beautiful woman that he’d ever seen.
“You are stunning, Eldredth. You are everything to me, and I can’t wait to be in your world. To have you by my side all the time.”
She smiled down at him. She truly was everything to him, and he needed her in his life. “I’m so sorry about this, Cade.”
“What in the world do you have to be sorry about?”
“This is all my fault. You almost died out there.” Her eyes grew misty.
“What are you talking about? That wasn’t your fault. You have nothing to do with this.”
“We can’t talk anymore. We can’t be together.” The tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Why not?” Cade didn’t understand why she was acting this way.
“He’ll kill you.”
“Who will?” He was looking up at her now, fully healed, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. He didn’t understand what was going on. Why was she crying?
“Prinzton will kill you. He wants me for himself and what happened out there today had everything to do with me.”
“He wants you?” Cade could feel rage building inside of him. He had been right. The idea that Prinzton wanted Eldredth was too much for him to bear. The fact that he was trying to get him killed because of it was just insanity.
“Yes, and you have nothing to worry about, Cade. I would never go to bed with him. He’s just jealous of you.”
“Apparently s
o jealous he would kill someone over it. I guess I’m a slave and don’t matter to him.”
“It will just be safer if we keep our distance from each other for the time being. We have no power here. We have to be careful. It’s just a game to them…to him.”
Cade sat up. “I don’t want to be away from you. I’m not scared of him.”
He pulled her in for a kiss, and the familiar fire reignited between them. He hungered for her every moment of the day and being so close to her aroused him in a primal way.
“We are going to be together forever. This is just the beginning.”
“I’m scared, Cade.”
“If you are going to make me stay away then please be with me now. I need you or I might die again.”
She kissed him passionately, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He ached for her, needed her. He wasn’t about to let some slave master get in between them. He would work his own angle behind the scenes without her knowing. Prinzton was not going to win. Cade refused to let that happen.
****
His kiss had taken her by surprise. She gasped when she felt his tongue meet hers. All her reservations about Prinzton began to dissipate. It was like she couldn't remember what she had been worried about in the first place. Her worries vanished the moment his lips met hers.
Before she knew it, she was fervently kissing him back. He tasted incredible and that familiar warmth spread over her body. She felt heat between her legs, and she moaned when his tongue met hers again. No one would be checking in on them for hours. They still didn’t know that she healed Cade faster than anyone else. Their kiss grew more passionate, and he leaned into her. She felt the front of his pants and was pleasantly surprised to find him hard.
“Cade! You almost died and now you’re ready for a go.”
“See what you do to me.” He flashed a devilish smile.
He kissed her again, and she sucked his tongue a little. She wanted him so badly and needed him to know that. “I can't seem to get enough of you. You have so much power over turning me on”
