by Auryn Hadley
"So you want to buy her wine the night before you kill her?" Tinas sounded shocked.
The Lion said nothing for a moment. "No. I want to make sure she has a chance. If the gods are kind, I won't stand against her. If they're cruel, I'll kill her quickly."
"Yeah." Tinas sighed. "Sleep well."
"Not gonna happen. Marino's making money tonight." The Lion grumbled under his breath. "Guess they should've named me the Stallion."
"Nah. Your roar is too loud."
The men laughed, then steps receded down the hall. While Leyli tried to relax, the arena grew quiet. Voices that had been cries earlier were now just murmurs, and the halls echoed with empty cells. Above her, the sound of feet was loud as the crowd departed for the night. Alone in her bunk, her mind finally had the chance to work, and the thoughts in her head weren't kind.
She remembered their faces. The men she'd killed all looked the same at the last moment. Brown eyes, blue ones, or green, they all were scared. They were so scared, and she'd been the monster they feared. She, the proper young lady who knew how to sew and direct the palace staff. She, the Princess who could identify any nobleman's banner. She'd killed them all. She'd ruined their families. She'd shattered bones and rent flesh. She'd become everything she despised in the world.
Her stomach clenched and she launched herself to the corner. Once again, her face hung over the chamber pot as she purged her body of what she could. Unfortunately, the memories stayed. When her stomach was empty, her body tried to keep going. Raw, wrenching gags rang out against the stone, broken by gasping coughs, but she had to retch. She had to do something, and this was the only option she had left.
"Don't fight it," the Lion whispered. "Get it out while you can. Drink more so you can hurl more, and just let it happen."
Leaning back, she reached for the jug of water, and drank straight from it. Stale and dirty, the taste elicited another round. Then she drank again. This time it stayed for nearly a minute before coming back up. Over and over she repeated the process until her body stopped trying. That's when the tears started.
Leyli refused to howl like a woman. With her jaw clenched against the anguish, she just let the tears fall. Her hands shook and her nose ran. Eventually she had to sniff. Pain shot through her face and she gasped. From there, the sorrow took control. The life she knew was over! Pulling her knees to her chest, she buried her face in them to muffle the sound, struggling to breathe around her mess of a nose.
"Hey." The voice was gentle, but she couldn't look up. "Little Wolf, I brought some wine." It was Tinas.
She nodded, but refused to show her face. "Thank you," she blubbered.
"It's ok, honey."
From beside her, the Lion disagreed. "It's not. Leave her alone."
"Yeah." Tinas sighed. "Dinner's coming soon enough. If she drinks all the wine first, she may not stay conscious long enough to eat."
"She will," the Lion said. "She'll do what she needs to survive. Stop worrying about her. She's a fighter."
"No, I'm not," Leyli muttered.
"Yes," the Lion assured her, "you are. You've already proven it. Your father would be proud."
She sucked in a breath and looked at the hall. "You know my dad?"
He chuckled. "No, but I know men. Having a daughter as strong as you would make any father proud, alive or dead."
Or dead. The words cut deep. She didn't even know if her family was still alive. She didn't know who sat on the throne. "Does anyone follow politics?"
"No," both men said, but Tinas sounded confused.
Leyli just nodded before shifting closer to grab the wine. "Then I guess it doesn't matter. What town is this?"
"Valview." Tinas squatted down to look at her. "You didn't know?"
"No. Last night I fell asleep in Oberhame. This morning, I woke up here."
"The Wolf of Oberhame," the Lion said. "Now that is a good name."
"I'll tell the announcer." Reaching through the bars, Tinas rubbed the edge of her arm before leaving her to suffer through the long night alone.
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About The Author
Auryn Hadley is happily married with three canine children and a herd of feral cats that her husband keeps feeding. Between her love for animals, video games, and a good book, she has enough ideas to spend the rest of her life trying to get them out. They all live in Texas, land of the blistering sun, where she spends her days feeding her addictions – including drinking way too much coffee.
For a complete list of books by Auryn Hadley, visit my Amazon Author Page, or check our my website: aurynhadley.com
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