Vanquished

by S. E. Green

~*~

  The next morning I go straight up to Alexior at breakfast. “Can we talk?”

  He glances up to the terrace and then around at all the warriors sitting and eating.

  “Privately,” I tell him. “I need to show you something.”

  “Tonight. We’ll talk in the room where you met Hedian and Joseph. We won’t have long so whatever it is you need to say has to be quick.”

  I nod, and as I turn I glance up to see Dominus stepping out onto the terrace. He stretches and gazes around. In a few days I’ll never have to look up and see his disgusting self ever again.

  My meeting with Alexior is all I can think about as I train, as I eat, as I bathe. I recite over and over everything I want to say to him.

  I’ll handle it like I did Sera. I’ll just go straight in to the details and I’ll end with showing him the paper. I can only hope whatever is on it has the effect Razo thinks it will.

  It seems to take forever for night to settle in and finally it is time to meet Alexior in the private room.

  He’s already here when I arrive.

  “Alexior—”

  “I was serious. This has to be quick.”

  “Okay.” I force myself to take a fortifying breath and then I open my mouth and spare no small detail. The truth about my sister is the first thing I tell him. Then about Gem and her daughter. I speak of Dominus’ request of me to kill Sera. I detail out the current plan of escape, and I end with handing him the paper torn from Dominus’ notebook.

  I hold my breath while he carefully unfolds it and begins reading. About half way down I notice a change in him. A tenseness. An anger. A fierceness I’ve never seen in him before. He crumbles the paper into his tight fist and whirls away from me.

  I hold my breath and wait.

  “Aaarrrggghhh!” he erupts into a muted roar.

  I take a cautious step back.

  “God. DAMN!” he hisses and throws the paper at the wall. “Goddamn fucking shit!” He digs his fingers into his bald head and every one of his muscles bunch into angry knots.

  He whirls back around and lasers me with two manic gray eyes. “My FUCKING wife runs The Hunts!”

  ~57~

  Over the next few days in stolen moments and hushed whispers the warriors make plans. I’m able to pass those plans to Joseph in one last rendezvous that Dominus “treats” me to before the demonstration at his anniversary. The demonstration in which I am supposed to murder Sera.

  “I would ask that you refrain from telling anybody, not even Hedian,” I say to Joseph. “We can’t risk someone on the inside going to Dominus for favor with the information. Once we take control of the villa, the house slaves will see what is going on and they can decide if they want to join us.”

  Joseph gives me a hug. “Thank you.” He squeezes me tight and whispers again, “Thank you,” before pulling back. “I know with the new plan you don’t need me to kill the soldier, but know I’m ready for anything.”

  I nod. “Good.”

  The day of the anniversary, I remind Sera, “Be careful today. Dominus said he would assure your death. Just… be careful. Be watchful.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She widens her stance and folds her arms and looks down at me. “Listen, I know you’re the reason why I’m here. I know you paid for my expenses while I was healing.”

  I slant her a guiltless look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She turns to fully face me and extends her arm. It takes me a second to realize what she wants, and I return the favor by shaking her hand.

  “No matter what happens tonight,” she tells me, “I’m proud to have trained beside you.”

  I tighten my grip. “Likewise.”

  Sera releases first and walks off. It wasn’t a thank you, but it’s the closest thing to a truce we’ll likely ever have. No matter what happens tonight and in the days to come, I know we now have each other’s backs.

  As I go to get my practice spear for some sparring with Camille, I glance across the training ground to Alexior. He walks among the warriors, giving direction, his focus even more concentrated than usual.

  He and I haven’t really spoken since he found out about his wife. He’s been even more to himself than usual. I wonder what will happen when, if, they see each other again. Maybe there’s a good explanation. Then again this is Saligia, so probably not.

  He gave his life for his wife. He’s been lied to and manipulated. What I don’t understand is, how did she become the leader of The Hunts? My suspicions tell me it was all a setup from the start. She tricked him. I’m sure Alexior is probably realizing that, too.

  I hate this for him. Yet I’m also glad. He would never have been on our side if this hadn’t happened.

  The day comes to a close and our last meal is served. Sera and I know we are to eat, bathe, and dress in formal armor for our villa performance. Alexior is to accompany us which means Razo and Camille will be in charge of everything down here.

  This is the first time since coming to Saligia that I feel true hope. True power. Unification. Justice to be done. From the way the others carry themselves and proudly interact, I can tell they feel it, too. I only hope Dominus hasn’t picked up on the vibe in the air.

  As planned, after our meal several warriors linger on the training grounds. If Dominus steps onto his terrace and looks down, things will appear as normal.

  Sera and I bathe and dress in our armor and meet Alexior in the weapons room. He unlocks the iron gate and the three of us choose weapons to hide under our armor. He leaves the gate open for the others when it is time.

  He shackles Sera first and then me. As he does I stare at the strong line of his neck, wanting to wrap my arms around him and pull him to me for what very well may be the last time. But I don’t.

  He snaps the last lock into place on my wrists and pauses a second. Slowly, his gaze moves from my wrists to my chest, and then up into my eyes. I’m so glad his aren’t empty. Instead they whirl with ferocious determination and something else that looks suspiciously like regret and sorrow.

  Leaning forward he touches his forehead to mine, and my lungs burn with the sudden desire to cry.

  We ascend the steps. At the top, the soldier opens the door and unlocks the gate. Sera and I step into the villa and pause to block sight as Alexior yanks the soldier down the steps and cracks his neck.

  Willem is in the tunnel and ready. He strips the soldier and hides his body, before redressing and taking the soldier’s spot at the steps.

  It’s quiet. It’s quick. No one hears or sees a thing.

  If someone comes by and recognizes Willem, he will stab them and throw their body down the steps to where the other warriors wait for the signal.

  Alexior, me, and Sera move through the villa and come to a stop in the room with the pool. Dominus is in the room, along with his wife and Bareket, plus twenty of the elite, including the scratchy-voiced one. All supposedly their closest friends.

  But not Vasquez. I’m not surprised. Like I said, they didn’t strike me as friendly. More authoritative father to errant child.

  All of them lounge on chaises while being hand fed by house slaves. The air smells like Bareket—pot and jasmine—and I wonder if they’ve been smoking.

  This would have been more effective if it was one of his big parties, but we’ll kill all of them and the soldiers, too, and anyone else who stops us. Then we’ll move on to the next villa and the next until every slave on Saligia is free.

  Dominus throws his arms out. “Ah! Here they are. My two greatest warriors.” He turns back to his guests. “Eat, drink. I have a little show when the time is right.”

  He claps his hands and out dance several naked men and women. I recognize them all from the party he threw us down on the training grounds. Slaves trained to entertain. They slink into the pool, roll around in the rose petals and water, and begin an orgy.

  In the corner stands Joseph and I move my eyes to him. Thank God he wasn’t made to get in that poo
l. He nods ever so slightly, and I see it in his eyes. The same energy from the warriors waiting down below. He’s ready.

  The night goes on and we stand shackled and at attention waiting, waiting, waiting. They’re laughing, eating, drinking, watching the orgy.

  With each second, minute, hour that goes by, my muscles grow tauter with tension, with anticipation. I know everyone down in the tunnel has got to be just as anxious.

  Finally, Dominus stands and holds his hands up. “Good friends, I now give you tonight’s main event.”

  The men and women leave the pool, soldiers lay wooden slats down across the water, and as Alexior unshackles me and Sera, everything in me sparks to life. He pauses a second to look me one last time in the eyes, and his severe gaze tells it all.

  Kill every one of them.

  A soldier gives us each an ornamental sword and shield and we take our spots above the pool.

  “Begin!” shouts Dominus, and excitement zings through me.

  ~58~

  Sera and I turn, pick out a soldier, and lob our swords through the air. End over end they fly and pierce the two soldiers straight in the neck. Screaming, the elite jump to their feet and scatter at the same time soldiers rush in from every direction.

  Sera and I reach inside our armor, pull out our hidden weapons, and leap from the pool. In my periphery I see it all. Warriors rushing into the villa. Slaves running. Elite running. Screams. Yelling. Blood.

  Yana tosses me a spear, I twirl it in my hand, and sling it across the villa. It stabs an elite right through the back.

  Camille grabs Bareket’s hair and yanks. “What shall I do to you,” she taunts. “Shall I ram this up your ass like you rammed your rod up mine?”

  “Please,” Bareket begs and the sound of her shaky voice electrifies me.

  I want to kill Bareket. She had Lena. She sold Lena to Dominus. But as I stand rooted, watching Camille’s brutal expression, I know my friend deserves this. Bareket tortured her.

  “Please,” Bareket tries again. “I’ll give you anything.”

  “Too late,” Camille hisses and slowly slides her blade into Bareket’s spine.

  Bareket lets out a scream that fuels my blood and I watch as she falls to her side. Camille slides her blade free, rolls Bareket onto her back, and stabs her straight in the heart.

  Lifting her eyes, Camille immediately finds mine and in them flashes the retribution she so justly deserves. She grips the handle of the blade, yanks it out, and whirls. Her eyes land on the scratchy-voiced one desperately trying to flee. I know without looking she’ll chop her arm off and let her bleed out.

  To the left I catch Domina slinking into a room and I sprint after her. A soldier steps into my path. My fist connects with his jaw, and I slice his knees right out from under him. I leap over and charge into the room. Domina has her back to the wall, her eyes wildly looking around. I look down and see a knife clenched in her fist.

  “What are you going to do with that?” I taunt.

  She lifts it up and I note her shaky hands. “Stay back.”

  I stalk right toward her and lunge, throwing my forearm against her throat and squeezing her wrist until she yelps and releases the knife to clank against the marble floor. I get right up in her face and let my eyes purposefully trace and absorb her frightened features.

  Good, let her be scared.

  “Can I?” comes a hesitant voice from behind me. I glance over my shoulder to see Hedian standing a cautious distance away.

  No. I shake my head. Hedian has been through enough. Yes, she’s been abused by Domina for years, but this will make Hedian a murderer. No. She doesn’t know what she’s asking.

  “Hedian,” Domina pleads. “Please. You’ve always been my favorite. Please help me.”

  In my peripheral vision I see Hedian lunge. I rip Domina’s arm behind her back and turn at the exact second Hedian plunges a small dagger into Domina’s stomach.

  Shaking, Hedian takes it out and plunges it again.

  Out and again.

  And then she takes a step back and doesn’t say a word as she stares down at her bloody hands.

  “It’s okay,” I tell her. “It’s okay.”

  A gasp, a gurgled wheeze, and Domina goes limp in my arms. As I let her body fall, I reach for Hedian and pull her into my arms.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  She doesn’t respond.

  “It’s okay.” I kiss her forehead. “Go hide somewhere. Only come out when you hear me.” I pull her away and look into her eyes. “Okay?”

  She nods and sniffs. I give her one last hug and I’m gone.

  Out in the villa the slaughter continues. I trace my eyes over the dead bodies. Elite. Soldiers. My heart stutters when I see slaves and a couple of warriors lying in their own blood. I knew we wouldn’t all get out alive.

  Over in the corner I see Joseph. He’s alive!

  But I don’t see Dominus.

  I slide a sword from a dead soldier and make my way to the office. I open the door and step inside to see Dominus on the terrace, Gem’s daughter clasped in front of him with a knife to her neck.

  I look at her face and the tears streaming down her cheeks and everything in me clenches. So help me God if he hurts her, I will mutilate him like nothing he’s ever experienced in his life.

  “I am your Dominus!” he shouts. “You will listen to me!”

  “Really?” I scoff. “That is what you have for me?”

  Behind me I am aware of the room slowly filling. Alexior. Sera. Razo. Joseph. Yana. Willem. Camille. Slaves. Warriors.

  Dominus’ eyes widen in realization that everyone is dead. We are alive. And he will die.

  “Where’s Vasquez?” I ask.

  Dominus huffs a chuckle. “Fuck you, Valoria.”

  He’s right. Fuck me. He’s not going to tell me a thing.

  From the right a tiny knife sails through the air and pierces him in the shoulder. He hunches to the side with a scream and releases Gem’s daughter, and I watch as she races from the terrace straight into Joseph’s arms.

  I glance back, ready to advance, and Dominus is gone.

  One second passes. Then two. And I snap back. No! I whip my gaze around the office before racing out onto the terrace. I peer over the balcony down the twenty or so feet to see nothing. An empty training ground.

  Where did he go?

  Grabbing the railing, I don’t think twice and I leap. Air rushes past me as I fall the twenty or so feet and land with a jarring thud.

  Quickly, my gaze touches on everything. The awning where we drink water. The tables where we eat. The shed. The training ground. The men’s quarters. The women’s. Where is he? WHERE IS HE?

  I race everywhere, looking, searching, weapon drawn and ready. But he’s nowhere. Nowhere! I check the gate. It’s still locked.

  Alexior grasps my arm. “Valoria.”

  I yank away. “Where is he?”

  “He’s gone.”

  “No. No!” How? How is he gone?

  “We’ll find him,” Alexior promises. “We will.”

  In my peripheral vision I catch sight of everyone moving through the tunnel and out onto the training grounds where I stand. I look at each of them, my friends, my family. We are covered in blood. We are alive.

  And they are ready. Ready for what is next.

  A single war cry goes up that is quickly joined by the others. It fills the outdoor area until it transforms into a primal roar.

  I lift my fist into the air. “We are in control now!”

  ~59~

  We gather as many weapons as we can and we leave the villa. Outside I stand and look out across the island blanketed in darkness. There are no stars and no moon in the cloud filled sky, like an omen of what is to come. Dominus’ villa and attached ludus sit right in the center with at least an acre of land surrounding it. I don’t know where Dominus ran to but wherever it is, he’s alerting others that we’re free.

  We need to move fast.

 
Turning west, I look in the direction of The Hunts, but can barely make the wall out in this darkness. I do see the lights, though. The hunts are on. Though I don’t know for sure, I’d say that’s where Gem and Ignatius are.

  Alexior steps up beside me. “Where to first?” he quietly asks.

  It feels strange him asking me when he’s always been the one in charge. But he knows this is me. I started this rebellion. So I turn to face everyone, and no one speaks as they stare back at me, covered in blood, waiting for my direction. My leadership. I count roughly thirty of us, half warriors, half house slaves.

  Sera steps forward. “I’m going to find Ignatius. Who’s with me?”

  Everyone hesitantly looks around.

  “Wait.” I hold my hand up. “We can’t divide. We have to stay as one. We’re more powerful that way.”

  “Agreed,” Camille speaks.

  Sera hikes her chin. “You don’t even know what you want.” She nods to the notebook. “Let me see that. I want to see where Ignatius is.”

  I straighten my shoulders. She’s correct. The last thing I should show right now is indecisiveness. “With Dominus on the run it’s only a matter of minutes before everyone knows we’re free. We definitely need some who can watch the docks. I don’t want anyone leaving this island.” I point to the left where the nearest villa sits. “Let’s start there and make our way around the island. By the time we hit all the villas and the other ludi our numbers will more than triple.”

  “Yeah, but look at us,” Yana challenges. “Half of us are trained warriors and the other half are house slaves who have never used a weapon in their lives.”

  “She’s right,” Joseph agrees. “How are we even going to get in to the villas? If it’s like this one there’re soldiers, there’s a gate…”

  “First of all, every warrior standing here is as powerful as two people. Second, I saw every one of you house slaves use knives just now.” I motion to all of our weapons. “How are we going to do it? We’ll kill whoever tries to stop us.” I look at all their faces. Some determined, others scared, and yet others unconvinced. “Let’s stay as one,” I repeat what I said a few seconds ago. “We’re more powerful that way.”