by Auryn Hadley
"I wasn't married!"
His head snapped back. "So why won't you tell me?"
"Because it hurts too much to think about home, ok? And who the hell is Astrid?"
"My little sister. Brice is my brother." He growled at himself, but it ended as a sigh. Only then did he move to sit beside her. "Ley, I'm not going to hate you if you're married."
"I'm not."
"Maybe to this cousin?"
Her head snapped around. "No!" Then she paused. "Although he asked. Dad wouldn't make me, though. Everything I've told you is true, Tristan. If I don't want you to know, I just don't tell you."
Gently, carefully, he brushed the hair back over her ear. "So how did a woman your age end up not married and without any children?" He paused. "Do you have children?"
She shook her head, but it was weak and a little too fast. "No. I've never done any of that. I told you, my dad let me wait, hoping for a better offer."
"I don't know what to think, Ley. You're lying to someone, and I'm afraid it's me."
She looked down at her hands, then licked at her lips. She kinda was lying to him. "My cousin wanted me to die, ok? That's all I can tell you, but if he knows that I didn't, I'm afraid he'll make sure I do."
"How? He can't do anything to you, unless he's willing to step on the sands himself."
Finally, she looked up at him. "He can convince Merino to pick a fight I just can't win."
The air slowly slipped from Tristan's lungs as he stared back. "That wouldn't be cheap."
"I know. He'd think it was worth it."
"Why?" Tristan asked, cupping the side of her face. "Leyli, what do I need to know to keep you safe?"
She leaned into his hand and let her eyes close. "Nothing. You already know enough to be dangerous. I'm just a gladiator. All the rest doesn't matter."
"Ok." He accepted that, but she could tell he wasn't done. After a moment, he spoke up again. "I just need to know one thing."
"What?" She dared to open her eyes.
He was waiting. She could see the fear, just like before a fight. It lingered in his eyes. "Is there a man out there who thinks his girl is dead?"
"Just my father," she swore. "I've never been engaged. I've never had a husband. I swear, Tristan. I was a very sheltered girl. The closest I got to any man was when my groomsman helped me into the saddle and touched my calf."
"No sweetheart?"
She shook her head. "No. The only man who's ever had a claim on me is you."
His eyes wavered between hers, waiting for the joke, but none came. Finally, he nodded, refusing to deny what she'd said, and pulled her against his chest. Without thinking, Leyli curled against him, pressing herself deeper into his embrace. It felt safe there, tucked away from the world. She couldn't think of a bigger, stronger, or braver man to make sure that no one ever found her.
Then Tristan pressed his lips to her hair. "When we get back, it's going to get harder. That man's going to convince Merino to do something. You know that, right? I don't know what, but he seemed much too interested in you. And we have to make sure you're good enough to live through it."
"Yeah."
"You can do this, Ley. I will make you the best damned gladiator in the games. Better than me, if I have to."
She leaned back to see his face. "I know. Merino wants to break you, and now he'll be convinced to lose me. I'll learn, even if you have to beat me into the ground to get it in my head."
"I don't want to." He tried to smile, but just couldn't. "Ley, I don't like hitting you – either with a weapon or anything else."
"But I have to learn. I know, Tristan. I have to be good enough that I won't get my best friend killed. It's a pretty strong motivator."
"Yeah," he agreed, running his fingers through her hair one more time. "It is."
Chapter 19
Their tandem fight was easy, and the crowd loved it. Not that any fight was truly easy – not when either of them could die – but this time their opponents had been too new and inexperienced. The Lion and Wolf made them pay. Unfortunately, there was no true joy in the win, just a deep feeling of relief that they got one more chance to try again.
But Leyli never made it back to the cell. She and Tristan ducked into the hall and the guards began removing the chain from their arms. Just as she felt the weight drop away, Merino appeared, looking as smug as always.
"You're up again, Wolf."
She looked quickly to her partner, then back. "Not even a chance to catch my breath?"
"Schedule didn't work out like that. Back on the sands as soon as it's cleared." Then Merino turned and left, but she'd seen the look in his eyes. He'd been talking to a corpse.
Tristan grabbed her arm. "Calm, safe decisions. Don't taunt him. Use what you need." Then he looked over her shoulder. "Someone get her some damned weapons. Round shield, short sword, and a dagger."
The panic was already setting in. She knew exhaustion could be the death of her, and going up against a fresh opponent? Her odds had just dropped. The only thing she could do was try to relax and recover before she wore herself out with worry.
Tristan was still in motion. He dropped to one knee and fumbled with the buckles at his leg. "Put these on, pup. The brass will be enough to block a cut to your shin, and they're tall enough to reach your knees." He passed her one of his greaves.
It was too big, naturally. She didn't care. Wrenching the straps as tight as she could, Leyli tied them down, forcing the armor to go over her leather. He handed her another. While she strapped that on, his attention was on the first. Using the strength of his hands, the Lion bent his own armor out of shape to match her legs. She barely finished tying on the second before he did the same to it. He looked at his manacle.
Leyli stopped him. "It will never fit and only take more strength. I fit behind the shield well enough."
"Yeah." He looked up as a guard arrived with her weapons. "Play smart, pup. I want my armor back."
"Promise."
The gate began to rise before her arm was even in the shield. "Who's my opponent?" she asked the closest man.
The guard shrugged. "I dunno. I think you're doing this blind, Wolf. Was supposed to be Hound against Stone, but someone asked for a change."
"Yeah, Merino." She stepped onto the sands. "I can do this," she swore under her breath. "I am the Wolf of Oberhame. I will not be defeated so easily."
That's when she saw him. The gladiator had made it out before her, since he wasn't scrambling to get ready and armed. Even this far away, she knew he was huge, maybe even bigger than Tristan. The man's skin was dark, almost black like a Rhian. His chest was solid, each muscle glistening in the sun, but he moved slowly. So much mass took time to get in motion. That would be her advantage. If the hulk across from her managed to connect, she was done for, so she just wouldn't let him get a hit in.
Up above, the crowd was cheering. She hadn't heard his name, but the dark man had his arms up, turning in place. When the ruckus ebbed, she finally heard the announcer.
"Claiming twenty-five victories, the Wolf of Oberhame!"
Leyli put her public facade in place and turned. She kept the shield at her side – it had worked before – but raised her sword to the skies, whispering under her breath, "Darkness hide me from injury. Flame give me the power to defeat him, and please, Chaos, have mercy on me today."
It was a weak prayer, but the gods could be kind. If she was lucky, then today would be hers. If not... She looked behind her, at the closed gate, and saw Tristan pressed against it. At least she wouldn't die alone.
Then she heard her name. Not the one the announcer used, or the short form she preferred, but the monstrosity used only in court. "Leylani!" It came from her right.
She forced herself not to respond. She couldn't dare look, not to that name. The man screamed it again as she turned to see the entire arena. When her eyes passed over that area, she saw him. The same man from that morning pressed against the railing, leaning out over the sands. He w
as begging her to notice him, and calling her given name at the top of his lungs.
She ignored it. The only thing that mattered right now was the giant waiting to kill her. If she didn't die, then she'd worry about her cousin. Setting her shield before her, Leyli waited for the gong to set them in motion. It didn't take long.
The gladiator charged her, expecting to see such a small girl quake in fear, but she held her ground. Too many times, she'd faced down Tristan. This brute wouldn't intimidate her. Oh no. Fighting against someone his size would be easy. It's what she knew – or so she tried to convince herself – and he'd pay for the mistake, not her. At the last second, she dodged, ducking low to scoot behind him.
He turned, expecting nothing else, and hammered his sword down at her shield. The crash made the crowd gasp, but Leyli absorbed it. She could do this. Each blow made her step back, but she was in control. So long as she was moving, the power was dissipated, each blow saving her energy and wasting his. All she was doing was evening her odds. If the dark gladiator was tired, then he wouldn't have the advantage.
Back across the short side of the arena, he pummeled at the round shield, trying to get to the tiny girl behind it. She watched his legs, only peeking out between swings. The pounding sounded like a drum, and each ring made the watchers cry out. Each time, they were positive that she'd crumple into the dirt. Behind the metal, she was smiling.
Leyli wasn't a bad fighter, but she wasn't great. She didn't have the experience to be. Instead, Tristan had taught her to be safe. Her mind was her best asset, but her speed was a close second. She was small and hard to hit. Put all of that together, and the men didn't know what to do with her. In the months she'd been a gladiator, the Lion had made sure she did. So long as she could take the beating, using her shield to keep her safe, she could be better than all of them. She'd even dropped him to the ground a few times.
When the rhythm of strikes began to slow, she knew it was finally time. Another crash forced her back, and she looked. The man was panting, his body covered in sweat, but he still hadn't gotten close to connecting with her. It was time to finish this.
Yet again, he swung, but finally, she reacted. Lifting her shield higher, she hacked at his leg. Like her, the brute wore metal greaves, but his only went half way up his shin. She hit above that. Flesh tore and the man screamed, but she was still moving. Her goal was to get behind him, around his shield. Unfortunately, the bastard knew it, and wasn't going to make this easy. She spun, but he turned. That left only one option.
Again, she swiped at his leg, but his sword was there to block it. Leyli twisted her wrist and flicked, turning the blade toward his arm. That wasn't deep, but each nick, each scratch, and definitely each cut was taking its toll. If her opponent wouldn't give her a chance to kill him easily, then she would gladly hack his limbs apart until he had no other option. She was not going to lose.
The next time she turned, she hacked at his rear-most leg, then caught his sword arm on the upswing. He tried to retaliate, but she wasn't done. Blocking his right side with her shield, Leyli shoved close, until her face was pressed against his metal, and strained, reaching back as far as she could. It was enough – barely. Her sword hit something soft, and the man's body jerked, shoving her back. Again and again, he pounded at her, but she could block. She was good at blocking. It was making the attacks that was so hard.
But she was an opportunistic bitch. Every glimpse of skin was a chance. Some she missed. Others she didn't expect, but over and over, she beat on him. While his sword hit her shield, Leyli made sure that hers got something more vital. Something that would matter in the end.
The next time she spun around his body, the brute was ready. His shield dropped, anticipating the next cut to his leg. She almost couldn't believe it, and hesitated. It should have been her death, but the gods were kind. The man's eyes were on her sword, not her face, so he missed his chance.
She took it.
Swinging as hard as she could, feeling muscles burn with the force of it, Leyli aimed high. The crash of metal was loud as her sword clipped the upper lip of his shield. The crunch of bone wasn't. The brute thought he knew what came next, but he'd been wrong. He'd exposed his head. As her sword cleaved into the side of his skull, the man's eyes turned to her, just as his knees buckled. They were wide, scared, and then blank. When his corpse fell, it pulled the blade from her grip, but that no longer mattered.
His eyes were black. One more color to add to her list of memories.
For a moment she panted, trying to get control of her body. Her legs were shaking. They'd been pushed harder than ever before with two fights in a row. Her shoulders burned, and she knew she'd be a wreck in the morning, but at least she was still alive. Taking one more gulp of air, she stood and lifted her arms, proving to the crowd that she'd won. They went wild.
She made an ordeal of enjoying the praise, but the truth was that she needed time to recover before walking across the sands. The last thing she wanted was to collapse. Merino did not need to know how hard this was, and neither did the man in the stands. From where she stood, she couldn't hear him, but she could still see him.
Only when the enthusiasm began to dim did she try to walk back. As the screams turned into a pleased hum, she could hear her name again. Both of them. From the stands, the man continued to call for Leylani, but the other made her smile.
"That's my Wolf! I knew you could do it, pup!"
It gave her a second wind. Jogging toward the gate, she passed right under her cousin's man – for that's what he had to be. This time, he tried something new. "Astrid!"
Her head jerked, and she made herself look up. He yelled it again, and her eyes found him, but she wrinkled her brow. Like so many other fans, he waved, doing his best to look enthusiastic, but now she was positive. She'd been tested. Hopefully, she'd convinced him that she was nothing more than a lady's maid turned gladiator. Pasting a smile on her lips, she waved, then hurried back to Tristan's side.
He caught her in a tight hug, swinging her around like he always did. "I'm so damned proud of you. You made that bastard as tired as you were, and lived because of it." He put her down, but was grinning. "I owe you a massage for that."
"Oh? Trying to say I make you look good?"
"Nah." His arm fell over her shoulder. "Trying to say that I'd much rather be fighting than waiting to know if you come back. Watching? That's even harder. I kept thinking I was going to see my partner hacked apart."
She jabbed a finger into his ribs. "Such faith. I was glad to see a monster of a man. I know how to kill those." Then she ran her eyes over him.
The point was clear. He laughed loudly. "May I never stand across from you, pup. I wouldn't live to do it twice."
"Yeah," she promised. "You would, Tristan. I'd make sure of it. A girl has to have something to convince her to keep going, ya know."
"I know." He turned her into their shared cell, then waited for the guards to lock it. "I'd just prefer that it's us against the world, and never us against each other."
Without thinking, she hugged him, pressing her head into his chest. Tristan wrapped his arms around her, taking the weight of her weary body in more ways than one. He was her pillar of strength. For a brief moment, she almost told him about the man in the stands, then decided against it. If he knew, then he'd be a target, and without him, she would never make it.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Us against the world. Forever?"
His answer was so soft she barely heard it. "I swear."
Chapter 20
Merino never said another word about the strange man at that arena. He didn't bother to explain it, and Leyli wasn't about to ask. After more than three months with his gladiator team, she'd only learned one thing about the man who owned her life: he loved his profits. Nothing else mattered to him, not even the lives he threw away. She didn't want the next one to be hers.
She was getting used to seeing only new faces around them. Some of the men had been sold or traded, like Nomad.
Others, like the once beautiful Hawk, found a fight that they just couldn't win. Every time they left with eight fighters on a cart and came back with less. Not even Merino's new purchases could hide the number of deaths. She tried to tell herself she was used to it, but the truth was she had become numb.
This was why gladiators didn't make friends. In a week, they might end up facing each other, and one always had to die. The only relationships that were accepted were with the free citizens who purchased their love and her tandem partner. At least that was still going strong.
The more exciting their fights were for the crowd, the more each facility was willing to pay for the next, and The Lion and Wolf had a devoted following. People begged for them, and team owners all wanted their fighters to be the ones that took them down. Once, Leyli heard a guard laughing about the stack of offers. He said Merino needed a new desk to keep up with them, because everyone wanted to see a woman half naked on the sands. Knowing she could hold her own? That was a fortune in the making.
Even more importantly, it was raising Tristan's number of victories. His end was in sight, even if hers was just beginning. It also meant their competition was getting harder. She was no longer seen as a potential weakness to hold him back. The other teams weren't made up of inexperienced fighters hoping for a lucky break. No, tandem fights were a crowd pleaser, and their last match had been filled with names that men whispered with awe. Kinda like they did the Lion's.
It meant she needed to be better. That Merino was making her perform two solo fights per game on top of everything else? She had to be perfect, and her partner was willing to make sure she was.
"Block!" Tristan snapped, coming at her with a pair of wooden swords.
She refused, instead using the shield like a cudgel. A strong hit to his gut forced him back, but the Lion knew her too well. As soon as her arm was out of the way, he jumped right back in, harder than ever. Pain hit her in the side, first. A second later, she felt a sting on her chin that quickly turned into a cold burn. Leyli dropped to her knees, clutching at her jaw.
