by Tracy Lauren
“I trust you,” I tell them. “You can do this.” Mire nods and releases me.
“Take care of our mate,” he tells the other two Sovolians. “If we do not make it out, see that she gets back to our ship and returned to the safety of our home world.”
Solemnly, they agree.
I bite back any goodbyes. If I try to talk I’ll cry and I don’t want to leave them with that. I’m struggling to keep it together. Then Gile looks at me, cocking his head to the side and giving me that lazy smile of his…and Lord, I can’t help but laugh. Well, it’s something between a laugh and a sob at least. And before I know it, he’s wrapped me into his arms and he’s kissing me so passionately I think he might just press me up against the wall and take me once before the fight. But he pulls away.
“We’ll be right back,” he promises, still smiling. “I want to hear you cheering for me.”
I nod and look to Mire. His eyes are pained and moody. I wonder if he’s scared. Not for himself, but for his friends, these people he thinks of as family. Does he worry that he might lose someone again, like he lost Ash? And while I still don’t know about this mate stuff, I know that if I don’t kiss Mire right now I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life. So, even as he’s about to back away, I fling myself into his arms. He pulls me hard against his body and I wrap my legs around his waist. Then he does what he does best, like a force of nature—he ravages me with his kiss.
“I’ll be cheering for both of you,” I tell them. “Don’t be long.”
And then they’re gone, racing down the private path toward the gladiator stalls. I say a quiet prayer to whoever might be listening, please bring them back to me. And when I can’t see my Sovolians anymore I shift my gaze back to Reagan, still struggling against her chains. She looks so vulnerable, so scared. I can’t stand seeing her like this, but I refuse to look away.
Chapter 29
Mire
“I am Rival,” our Sovolian brother tells us.
“Gile, and this is Mire.”
“Do you have a plan for once we’re inside?” Rival asks us.
“No,” Gile admits with a sly grin. “Do you?”
Rival looks as lost as I often feel with no master to give me direction. “It does not matter. We do not need strategy right now,” I tell them. “All we need is action.”
“That we have,” Gile agrees, sounding as if we have already triumphed. I, on the other hand, am hesitant to get ahead of ourselves.
“This way.” Rival leads us down a dark and narrow stairwell and soon we reach a door. He gives a quiet knock and a view screen blinks to life.
“Ayo, Rival! You see this shit in the ring? We’ve got the fucking Beast back here!”
“Sintos, we need to get in there. I’m with The Beast’s men, it is urgent.”
The male on the view screen looks unhappy at the suggestion. “My friend, you put me in a rough position. I am not supposed to… Any other fight I could sneak you in, but this is serious shit.”
“Open this door or we will open it for you,” I say into the screen.
“Slow down there, effa!” the male on the other side says. “I’d like to see you try!”
“Be calm!” Rival shouts. “Sintos, we need you to open this door. On my honor, it is a matter of life and death.”
Sintos looks at each of us. “Isn’t everything a matter of life and death when you’re in the pits?” he scoffs, but I still hear the locking mechanism on the door release. “I trust you, Rival. Just try not to get me fired, eh?”
We race past the guard and Gile gives him a solid clap on the shoulder to show our gratitude. It isn’t long after that we find ourselves in the gladiator stalls. I expect the noise and stench of fighters to overwhelm my senses, only this place is nearly vacant. Usually stalls like this are brimming with slaves, but it seems all have been cleared out for the impending fight. Kellan must have quite the reputation to garner such special treatment.
Then I see them. On a bench not far away, Kellan sits with his back to us and the male from the stage stands before him. They are the only two in the room and I notice them before they notice us. “I’d be happy to do you a favor, old friend, but I need something from you in return.”
“I need no favors, Jevet,” Kellan tells him, not looking up from sharpening his blade.
“You’re a good fighter, Beast, but the odds have been stacked against you.”
“Thanks to you,” Kellan growls.
“I am a businessman, surely you understand my predicament.”
“I have no concern for your predicament. I am here for one thing and one thing alone.”
“The girl? Then do something to save her. Make a deal with me, Beast—” But his words are cut short when he sees us lingering in the darkness. “Ayo! The stalls are closed, get back to your masters!” Jevet shouts. Kellan rises and recognition washes over his face.
I ignore the one called Jevet. He is the male who took Reagan and he deserves no respect from me. Instead I address Kellan. “We are here to help, brother. Tell us what we can do.”
“You should leave, it is not safe,” he tells me, his jaw hard.
I shake my head. “We cannot do that.”
Jevet gets a wicked grin on his face and his quills twitch happily as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I think this just might be the break we’ve been looking for.”
“Your break, Jevet, or mine?” Kellan scowls. “It does not matter. They are leaving.”
Jevet just smiles. “They don’t look ready to leave,” he points out. “This is the help you need, Beast. Take it and be happy. You will fight beside your friends here and the girl will be returned to you safe and sound.”
“I need no assistance!” Kellan insists.
Gile gapes. “You are set to go up against the Monsters of Zanpur!”
“I fight alone!” he insists.
“Not today you don’t,” I tell him. “Not when there is so much to lose.”
Kellan’s fists clench and I can see the muscles in his neck straining with anger. “I will not say it again. It is dangerous here; I refuse to allow you risk your lives. Go home, take your mate with you. I will bring Reagan back.”
“You’ll bring back her corpse!” I shout. “Abandon your pride now because we’re not allowing you in that ring by yourself!” Ash’s face burns in my mind. I cannot lose any more of the people I care about.
Jevet leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he laughs. “You see, Beast? Your friends agree with me. You should not go into that ring alone.”
“Silence!” Kellan grits out, but Jevet ignores him.
“Think of the girl! Do you really believe you’ll be able to keep all the monsters at bay? That none will take a bite or two from her soft flesh as you battle?”
“I will succeed,” Kellan insists.
“With your friend’s help,” Jevet agrees.
Kellan’s nostrils flare as he looks at Gile and me.
“Rival, go back to the others. Let them know we will be joining the fight.” And just like that I have decided for him.
Kellan closes his eyes, his face looking pained. “What are the terms of your deal?” he asks Jevet.
“Six fights.”
“Three,” Kellan counters.
“Four. And your friends only enter the ring after you kill the Null.”
Kellan sighs. “Those are acceptable terms.”
Jevet’s smile is a wicked one and he looks far too pleased for my comfort as he closes the distance between himself and Kellan. He moves to clasp his shoulder, but Kellan jerks free. Jevet is nonplused. “I am glad to be working together again, old friend.”
“If anything happens to the Goddess I will kill you,” Kellan warns.
Jevet flashes his too white teeth at us. “The crowd awaits!” he says, slipping out toward the stage.
Gile and I flank our Vendari brother. I don’t understand the deal that was made or how it affects Kellan. All I know is that it gets us in the pit
and that’s the only thing that matters right now as Reagan awaits her rescue.
Chapter 30
Mel
“I am Vast,” the big one says eventually, breaking the silence. “This is my brother, Helix. The other one is called Rival.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I tell them, keeping my eyes locked on Reagan. “You don’t know how much we appreciate your help.”
“Anything for a brother. Or a sister,” he adds. Sister. The title he gives me is an honor considering there are no women left of his kind. So I look at him then, offering a grateful smile.
“The others—” Vast starts.
“Gile and Mire. And I’m Mel.”
“A master mated to her slaves?” he questions, seeming curious. I can’t blame him for it. Far as I know Sovolian men haven’t been allowed to have mates in hundreds of years.
“No. Actually, I was the slave—at least I was supposed to be. But Gile, Mire, and a few of their friends rescued me and brought me back to their world.” I bite my cheek, wondering if I should say more. I decide not to hold anything back. These men are helping us out of the kindness of their hearts—there is a code of honor among Sovolians. I know I can trust them. “Gile and Mire aren’t slaves either. They’re free.”
Vast and Helix are massive and brawny men, similar to my Sovolians, yet unique in their own ways. They look impenetrable and so it’s strange to see the expressions they wear are of complete shock.
“It’s true,” I tell them. “We live on a new world, called Elysia. It’s safe there and we’re all free. Do you guys have, um…a master?” It’s weird saying the word. It feels like an insult in some way.
Helix nods. “He is in the brothels. Again,” the Sovolian growls, sounding unhappy with his master’s choice of afternoon activities.
“Our master leaves us alone for long periods of time, expecting us to sit idly,” Vast explains. “We are not as busy as Helix would like to be.”
A thought crosses my mind, and I let it spill out of me without thinking. “Can you escape? Come with us. There’s tons of room on Elysia. You guys could be free.” I cut my eyes to Helix. “And there’s so much work to do there, you’d be needed.”
“We are bound to our master,” Vast tells me, shaking his head. His expression is a mixture of awe and disbelief. It’s like he’s never considered freedom, yet now that I’m speaking the words he’s shaken to his core. “It would be disloyal to run away.”
I clutch Vast by the arm, suddenly feeling like saving them is just as important as saving Reagan and Kellan. I gaze into his eyes with dire seriousness and give him my great argument in favor of escape. “So what?”
He still wears his shocked expression and his voice is grave, heavy with regret. “A Sovolian is nothing without his loyalty.”
“It’s okay to be loyal to yourself too, you know?” I tell him, and the words hit a little too close to home. I wonder vaguely if I’ve ever been loyal to me, to my own desires and drives. I’ve always been so busy taking care of others and all the while I keep my own heart on the back burner.
The whine of the loudspeaker tears me from my thoughts.
“It appears we have one last surprise for those of you rooting for The Beast. If our old friend can kill the Null first, then he wins the aid of two Sovolian fighting partners.”
I can’t tell if I’m relieved or terrified at the news. Gile and Mire talked their way into the fight. Now Kellan and Reagan have a better chance, but still, the level of danger is high. I’m dismayed to hear the crowd angry and booing. It’s almost like they wanted Kellan to lose.
But now Reagan’s craning her neck around to see the gates to the pit. All this talk of The Beast, I don’t think she knew Kellan was here to save her. But now, at the mention of a pair of Sovolians, my friend looks like she has hope once more. It gives me a small sliver of peace.
Rival joins us, panting as if he ran the entire way here. “It is done,” he tells us. “All we can do now is watch.”
I press close to the edge of the fighting pit, willing Reagan to look up and see me. A steady rumble starts among the audience. They’re stomping their feet. Then, the gates swing open and I flinch, covering my ears to save them from the deafening roar of the bloodthirsty arena. Reagan’s back is to the gates, so she can’t see that it’s Kellan standing there—bright lights shining down on him. All she can hear is the chant—Beast, Beast, Beast.
And Kellan…I hardly recognize him. He’s got a sooty paint smeared down his cheeks and across his chest, and the loincloth he wears looks primitive with wild tufts of shaggy fur. He doesn’t bounce around the arena, cocky and showing off. He paces instead, rolling his neck and shaking out his limbs while his tail whips angrily from side to side.
A countdown begins, the crowd stomping in time with it. Quietly I mutter prayers, begging the universe for a break, just one fucking break. Then, another gate swings open. I hadn’t noticed it before with all the hodge-podged metal scraps this place is made out of. But instead of a gladiator standing there, ready to face off against Kellan…I see the glare of a set of yellow eyes. And poor Reagan—she has the perfect view of this thing.
A clawed foot takes one step out into the light, then another. And then there’s a dragon standing before us. Or the alien equivalent at least. It’s long, like a sea serpent or eel, but its skin looks thick like an alligator’s. It has two sets of stocky, wide-set feet, tipped with razor-sharp claws that I can hear dragging across the metal floor of the fight pit. Framing its narrow face is a row of sharp, fringe-like spikes and its snout is long and thin.
It scents the air, turning in Reagan’s direction. A large mouth falls open, showing us teeth one might imagine on prehistoric beasts. Then it starts running.
A scream rips from my throat, but not even I can hear it over the crowd. The way the thing moves, it reminds me of the alligator lizards that used to live in the bushes around my grandma’s house when I was a kid—it’s something between a slither and a stride. It’s repulsive and terrifying, and it’s getting closer to Reagan with every second.
Kellan races to meet it and the creature sweeps to the side, swinging its tail out as a defense. But Kellan dives for it just the same, even as it snaps its monstrous jaws. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying…that is, until the other four Monsters of Zanpur slowly begin to amble out into the pit, sniffing and roaming wherever they please without anyone to stop them.
They’re monsters, all of them. The things of nightmares. Giants, with very few features that can equate to beasts on Earth, they’re so completely alien in their appearance. One walks on hind legs, hunched forward like a gorilla, but he’s got a face covered in hundreds of tiny red eyes and his flesh is stretched leathery and tight over his limbs. There are claws, they’ve all got claws. And even Kellan’s massive alien form is dwarfed compared with the smallest of these monsters.
Kellan dives for the Null again, but I see his eyes shooting to Reagan, ensuring nothing has gotten too close her. That’s when the Null shows me another one of his defense mechanisms, and he sprays a steaming liquid from the back of his throat, aiming it at Kellan. My knees go weak and I clutch at the Sovolian by my side as Kellan manages to roll out of the way.
“Get back!” Vast warns, pulling me away from my place next to the pit just as one of the monsters approaches, turning its attention in our direction.
It’s something like a spider…yet nothing like a spider. It’s actually more like a man. There’s a body in there at the center—similar in anatomy to a human, but it has no head. Long arms and legs stick out in all directions, stretching and folding until they taper down into pointed tips. It angles itself toward us and golden hands pull me back toward the safety of the private viewing box.
A roar breaks free from the pit and the audience is on their feet, screaming. “What’s happened?” I shout over the noise.
“The Beast, he’s brought down the Null!” Helix shouts.
Relief and fear. Relief and fear
. We’re almost done. Now Gile and Mire—MY Gile and Mire—are about to enter the pit.
Then I see them. Together they stand in the gateway, looking out at the fight before them—Kellan already having moved on to the next monster. But I notice he looks wounded, like he’s nursing one arm. I turn my attention back to my men. Gile beats his chest, shouting at the crowd to pump them up—as if they need it. Then he turns toward me and of all things, he blows me a kiss. Something between a laugh and a sob escapes me as the surreal scene unfolds.
Mire jerks his shoulders, and the brothers butt heads, delivering solid punches to each other’s chests…but they aren’t joining the fight.
“What the hell are they doing?” I question.
“They’re turning,” Vast tells me.
My brow furrows in confusion. Turning?
But then my Sovolians are convulsing, shoulders jerking and their bodies spasming until they fall forward. The bronze veins crossing their shoulders seem to bleed the darker color across their skin, and a pulse—like a heartbeat—sends ripples over their bodies. Their already bulky frames seem to grow and expand. And when their heads tip up again with ravenous gazes locked onto the fight, I see their teeth and claws have elongated…like they had always been retractable or something.
Holy shit, they just Hulked out.
Then they sprint, like a pair of alien linebackers, heading straight for the fight.
It isn’t long after that. The three heroes make fast work of the monsters and the crowd hisses their disapproval. I want my body to feel at ease, but the growing tension of the crowd keeps me on edge. I look up at the stadium-like seating. Everyone is on their feet, their faces angry. They throw things and shake angry fists.
“Is this going to be a problem?” I ask, nodding to the crowd as Mire tosses aside a ten-foot-long spider leg and blood splatters across the metal floor.
“It is,” Vast says, assessing the situation. This guy doesn’t pull any punches.
In the pit, Kellan races to Reagan, scaling the pillar to unfasten her chains. The announcer is trying to calm the crowd, but I can’t hear him over their angry shouts. People start to crowd the pit.
