Piper Cross, an undercover spy, must relive her past as a child gladiator in order to bring the underground arena to justice.
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Growing up gladiator is brutal. The cells are cramped...
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The locket dropped through the cloud of Roman's ashes like a stone in water. I reached out to catch it, but the muscles in my chest contracted painfully at the sudden motion. Weevils ate white holes into my vision as the ruby locket clattered to the floor, skidding across the polished stone and through the golden bars.
I swore, turning my whole body to the side (it was too painful to look over my shoulder) to see if it was safe enough to turn my back on the fight for a time.
Isaac was surrounded by a low wall of corpses, cleverly stacked in a horseshoe shape, funnelling would-be enemies through a gap of his choosing. Those who tried to climb or leap over put themselves at a disadvantage, for bodies were limp and sagging things that sucked at one's feet, and it was nigh impossible to change course once one was in the air. You're okay, I sent without thinking, breathing a sigh of relief that brought my lungs anything but. Thank god.
Are you alright? Isaac asked, unable to see for himself. He was too busy snapping somebody's neck and tossing their limp body onto the pile. I wanted to come to your aid but they were trying to rush you from behind. I had to...
The ringing in my head drowned out the rest of his words, drilling into my skull as a wet cough wracked my body. It was like dry retching but worse; my thoughts narrowed to the agony of my body, fusing with it, impossible to lift away. It was only when the spasms subsided that I returned to myself, realising the dangerous lapse in concentration.
I've been better, I admitted at last, spitting bile onto Roman's remains. The vampire is accounted for. I think.
I knew you could do it, he replied, but worry undercut the pride in his tone. Can you stand?
I'll be with you in a second, I promised, noting that the other gladiators were taking a moment to regroup. Roland started pointing fingers and they listened, peeling away to shift some of the bodies in the wall, working as a unit. I just need you to cover me a bit longer.
Consider it done, he sent, returning to the task at hand. I felt a hypocritical pang of worry; his hair was slicked back with blood and he moved with a slight limp, favouring his left side. I couldn't sense any pain through our telepathic link, which meant he was deliberately hiding it from me. I wish I'd had the foresight to do the same; my agony must have been distracting while he was fighting for both of our lives.
My chest spasmed, triggered by the unnatural fullness of my lungs. Be still, I commanded them, trying to embody the frigid heart of winter itself as I reached through the bars.
The residual electricity made my hair stand on end, warming my skin as I inched closer to the locket, threatening to melt the fickle hoarfrost coating my nerves.
It was too far away. Gritting my teeth, I lowered myself onto my stomach, panting through the pain and my rather sensible fear as I inched my shoulder through the deadly gap. Towards the end I had to tuck my chin against my chest, lest thousands of volts pump through the back of my skull.
