Awakening (Book One of the Eklektos Series)

Chapter Thirty Nine

Kali awoke to drums. Deep. Steady. Consuming. She was aware of the drums long before she fully woke. Hard cold stone bruised her hip, and the heat of bodies pressing close smothered her. She shifted slightly, the scent of sweat overwhelming. Her eyes opened blearily and she pushed herself up, waiting for the memory to return. But this cage was new to her.

The only light was from the fire pits that circled the cavern, flickering through the thick steel bars that surrounded them. There must have been almost thirty prisoners, all demigods. Except Kali. They all had a haunted look in their eyes and they were jittering. Afraid.

Most clung to the bars, watching something that Kali couldn't see. Some were silent but others were yelling out indistinct words. Kali could hear a cackle and she could hear cries of what she could only assume were fury and pain. Her head pounded but she moved to the bars, gently easing her way through the others in there with her, to see what was outside. Her blood ran cold. A low voice next to her murmured "Welcome to the arena, kid."

A woman with blood red hair sat atop a throne of skulls, laughing as she watched a demigod struggle against a group of five skeletal warriors. Kali's fingers turned white on the bars as she watched in silent horror at the display. This was not the arena of Camelot. There were no rules here. And the demigod fought desperately right up to the point a sword blossomed from his chest. Kali struggled against the bars, but the rest of the prisoners just drifted away or bowed their heads. A hand fell on her shoulder and she tore her eyes away from the fallen demigod to see a face full of sorrow looking down at her. The man could not have been more than twenty-five, but he seemed generations older when he murmured "There's nothing you can do."

"I refuse to believe that." Kali turned back to look out across the cavern and struggled with the bars, trying to find any weakness to exploit. Her mind frantically sought Hades' but there was a fog around her, something dampening her connection to him. She was alone. The hand closed around her arm and pulled her away firmly. She pulled back, but her eyes were dark.

The demigod sighed tiredly and whispered, "If she sees that she is causing you pain, it will only give her more pleasure."

Kali's eyes flashed red, flames crackling in their depths, and she raised her head slowly. All she could see was the boy bleeding, face down in the sand. The sword was still protruding from his back. Sharp pain sliced through her at the memory of that shade of red. She growled "Why are we here?"

"To join them. Or to die. I don't think she really cares which." His voice was bitter but resigned and Kali knew that he did not expect to get out of that place alive.

Another cackle ripped through the air and the woman pointed over to them and screeched "Bring over the next volunteer!"

A faceless creature approached and opened the cage, grabbing the nearest demigod. Kali saw a face she recognised and frantically pushed her way through the others in the cage. Hermes had been right about Ben; he hadn't run away or wandered off. He was here. And he was struggling against the faceless creature's talons as he was dragged towards the gate. Kali tore the creature's grey claws off of her friend and fixed her gaze on the figure still sitting on the throne. She raised her chin defiantly and snarled "I'm next."

Ben stammered her name and tried to pull her back, but the woman's lip curled into a cruel smirk and Kali held her gaze. A challenge. She nodded, and Kali was hauled across the cavern. She twisted out of the creature's grip and ran to the boy in the arena but she knew he was already gone. He was dead. And she didn't even know his name. A cackle rang out and Kali felt claws around her arms, pulling her back towards the skull throne. This time, she let them yank her onward. The stench was almost more than she could bear but she focused on the drums and they gave her strength. With each forced step closer, she became more and more certain that the woman was a goddess.