"And to my loyal fighters," he continued, turning that false benevolent smile toward us. His eyes passed over me, thenlingered just a fraction too long on Livia. "May fortune favor the brave today."
The same words he'd whispered to her last night, just before...
The sword in my hand lifted slightly before I could stop myself. Just a few feet. That's all that separated us. I could end him before the guards reached me. Could wipe that smug smile off his face forever. Could make him pay for every bruise on Livia's skin, every tear she'd refused to shed.
Antonius's hand touched my arm, light but warning. "Steady," he murmured, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
I stood there, sword lowered, and watched him take his place in the viewing box. Watched him arrange himself comfortably to enjoy the spectacle of our fighting and dying for his profit and pleasure. Watched him signal for wine, as casual as if he hadn't destroyed something precious just hours ago.
This was the moment I was supposed to speak to my men, to rile them up, motivate them to go out there and survive. To offer my praise to the Emperor, but today the words didn’t come. The hatred burned so hot in my chest I could barely breathe. It was different from the usual anger I carried into the arena. This was personal, primal. Every beat of my heart seemed to pump more of it through my veins until I felt like I might burst into flames where I stood.
When the gates began to creak open, I welcomed the sound. Finally, something I could kill. Finally, a way to release this fury before it consumed me entirely. I shifted my grip on my sword, glancing one last time at Drusus in his clean white robes, sipping his wine as his command unleashed Hades through the gates.
Sand crunched beneath my feet as I turned to face the nightmare pouring through the gates. The mirage cats came first, their silver-black pelts rippling like oil in the sunlight, each one bigger than a war horse. Behind them, the agluks' hornsscraped the gate arch as they thundered onto the sand, their crocodilian jaws already dripping with anticipation.
The other gladiators scattered as the beasts charged. Smart. But all I could see was Drusus's face on every creature that came at me, all I could hear was his laughter mixing with the roars and screams.
The first mirage cat reached our line. I ducked under its leap, my blade opening its belly as it passed over me. Hot blood rained down, and I welcomed it. Another kill. Another moment of violence to drown out the memories of my own powerlessness.
"Marcus!" Antonius's warning came just in time. I rolled left as an agluk's horns swept through the space where I'd been standing. Its crocodile head snapped at me, teeth like swords. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in its black eye, saw the fury twisting my features into something I barely recognized.
Good. Let the rage take over. Let it fuel every strike.
A flash of movement caught my eye - Livia, dancing between two mirage cats. She moved like lightning, like fire given form. Her blade sang through the air, taking one cat's leg at the knee, then spinning to slash the other's throat. Blood sprayed across her armor, and for a moment she looked like some ancient goddess of war, beautiful and terrible.
I started toward her, but a gladiator from the other ludus charged between us. His sword caught the sun as it swung for my head. I parried automatically, muscle memory taking over. He was good, but I was angry. My counter-strike shattered his guard, and my follow-through opened his throat. As he fell, I saw Drusus's face again, saw his eyes widening in surprise, saw-
"Focus!" Antonius appeared at my side, his shield taking a hit meant for me.
I nodded my thanks then spun away from him, toward another opponent. This one wore Drusus's smug smile. My blade found his heart.
Through the chaos, I kept tracking Livia. Tarshi and Septimus had positioned themselves nearby, keeping the worst of the fighting from reaching her. Not that she needed it. She fought like someone possessed, her blade never still, her movements wild but precise.
An agluk's roar shook the arena. The beast charged through our ranks, its massive bulk sending fighters flying. I dove right, came up rolling, and found myself face to face with a mirage cat. Its eyes were the same color as Drusus's. I screamed as I drove my sword up through its jaw, feeling bones crack, feeling hot blood pour over my arms.
Not enough. Not nearly enough blood to wash away what he'd done.
A gladiator's sword scraped across my back, finding a gap in my armor. The pain was nothing compared to what I'd felt watching Livia last night. I turned, caught his next strike on my blade, and put my shoulders into the counter. His head left his body in a clean arc.
Still not enough.
"Marcus!" Livia's voice cut through my rage. She was pressed back by three opponents, fighting with desperate grace. Without thinking, I was moving, cutting through the space between us. A mirage cat tried to block my path. I took its front leg, then its throat, never breaking stride.
I reached her just as she dropped one of her attackers. Together, we faced the other two. We'd trained together so long we didn't need words. She went low, I went high. Her blade hamstrung one man while mine took the other's sword arm. The killing strikes were simultaneous, perfect, like a dance we'd practiced a thousand times.
For a moment, our eyes met across the bodies. Blood streaked her face, but her eyes burned brighter than ever. Shewas magnificent. Unstoppable. Everything I loved about her condensed into this moment of perfect violence.
Then the agluk was there, its massive head swinging between us. I dove one way, she the other. Its tail swept across the sand, catching fighters from both sides, sending them sprawling. Its hooves crushed one man's chest before anyone could react.
I scrambled up, saw Tarshi and Septimus moving to flank the beast. Saw Livia rolling to her feet, already advancing. The agluk's head weaved between us, trying to track multiple threats. Blood from its earlier wounds had turned its brown hide black.
Looking past it, I caught a glimpse of Drusus in his viewing box, leaning forward with interest, wine forgotten in his hand. Watching Livia. Always watching Livia.
The rage roared back, drowning out everything else. I charged the agluk head-on, ignoring Antonius's shout of warning. My blade struck its throat just as Tarshi and Septimus hamstrung its back legs. The beast bellowed, rearing up. Livia appeared beneath it, her sword driving up into its belly.
We fell back as it crashed down, the impact shaking the arena. Its tail thrashed once, twice, then went still. Around us, the fighting continued, but for a moment all I could see was Drusus's face, his slight frown of disappointment that we'd survived.
I turned, looking for the next target, the next outlet for this burning in my chest. There were still two mirage cats alive, still plenty of gladiators from the other ludus. Still so many ways to spill blood.
