“Fuck you!” I shouted as my magic dissipated, the beast falling into the darkness of my soul, our connection severed under Arden’s magic. “You’ll all bleed as we have!”
Hands grabbed me, yanking me to my feet before dragging me into the tunnels and out of view of the patrons. Arden stood at the mouth of the cavernous tunnel, waiting for us, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes lit with fury as he watched me. I panted as I hung from the guards’ holds, my strength giving out, my magic abandoning me under his command.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” he demanded.
I met his glare, eyes burning with every ounce of hatred I held for him, but I gave him no answer.
“You won. All you had to do was return to the gate, and I would have tended to your wounds,” he said, letting out a sigh.
“How merciful of you,” I said flatly. “Tending to me while the others suffer.”
I flinched as he lifted his hand to brush a callused thumb over my cheek.
“You are not like them,” he said, his voice softening. “You are my most prized fighter.” He leaned closer to me to whisper, “My most beautiful.”
My skin crawled at the way he looked over my body, as if I wasn’t a person but a possession.
“You’re disgusting,” I said through my teeth.
“Perhaps I’ll have the guards bring you to my chambers tonight,” he said, something unnerving in his expression as his eyes hardened. “Then I can show you just howdisgustingI can be.”
I bared my teeth at him, desperate to tear him to shreds and leave him for the Coronis to pick and tear into pieces while he still breathed.
“Take her to her cell. Her wounds don’t seem too severe,” he said and lowered his cold gaze on me. “Maybe next time, you’ll be more receptive to my offer of care.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I growled.
His lips twitched into a half smile before he grabbed the collar of my shirt and jerked me closer to him. His breath poured over my face as he spoke, stinking of ambrosia liquor. “You will bend to my will, Thalia, or I will break you.”
He roughly released my chin and stepped to the side, nodding for the guards to continue. No strength remained for me to fight, Arden’s magic sapping me dry, and I found myself unable to stay on my own two feet. I slumped against them as they dragged me into the tunnels and back to my cell, the shouts of The Pit’s patrons rising into a roar as the next match began. It was a distraction to the outburst I’d caused, and it annoyed me how quickly the terror I’d made them suffer had been swept under the rug.
Fighters and other captives rushed to hide in their cells, murmuring to each other as they avoided the guards’ attention. I could barely make out their dirt-stained faces as they watched us from the darkness of their dwellings. Bars groaned as they opened the door to my chamber, and I cursed as the guards threw me onto the cold stone floor before slamming it shut and storming back down the hall.
“Thalia,” Kish groaned from her cot as she tried to push herself up.
“Stop, Kish!” Rhyas said, slipping into view from where he had hidden himself. He rushed to my side as I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, Arden’s magic finally releasing me from its hold.
“You actually beat that thing?” Rhyas asked, searching me for wounds.
“Before I went for the patrons,” I groaned.
He stiffened. “Are you fucking insane? You know what, you don’t have to answer that.”
I winced as he forced my head back and poured water over the gash across my forehead to flush the creature’s blood from the wound.
I hissed as the liquid burned into my flesh. “That’s not fucking water!”
“No, it’s alcohol to kill any infection. Now shut up before you attract the guards,” Rhyas retorted. “What did you think you’d accomplish going for the patrons?”
I huffed a laugh. “You should have seen the terror on their faces when the cage cracked.”
“You cracked the cage?” Kish asked from her cot as she struggled to push herself onto her elbows.
Rhyas twisted around to pin her with a glare. “Kish, for the love of the gods, don’t get out of that fucking bed. Your leg is broken.”
He disappeared from my side, hurrying to Kish and forcing her to lay back down. I grunted as I pushed myself to my feet.
“I’m all right,” she said, and relief flooded me to see her fully conscious. “You gave me your blood; this will be healed in a day or two.”
