Page 7 of Gladiator's Captive
My voice was even as I spoke, but hatred burned my throat. Ten years I had dreamed of this moment.
“You won a most impressive fight today.” Arenius stepped closer to me, ignoring the threat. “But your victory cost me a great deal of money. You won, when you should have lost.”
Yes, I’m sure. You bet on my death, you coward.
“I did only as I was trained to do,” I answered flatly, my hands closing and opening at my sides convulsively. “I survived.”
“Don’t be falsely humble,” Arenius answered with humor, stepping closer again, just two paces away. “You know very well this wasn’t a fight designed for you to win. Despite all that, you stand before me, having killed half my guards, for sure.”
I locked gazes with Arenius and stared deep into the pit of the man’s soul. There was no loyalty to be expected there, no mercy either. Arenius returned the gaze, letting nothing of his thoughts show.
“Three dead.” I spoke low, knowing full well that the man was only stalling. “There needs only be one more.”
“If you kill me, Rager, you’re killing yourself, too.”
Arenius lifted his wrist, exposing the bracelet-like device connecting him to all his slaves through a poisonous implant.
“Free me or die.” My body tensed as Arenius glanced at his wrist. The deceptively simple device was the reason why so few guards were needed to keep Arenius’s villa safe. The implant located in the flesh of my forearm was a costly device, one very few slave owners could afford. It was also the reason Arenius still breathed. I could not remove it without triggering the poison contained inside and I could not kill the man wearing the controls, either. If Arenius died, then it would automatically trigger the device implanted in all his slaves.
A terrible but efficient way to control a hundred battle-hardened men. Their lives and mine all hung at his literal fingertip.
“I have but to push a button to end your life.” A sneer twisted the fat man’s mouth. “But you know this, or you would have killed me already.”
“Even if you trigger it, I would still have enough time to tear your heart right from your chest.” My heart beat faster, just thinking of doing it. “It might still be worth it.”
Arenius stared at me, a tic agitating the corner of his left eye, a sure sign of the violence of the emotions inside him. Despite this, the man wore an expression as calm as a sleeping reptile.
“What is to prevent you from killing me the instant I free you from the implant?” Arenius’ tone was sharp, his voice dry and cold. “I might as well take you with me to the underworld.”
“Then we are at an impasse.”
My muscles clenched, readying for the attack to come. I had always known it was possible that Arenius refused to free me. If my life was the price to pay to take him down, then I would gladly pay it. It had been the thought of the lives of all the others who had stopped me until now, but a life of slavery under Arenius’ thumb was no life at all. A quick death, even one delivered by the poison, was still a mercy.
What was another hundred lives on my already black soul?
“Father!” A small, musical voice filled the room, wiping violence clean from my thoughts.
Then a creature straight from my most feverish dreams stepped into Arenius’ office.
