Page 80 of Faithless
I released a breath, not realizing I’d been holding it as we stepped over the threshold. Nella led the way, while the guard flanked us on either side and marched at our backs. Rori and I kept our hands connected as we walked, the two of us on high alert. People gawked and whispered as we walked past, but they weren’t my concern. I was trying to figure what the catch was, which trapdoor someone would open that would shoot us to the middle of the sand pit to be the bait for the next fight.
Once the elevator was in view, I started to relax a little. Maybe a walk of shame was a big deal to these people, or maybe being banished from the most exclusive resort in the world was considered punishment enough. Big whoop. We’d be back. Just not as fucking guests.
Nella stepped onto the large, concrete platform, and Rori and I followed behind her. The elevator was at the top of the canyon, making a slow descent toward us. Rori leaned her temple on my shoulder, and I kissed the side of her head as we waited.
The glass cage was halfway down the canyon wall when Nella turned to face us with an expression of smug, evil glee.
“Take him,” she ordered.
My arms were grabbed faster than I could process, and I was yanked backward off the platform, my hand torn from Rori’s.
“No, Torr!”
I heard Rori’s cry of protest but was forced to the ground and could no longer see her. Metal cuffs slapped over my wrists, locking them behind my back. Well, at least I still had fucking legs and elbows.
I rolled over to my back, kicking out, and got one guy in the nards. He hissed in pain and backed away, cupping himself, but that still wasn’t much of a reaction for how hard I got him. He had to be wearing protection, fuck.
Another guy leaned over me, and I headbutted him. The opportunity gave me a split second to roll up to my knees and check on my woman. Rori was fighting like a hellcat against two of the guards, but they both restrained her to the point where she couldn’t do much. Nella just stood off to the side, all smug bitch power pose.
That split second was one too long, sadly. A fist cracked into my jaw and sent me back face down into the dirt with no way to block it. I scrambled to get my feet under me again, and hot, crackling pain zipped up through my whole body. Fucking tasers.
“You fucking rotten bitch, call them off!” Rori screamed. “Let him go!”
“Mm, I think not,” Nella said. “I think he’d make a fine gladiator, actually.”
It took all four of those guards to start dragging me toward the colosseum, and I made sure they fought for every inch they took me away from her. I kept getting punched, tazed, and restrained until my vision went dark and I could no longer hear Rori swearing to kill them all.
* * *
I couldn’t figureout if the oppressive darkness was due to my surroundings or being unconscious. My body felt solid, so at least that was a plus, even though everything ached like hell.
Trying to get myself oriented, I rolled with a groan to discover I was on a lying on a hard, dusty floor. It smelled musty here, like there was little fresh air to go around. I blinked my eyes, then brought a hand up in front of my face and wiggled my fingers. Nothing but darkness. Shit, had I been blinded?
I brought my hand to my face and felt around. Yeah, it was sore and swollen in places, but my eyeballs were still there. Either something had been done to my eyes or I was truly in the darkest fucking pit on earth.
“Who’s there?”
I scrambled upright, searching my inky black surroundings for the disembodied voice. It sounded like a man, but I had a small flash of hope that it was Astarte. “I could ask you the same thing,” I answered.
“Who are you? I don’t recognize your voice.” Definitely a man.
“Once again, I could ask you the same fuckin’ thing.”
There was a huff of breath, almost like a laugh. “Hang on. I’m going to walk towards you.”
“No thanks.” I swept my arms around me as I started moving backwards, away from the voice. “How do I know you don’t have a weapon?”
“Dude. You think even if I had one, I can see any better than you do?”
“I dunno, man. I don’t know where the fuck I am.”
There was a long pause. “Are you a gladiator?”
“No. Not yet, anyway.”
Another pause. “A guest, then?”
I was really starting to hate that word. “You could say that. Although given where I am, you could say I’m not very welcome anymore.”
