Call to Arms (The Girl In The Arena Book 1) (7 page)

BOOK: Call to Arms (The Girl In The Arena Book 1)
12.49Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

“And you must have your strength for tomorrow.”

“I am sure they will feed me well in the morning. The condemned eat a hearty last meal and all that.”

She was trying to joke, but there was nothing to laugh about. In the morning she would be led into an arena. She would have to murder another human being in order to save her own life, and the lives of both Hector and one of the people who had been hauled into the arena with her, was it worth it? Were three lives worth one?

Who could say? It was too difficult. It was not something she wanted to think about, much less try to answer. River reluctantly took some of the food and even more reluctantly began to eat, but after a few bites he gladly accepted more when she pressed it upon him.

After River was gone and she was alone, Reena stood at her window, staring down at the city below her. She wondered how the people down there could stand it, how could they stand living in such close quarters to each other? How could they stand the stink of the gutters, the noise that was constant? There were no trees within the city, and no grass either — or at least none that she could see. The ground was covered with odd stones that looked as if they had been broken into bits many many years ago and put back together badly.

She longed for her own home. If she managed to survive all these battles, if she managed to survive the arena, what then? Reena was not a fool — she knew very well that the Governor was not about to let her go. He would make her fight until she was dead and that he would still come up with an excuse to kill her father and all the others.

There it was, the truth that she had refused to think about before.

There had to be a way! Hector spoke up from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. “I have brought you something.”

Reena turned, “What is it? Is it the key to this cell and the one holding my father as well?”

“You are a funny girl.”

“I see nothing funny about this Hector.”

“Neither do I. That is why I am here; if I were caught here I would be killed. Since I’m probably going to be killed tomorrow anyway, I figure what the hell.”

“Do you really think that I will not survive tomorrow?”

“I just got word of who it is you are fighting. My prayers are with you, but I do not know if they will be heard.”

“Who am I fighting Hector?”

“You are fighting a soldier. He was a deserter, or so they say, and now he has been brought into the arena to fight. No matter what his crimes, he is used to fighting. He’s an older man and well- seasoned in battle.”

Reena’s heart sank. So that was it then. She was going to fail, and everyone was going to die because of it. Why even bother? Why not just figure out a way to do herself in right here in a cell and save everyone the trouble?

Hector held out an amulet on a rough leather string. She took it, looking at it closely unsure of what it could be. “What is it Hector?”

“It is small enough that you could wear it around your neck and carry it as a weapon.”

“Hector, it is an amulet.”

“One that opens quite cleverly. It is, in fact, a tiny jar. Be careful, don’t open it now. You will need it to survive tomorrow.”

“Hector, it’s a jar.”

“Yes, it is. It’s just a jar. But even a jar can hold death.”

Her heart filled with hope. “Is there anything in there?”

“There is. The god’s fire is in there.”

The god’s fire? It was impossible! Only the highest up of soldiers were allowed to use that, only the most skilled alchemist knew how to create it! What had this cost him? Dear gods, what if it escaped the amulet and touched her skin? Her very flesh would melt from her bones! “Hector, what have you done?”

“Every gladiator is allowed two weapons. You have your knife, and now you have this.”

“What am I supposed to do with it? Hand it to him and ask him to drink it?”

“No, as soon as you’re close enough – throw it into his face. Make sure it goes into his face — hear me well on this one girl. It must hit his face for you to have any kind of chance in the arena tomorrow. You understand me?”

“Yes.” She didn’t, not really. What was so important about it hitting the man in the face? Either way it didn’t matter. She was going to use it, she had no choice. This jar and the small knife were all the weapons that she had to take with her into the arena.

Hector turned to leave and she said, “Thank you Hector.”

His voice was gruff and he did not turn back around, “Do not thank me. I was not the one who provided it for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have a Protector, one that must remain nameless for many reasons. Chief among them is the fact that the Governor has ordered that none shall offer Protection to you. It is a move that is already causing some anger among the spectators.”

He left before she could ask anything else. She did not really need to ask anyway, she had seen the procession the day before — people coming bearing gifts for those that they had chosen as victors in the arena. Somebody had chosen to favor her! But who?

Hector was not allowed to tell her who she was fighting. It could mean his death and it probably would mean his death. He had known that and come to help her anyway. He had brought her something that could get him killed for treason, and not just him but the person who had sent it.

People all around her were taking high risks for her and she had no idea why. In a way it made her happy but in a way it worried her deeply. Reena knew damn well that there was nothing free in this world…

“A distant heaven is useless to a hungry man.”

Where had she heard that before? She closed her eyes, trying to think and she managed to summon up a vague memory of her father’s beloved face highlighted by the flickering yellow-orange flames of a small fire, the gray outcroppings of rock behind his head and…

There had been another man there, but she could not remember who he had been—only that her father had said in his mildest voice, “That is not how it was said. The quote was ‘a distant utopia is of no use to a hungry man’s belly.’ But you are right—and wrong too. Some are willing to fight for a better future, even if they are not going to be in it.”

“You stubborn fool!”

The memory broke and snapped, leaving her more tired and saddened than she could bear. Her heart ached and she was terrified. The little amulet weighed heavy against her heart when she put it on, it swung across her shirt and she tucked it in carefully.

Her hair swung around her face as she sat on her pallet and she gathered the long black strands up, pressing them to her face, hoping for a last dim smell of the forest in the strands.

She looked up and whispered, “Please help me to be strong. That is all I ask. Let me be strong enough to save the ones I love.”

Chapter 4

 

The sun rose, sending long rose and gold fingers into her cell, banishing the pearly fog that had rolled in a few hours earlier.

To her surprise she had slept, and well. She was aching from all the training and hungry but clear-headed and awake. The fear was still there, she could feel it coiled up inside of her belly like a snake.

It would attack her if she let it, she could not let that happen. Too much was at stake. The amulet lay on her breast and she looked down at it, tears pricking her eyes. She would die if she had to but she would not go down without a fight. She would make her father proud of her, even if she failed to save him.

That was all she could do, that was all he would have expected from her and she knew it.

That did not mean she was not going to try to save him though.

Hector did not come for her, two large guards did. She stared at them through the bars and they stared back at her, their faces impassive. Reena wondered what they saw when they looked at her: a young and too-thin girl with hair the color of the raven’s wings? An enemy of the Governor? Nothing at all?

The lock parted with a heavy snap and her heart took an instant dive into her belly. Her breath came in a hard and ragged pant that she could not control and panic began to set in as they took her by the arms and led her down the hallways of the building in which she had been kept.

The sun dazzled her eyes and her feet froze to the street surface. People were thronged around and they began to cheer at the sight of her. She was an oddity, entertainment. The only girl to have ever been a gladiator. They wanted to look at her, to see her and touch her.

Reena knew that but she still recoiled from their hands and their shouts and the things they tossed at her. A tiny silk ribbon drifted across her face, almost blinding her and she yanked it away. It clung to her finger for a moment before it fluttered away on the breeze.

On the ground level the stench was even worse. The incense from the temples mingled with the open gutters and the smell of fresh meat hanging from the wooden posts in the open air marketplace.

Unwashed people and ones who wore far too many oils on their bodies pressed against her. The colors were too bright, the sounds almost deafening. Reena’s heart hammered and her body was weak. Would she shame her father by not being able to walk to the arena, much less into it?

No dammit she would not!

That was the longest walk of her life. The crowd was screaming and chanting. Some were cheering for her but others were laughing at her.”Kill, kill, kill, kill!” The word became a mindless, numb roar that echoed in her ears as she was led down a long stone stairway and into a cool and dim underground chamber.

A man met her there at the door to what would be her holding cell. He said, “Hands open,” and she stared at him, not understanding what he wanted.

It became clear very quickly as he patted her down, checking her for hidden weapons. “Declare your weapons.” His voice was bored as his hands patted at her breasts and legs.

Reena’s face burned at his intrusive touch. How was this allowed? Why was this allowed? “I have my blade…” she knew better than to mention the amulet. She sensed it would be taken if she did. The god’s fire was illegal.

His fingers reached for it and she said, “I am allowed two weapons.”

“Is this a weapon?”

“It carries my god.” Okay, that was a lie but who cared? It was close enough to the truth for her to be able to say it with a straight face.

“Fine. You’re ready. You’re next to battle.”

He left her there alone. The silence spun out and time stretched like warm and stringy goat cheese held over a low fire. That had been one of her favorite treats; would she ever taste that again?

Now was not the time for such questions. She studied the amulet to keep her mind off things, her fingers memorizing its clever little clasp and her thoughts closing off until only one remained. Survival.

The barred door to her cell clanked open and her guard appeared. He led her down darker passageways and she had to squint to see. It was bright outside and she knew it. She also knew that if her opponent decided to attack her as she walked from the tunnels she would have no chance against him, she would be blinded by the light.

The crowd roared and screamed. Chants filled the air and she deliberately stared at the light as they walked toward it, trying to prepare her eyes for the assault of the sun. Terror had left her; there was nothing inside her but a deathly stillness.

Reena did not know it yet, but that would be what saved her life that day. She entered the arena and the crowd roared and cheered or booed. The Governor sat in a long, heavily decorated box that jutted out over the arena and she looked up at him and he stood.

“Ladies and gentlemen, people of Aretula, I give you—the first female gladiator in history!”

Hatred filled her but she sloughed it off like dead skin from a snake’s back. She could not afford hatred, not now. The gates across from hers opened and she looked, thinking she would see the man she was to go up against, but all she saw was the chubby man who had been put into the arena with her.

Her heart sank. This was who she was saving? Where was her father or the girl Nemia? Why this man? He was the biggest coward she had ever seen and even now he was crying and shaking like a leaf about to fall from a tree.

The crowd hissed and howled laughter as he fell to his knees, spouting out gibberish. The Governor called for silence and then he announced, “I hereby decree that this man’s life shall be forfeit if she loses but shall be saved if she wins.”

Reena stood, stony and calm. There was nothing else she could do right then and she knew it. There would be plenty of time later for emotions and thoughts. Right now there was only her, the hot sand below her feet and the gate swinging open to reveal a scarred and brutal looking man striding out toward her.

A mace swung from one of his hands and a sword was buckled to his side. He was going to kill her! The mace whipped around and the crowd cheered. The fight had begun!

Reena had fought a few times in her life, mostly little scuffles between herself and other outlaw children. None of them had prepared her for this, neither had her training. This man was as desperate to live as she was, and there was no way to fake that in training.

His hand reached out and caught her long hair, dragging her toward him while the mace arced down.

Reena’s scalp tore as she twisted down and sideways. A cry of pain came from her mouth and her hands shook. The blade came out and she tried to drive it into his chest but he knocked her aside easily, sending her crashing to the sand halfway across the arena.

The blow made her dizzy but it also got her out of his reach. She scrambled to her feet, her hand going back to the amulet but before she could open it he had drawn the sword and come after her again. The blade left a shallow nick on her right arm but the sight of her own blood galvanized her; she kicked out hard and connected with his testicles.

Obviously that was not a move they generally taught to soldiers, because he doubled over with a high keening wail and many in the stands laughed and others jeered at her bad sportsmanship.

His head was down and she took advantage of that fact by kicking him again, that time in the top of his thigh. That took him to one knee and she felt hope rising but then he shook off her feeble attack and came after her again, the sword glimmering and glinting in the sunlight.

Reena kicked at the sand and it flew up in a gout, struck him in the face and his gaze wavered just long enough for her to sidestep the blade.

She was just hanging on, hoping to find an opportunity to throw the god’s fire into his face, but the fear that had dissipated was back and in full force, making her unable to think clearly.

He swung the sword and caught her just as she was turning to flee; blood spilled from her left arm that time. A neat slice opened in her flesh and she knew that if she did not do something soon he would simply hack her to bits right there where she stood.

She did not want to kill him. That was the problem. She was seeing him as another human being, one forced into this battle just like she had been. She knew that was a bad way to think, but it was still true. He deserved to live just as much as she did.

The blade! His face came close to hers again but the mace was whipping around it. She could hear the swish and fall of that heavy weapon as it swung on its chain’s axis. Her heartbeat slowed and time stood still.

Reena pulled the blade out of her belt and threw it in an almost causal gesture, the same gesture her father had taught her years ago. The blade hit him in the throat and he staggered backward. She reached for the amulet but he dropped to his knees, a long gobbling sound coming from his mouth.

He was injured and badly, but he was not dead! Reena’s eyes widened in horror as he reached for the blade and yanked it loose from his throat. Blood came out in a small fountain that made the crowd’s cheers reach a maddened peak.

“Girl,” he said in an almost wondering voice, regaining his feet and stumbling as he came toward her with the mace once again twirling.

He had to know his wound was fatal! He had to know it and yet he was still trying to kill her! Reena’s horror gave way to a deeper emotion, the will to live. She spotted her blade in the sand; there was no way to reach it and to use the god’s fire now, as it would be wasted and it would be seen now. She had lost whatever opportunity she had to use it in stealth as Hector had told her to do.

The mace swung and she barely got out of its path that time; she felt the wind from its passing on her shoulder. She went down and as he came toward her, she shot a leg up high below his leather kilt, kicking him in that soft and unprotected flesh again and more seriously this time.

The crowd shrieked along with her opponent. He toppled over, and his blood made small caked up designs on the sand. Reena rolled over, her fingers clutching desperately at the ground as she tried to get her blade.

His hand came down on her heel and he began to haul her towards him, reeling her in like a fish, just like he had done with her hair. Reena fought back but the sand was slick and her fingers slid right through it, granting her no purchase.

Frantic to get away, she rolled over and jackknifed her body upward, her forehead connecting so solidly with his that she saw stars exploding in her vision field. His eyes glazed over and Reena grabbed the sword he had dropped.

She kicked her way to her feet and stood over him, the sword in her hand. She knew she had to do it, to kill him. She could not bear to. The crowd was screaming, holding their thumbs out in the down position that meant they wanted to see her opponent die.

She stared down at his face, at the bloody wound in his throat and her lips trembled as she spoke. “I’m sorry.”

“No, kill me. Send me to Elysium. Soldier’s death.” His hand waved at the air and she took a long breath.

The Governor raised his hands and silence fell again. Reena looked up to see him walking to the front of his box. He held out one fist and then he turned his thumb down.

He was ordering her to kill that man.

Reena dropped the sword and raised her own hand. There was a salute that her father had taught her years ago a one-fingered thing that meant defiance. She used it and the silence grew even thicker.

Below her the solider gasped once more and lay still, his blood a thick maroon spill on her shoes. “He’s dead!” Reena shouted. “I’m your victor!”

The whispers of the crowd were too loud and she could see that Governor’s face from where she stood. It was white with anger, and his mouth was turned into a thin hard line. Reena knew what she had just done was the same thing as treason but wasn’t that why she was here anyway? What could he do to her now? Put her in the arena?

The crowd began to chant and she took a deep breath, staring at the sea of faces in the stands, “Victor, victor!”

They were leaving the Governor no choice, although Reena did not know that. All she knew was that he was seriously angry but there didn’t seem to be anything he could do about it. She had won her battle.

“Release the prisoner!” The cry echoed across the arena and the large man that had been sobbing in a corner near a wall looked up, his tear-smeared face holding an emotion Reena could not stand to see. He began to run, screaming and still sobbing, his flesh wobbling, toward the walls and the guards opened the gates for him, letting him pass through them.

“Remove the gladiator. Bring in the next battle, I grow tired of this one!” The Governor’s words brought a cheer and Reena began to cry silently as they took her out of the arena.

As they marched along the passageways she dried her tears. She would not let them see her cry. The Governor appeared, his face filled with rage and the soldiers guarding her came to an abrupt and silent halt.

“You surprised me.”

Reena wanted to say many things but she was afraid that if she spoke her voice would shake and betray her so she stood mutely while he looked at her a little more closely. When she did not answer he spoke again. “Now I shall surprise you. Your last match has been decided. I decided it. There is a boy named Talon, he will be your last battle—if you make it that far.”

BOOK: Call to Arms (The Girl In The Arena Book 1)
12.49Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Linda Goodman's Sun Signs by Linda Goodman
Seeking Nirvana by V. L. Brock
Georgia's Greatness by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
The Sea Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell
Commandment by Daryl Chestney
The Copper Horse #1 Fear by K.A. Merikan