Page 80 of Caged

I think I can hear screaming, and I watch as Medius opens and closes his mouth at the shadow soldiers. I suppose they are a threat. I wield the knife from my boot, and the shadow soldiers become real shadows, dissipating into nothingness until there is only Medius and me left.

I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this good about a fight before, or this calm, or just generally in good spirits. It’s as if my sweet Alex has her fingers in my feathers permanently. I feel so good I could sleep on the spot, but I’m not going to, because Medius is here, and this is not a fight, not anymore.

Although, this is not normal. Not at all.

“Wha- have you done to me?” I slur as my mouth doesn’t want to work around my teeth…or tongue.

This…creature…the Zavaro…Medius, he attacked my ship, he disabled it and took me by force. There was no battle, there was no cohort, there was just me, traveling among the stars, free and looking for other Gryn after the Drahon were made to release all their experiments and I found out the Zavaro’s secret.

For the first time, I see a flicker of an emotion Medius has not exhibited around me before—fear.

“I thought…it was supposed to…” He ducks under my arm, but I take hold of him anyway.

“I have quest…ques...” I attempt to gather my lips and my tongue into some semblance of order. “Questions!” I force the words together and out. “Need answers.”

The floor is bowing under me wildly, and with only one wing and a vrexing Zavaro in one hand, a dagger in the other, it’s proving difficult to stay upright.

I land on my ass with a bump. Medius twists from my grip and runs, his legs elongating and his gait strangely slow. I fling the dagger at him, but I can’t tell if it hits home as my head spins wildly.

It takes me a while to get to my feet because first I have to roll on my side, something I find hilarious, then onto my hands and knees until finally I’m upright again. My left wing feels very unpleasant, and when I touch it, it, the texture is sticky, causing me to recoil. I decide to leave it alone for the moment.

I need my Alex and then I need Medius, in that order. I breathe in deeply again and for a nova-second, I think I can scent her.

Is she here? I have to know. The door behind me doesn’t resist, ripping open easily at my touch.

If Alex has run from me, I will hunt her, I will catch her, and I will mate her.

Nothing will stand in my way.

ALEX

I’m doing everything I can to keep a lid on my nerves. It’s one thing sneaking into the dome through the sewers, but it’s entirely different to be walking through the front entrance.

“Over here!” Gytha waves at me and Haxrix, distracting the guard as I press the button which is supposed to hide my weaponry from the scanners and hope for the best.

The Oykig leers at me for a second until Haxrix makes a coughing sound like she’s going to bring up a hairball, and I give him a quick smile, breezing through into the atrium which leads to the stands and the fighting arena itself.

Gytha pulls us to one side, through the crowds of customers thronging the vast space. It takes a lot to fill the dome, but the games bring them in time and again.

I don’t know how the resistance believes they can stop this place. Money talks, it always will. Ultimately, my aim is to get to Sylas. The rest can be dealt with once he is free.

“Where next?” Gytha asks.

“We need to get lower down. I came up from the sewers and never got to this level.”

Gytha gazes at the atrium, her soft, silky tunic swirling around her like a cloud. But I spot it first, the small service door set into the metal wall on the other side.

“There,” I say quietly.

“Let’s go,” Gytha says, and we make our way with studied nonchalance until we reach our goal.

“How do we get through?” I query.

Haxrix studies the door and then slams her foot against it. The thing swings open, and while I cringe, expecting loud alarms and pulsars in our faces, nothing happens.

The Cirmos grins at me. “The dome doesn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to break into the gladiator or beast quarters.”

“Go.” Gytha pushes us both inside. “I’m going to get the other team in. Make your way to the main admin center and we’ll track you,” she says.

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