Page 67 of Baited

“Oh, that’s why I’m in trouble, yet again,” he says, keeping his eyes fixed on the entrance. “I’m with you. You’re trouble.”

I shrug. Not the first time I’ve heard the word.

“Stand down,” the voice says. “And you’ll live to fight another day.”

“You don’t have enough paraxio to control us,” Rych retorts, grinning swiftly at me.

“I don’t need paraxio. I only need to remind you of what you’ll lose if you don’t comply.” A creature steps from the dark into the light.

A creature of my nightmares. A creature so familiar I drop to my knees and clutch at my head.

The dark and the light have returned for their revenge. They take everything from me. They took everything from me and now they will have Izzy too.

I hear Rych calling my name, but I cannot respond. There is nothing I can do except howl for the violence and death which will end it all.

IZZY

“Riklinn!” The madame bursts into her room without so much as a knock.

Her eyes widen as she sees me on the bed, but I can’t be bothered to move or even acknowledge her.

“You,” she says.

“I’m leaving. I was here to visit Riklinn which isn’t against the rules,” I say quietly, getting to my feet.

Madame doesn’t move out of the way, and I sigh internally. I don’t have it in me for a fight, with her or with anyone else.

“I wanted to speak with you, which is why I came to see Riklinn,” the madame says, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. “I heard about what happened to your gladiator, and I’m sorry.”

I stare at her until I remember how close she was with the captain. I drop my gaze.

“It is what it is,” I mumble.

“I’m also sorry because I’ve found out Yelii stole your credits.”

“Yelii?” I gasp. “Why? How?”

“She hacked our systems before she left.” The madame sits down heavily on Riklinn’s bed, making it creak alarmingly. “I’vealways prided myself on running a tight but fair house, only she didn’t see it that way.”

“What else did she take?” Riklinn says, her voice wavering.

The madame takes my hand between hers. They’re hot and heavy but surprisingly reassuring. “I’m so sorry, little one. The only credits she stole were yours.”

My breath hitches, my heart burning like a hot coal, searing its way through all my organs, all my bones.

“It figures. She hated me,” I say. “I shouldn’t have expected any less from her. And given how utterly crap my luck is, of course she only stole from me.”

“I’ve reported her to the authorities,” the madame gives my hand a bone crushing squeeze. “And you can stay here for as long as you need to.”

“I can’t stay.” I sigh. “I have to go to Sartak. I have to find Blayn. The procurator told him I couldn’t go because I was ‘fragile,’ and I need to show him I am not. But now I have no credits, I’m not going anywhere.”

“The procurator said what?” the madame growls.

She actually growls, almost as well as a gladiator in the dome.

“I was too fragile to go to Sartak.”

“I grew up in Sartak,” Madame says through gritted teeth. “And it’s a space walk compared to Tatatunga.” She turns to me. “I’ve heard about this new procurator from…well, it doesn’t matter who from, but he’s bad news, worse than the last one, only he’s able to keep the resistance at bay by telling them what they want to hear.”

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