Page 45 of Shadow's Chosen

"I'm good," Nezka said, pretending to observe the room.

"You got it." Jona bowed again. "If you need anythin', ask a guard out in the hall. You can leave to wander any time, come downstairs and have a little fun. If not, I'll return for your fight. Be seein yeh'." As he left and the door slid closed, Nezka stood staring at it for a long moment until he felt Elise tug gently at her binds. He glanced back at her, noticing her look of concern.

"There might be another way," she said, uncertainly. "Maybe you don't have to do this."

"I do," Nezka said.

Elise shook her head. "You saw what happened to the loser of that fight. It was a slaughter. I know you did some serious damage in that thornback pit, but this is...this seems different. You could get really messed up here or..."

Nezka couldn't help smiling despite the seriousness of the conversation. "I'm glad to see you feel worried for me."

"I am," she blurted, and her skin turned slightly pink.

Nezka's smile dropped. He started to lift his hand as if to touch her, to comfort, then decided against it. "I'll be fine. It's not unlike the kind of fighting I've done before."

"Back when you trained?"

Nezka tapped his ear.

Elise nodded, her eyes dropping from him. "It's not just what will happen to me if you lose that I'm worried about..." She looked back at him as if she wanted to say something more about it but decided against it. "I know you will win."

Nezka stared down at her. He wasn't concerned about him losing either. What truly worried him was what Elise might see. What she might think of him after. Would she distance herself from him? Would she hate him or be afraid of him more than when she first met him? It bothered him to think it just as much as it bothered him that he cared.

Elise went to reach for his hand, and he let her take it if only for a moment. He felt the dark waters of his psyche stir, and he gently pulled away, making for the other room. "Don't worry about me. Take advantage of what we are given but stick to the plan, no matter what happens, no matter how I must act. Remember, I'm not your friend here, Starling."

He thought he saw sudden hurt in her eyes, but it passed quickly. "Of course," she said.

He looked at her one last time, almost tempted to move back over and pull her to him, then he turned and entered the other bedroom, closing the door between them.

Fifteen

If there was one thing she could at least appreciate given the situation she was in, it was the chance to have a hot shower. And by god, did she need it. Even the wash she'd given herself a day ago hadn't been enough to completely dissolve the smell of sweat and grime. She took her time in the water, bitter that such a luxury given the circumstance had to come from such a foul being.

She knew Krow was crooked, and she didn't trust him one bit. She couldn't put aside her worry for the deal he and Nezka had made. Unlike the thornbacks, that unsavory pack of thugs that had been as close to barbaric as one could get in the city, Krow and his kin worked on a deeper, more secure level. They were smarter, more cunning. A criminal organization disguised as a business for entertainment and indulgence. She'd seen it many times before. Sad to think nothing changed in the outer worlds. A city always held its demons.

But despite what she thought of Krow and the others, she wanted to be optimistic about her and Nezka's escape. She didn't think Krow would pull something like the leader of the thornbacks—that he would be true to his word and let them pass without a chase. But she couldn't pretend to think it would be that easy. He was just as deceitful as the rest of them. He'd get his entertainment, his fights. And he'd milk every last drop of his and Nezka's deal, maybe until Nezka broke.

After scrubbing herself raw until she was without a speck of dirt, Elise shut off the water and stepped out of the black box that was her temporary shower. She went over to the black mirrored wall and dried herself off, staring at the shadowy reflection of herself with a tight frown.

Krow never said how many fights.

She shouldn't be worried for Nezka. He'd shown her more than enough times that he was undoubtedly capable of holding his own. But still, she couldn't brush away her anxiety. All it took was one bad fight. And what then? And even if he did win them all, she'd seen how brutal, how violent they'd been. Could she stand to watch him lose his humanity? Because even she knew fighting could go too far. And despite what she might have thought of him before, she'd learned now that he wasn't a complete monster.

And Krow just might tempt him in every way he could to make Nezka forget why he was here. If the fights didn't do it, something else might. Some other temptation. She didn't touch the drugs laid out on the bar of her room, but she saw Nezka eyeing them. She thought of Jona's offer of sending someone to the room for his pleasure, and her stomach twisted, making her feel nauseous. She didn't know why it bothered her, but it did. He could do what he liked, but if he found himself too wanting of what Krow had to offer, he might just be enticed to stay longer than necessary and give in to such indulgence. Maybe it was a stupid paranoid way of thinking, but she couldn't seem to clear away such thoughts. He'd said himself he'd need to play the role, and Elise had no doubt he would. But she wondered if she could stand to play her part before she felt she might snap.

Elise turned to her suit laying out on the chair. It was filthy still, and there was no way she was going to put it back on after washing herself, so she started the water in the large basin meant to be a tub and threw it inside. As she watched the tub fill, she felt herself tense. She didn't like it here one bit and suddenly wished they'd tried a different route. She didn't want to go downstairs and act the part of a quiet, submissive captive. She didn't want to see Nezka tearing someone a part in that ring just because some psycho found it entertaining, and she didn't want to see the eyes of those men glaring at her hungrily nor the women eyeing Nezka, wondering if he'd take them to his room and screw their brains out after he'd split someone's head open. Already, she missed the broken down museum and their time in it together. She missed the stillness and the sounds of just their voices. But it was too late to go back, the bridge had been crossed. They had to keep going.

She just hoped it was worth it.

***

Nezka came back to her side of the room as night fell, ready to return down to the fighting lounge and give Krow a good show. She let him bind her again with the metal coil and pull her out to the hallway where two guards were stationed. They led them down to the club which was now packed, filled with all manner of people dancing to loud thumping music. They passed through the crowd, Elise having to shrug off a few hands, and stepped into the red lounge where a fight was just finishing up in the hexagonal ring. The winner ripped into the loser's throat with his teeth and tore a hole. The body fell, and the crowd watching cheered. Krow stood from his black leathered throne and, seeing Nezka, smiled, gesturing for him to approach.

"You see, now, that's a fight I can appreciate," Krow said as they came to stand before him. "But I anticipate you'll surprise me." He offered Nezka some 'liquid courage' which he declined then pointed to Elise. "You didn't have to bring her down. Could have kept her tucked safely in your suite."

"Where I go, she goes," Nezka replied.

Krow smirked and ordered one of his men to bring over a chair. "Then she can have the best view from here."

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