Page 72 of Gladiator's Captive
“I’m not going to die in this hole.” Arenius jerked me closer, using my body as a shield. “You better grant me safe passage out of this city if you don’t want to watch me slit your mate’s throat.”
Rager moved, his body fluid and his eyes shining bright. The markings on his feline features turned a dark almost black as he approached.
“You have lost. Let Serena go.”
“I have lost nothing yet.” Arenius’ answer was curt and the steel pressed harder against my throat. Pain erupted and a trickle of blood ran down my neck, soiling my dress. “Now, get me to my transport and let me go.”
Rager moved, but as Arenius jerked me around, he stopped. I knew Rager could not let Arenius go. I also knew Arenius would kill me before allowing Rager to capture him.
This was a stalemate, and I was just a pawn caught in the middle.
From somewhere behind Rager, a figure moved. I watched as Sayk came to stand beside my mate, alone. He still held his side, blood pouring from his wound, but his expression was hard, betraying no sign of weakness.
“You’re not getting out of Tartarus alive, Arenius Celcum Horacius.” Sayk spoke loud and clear, enunciating my father’s name with a slow precision. In a flash, I understood what he had done.
Oh, no. I’m going to die.
“There is not a soul in this city that has not suffered because of you. Not a soul who hasn’t lost a loved one to your arena. You have gotten rich on the lives of those we loved. Brothers, fathers, husbands, and lovers. We are a city made of those who fled from the tyranny of the Galactic Empire.”
Whispers ran in the crowd still gathered. People began moving closer, anger on their faces. With all the bloodshed and fear of a few moments ago, Arenius had just became the perfect target.
“My brother died in your arena,” a young woman shouted, pointing at Arenius.
“My father was ripped apart by your wild beasts.” A young man dressed in tattered clothes bent, picking up a weapon discarded by one of Wylder’s soldiers.
More people shouted, hurtling names at my father, the names of those who had died to make Arenius the rich man he was today. Arenius twisted around, shouting at the people to stand back, jerking me around like a ragdoll. I could feel the tension running along his fat, short body.
He knew this was a death sentence. The choice had been ripped from Rager’s hands.
“Stand back, all of you!” Arenius shouted and in his instinctive need to scare the crowd away, he pulled the knife away from my throat and held it in threat, pointed at the young man who had accused him earlier. But the crowd still gathered closer, unperturbed by his threat.
A glint in Rager’s gaze was all it took to shake me into action. I brought my head back on his nose, hard. The surprise and pain was enough that Arenius’ hold on me loosed, just by a fraction.
A fraction was all I needed. I fell to my knees and scrambled away on all fours.
“No!” Arenius shouted as I got away. “Serena, come back.”
Rager’s arms were on me the next instant, gathering me against him, pulling me away. I twisted in his arms in time to see the crowd forming a circle around Arenius. He brandished his knife wildly around, slashing the air in his attempt to keep them at bay, but it was no use.
He shouted my name, once.
Then they moved, all at once, like the arms of a monstrous, vengeful octopus. Dozens of sticks and knives, short and long swords, all the makeshift weapons of a crowd hit Arenius at the same time. He fell to the ground.
Rager forced my head away from the massacre, but the sounds still reached my ears. I concentrated on the whisper of my heartbeat as my father’s screams turned to gurgles and moans.
Then silence.
My father is dead.
“It is over, my precious Serena,” Rager whispered against my cheek. “We can have peace.”
I shook against Rager’s chest then my shoulders heaved. Sobs ripped from me and I let them. I cried. I cried for my father, for a man who had been a dark cloud over my life. I cried for the lives lost today because of the greed of a selfish, ruthless man. I also cried tears of relief.
I was finally free.
