fighter.”
“Maybe for another week. She’s gonna overtake me soon.”
“Why won’t she just bloody wear it?”
“Doesn’t matter, does it? She’s gone now,” he says. And I nearly am. I even reach the outside gate.
“Wait!” a voice hollers behind me.
I turn, arms crossed against the chill of the Sixth. A strong wind picks up my braid and whips it around. I’m lucky we’re only on the edge of this sector or I wouldn’t have been able to leave at night. I would have survived the pits only to die of the cold.
“What?” I make my voice angrier than I am. I already know I’ve won. I don’t brag about it. It’s probably hard enough for her to chase after me. She won’t take attitude from me on top of our argument.
“You don’t have to wear the bloody clothes. But you’re making a mistake. You get the crowd on your side and you can win any fight. People cheer for Slay, because they hate him. They cheer for Shard because he’s honorable. And they love Sin because they lust after him. You should use your sex appeal.”
“You’ll never try to make me wear it again?” I ignore her continued attempts to convince me.
I can see her jaw clenching and her reply is grating. “No. But don’t think it means you can just do what you like. Nothing else is up for negotiation. You pull any more shit and I swear I’ll leave you at the closest whorehouse.”
“I love you too, Alzona,” I say and push past her.
Chapter Five
I wait to find out who I’ll be facing today.
The roaring of the crowd is familiar now. I push their noise to the back of my mind and look absently around. My eyes fall on Sin, he’s talking to the man beside him. He catches me watching and winks, flexing a muscle.
I roll my eyes. I certainly don’t flatter myself by thinking I’m the only one receiving his attentions, but secretly, I find his antics hilarious. While we’ve been in Tricks’ barracks there have been no less than five females leaving his room. This wasn’t unusual in itself. The men at our own barracks had regular female company. But we’ve only been in Sector Six for three days. I wonder if he’s been through all the women on Glacium.
I don’t find the tension in the Cells threatening anymore, though I’ll never be comfortable with Hale and his men. My eyes search for the long black fur coat he always wears. The vile man faces me, talking to a man who seems familiar in some way. I can’t put my finger on it. I study the person’s greasy black hair. My heart jumps into my mouth as the man turns and recognition slams into me.
Blaine.
I’m half standing when I remember he can’t possibly recognize me. He’s only seen me with a veil on. I forgot he was exiled to the Sixth Sector for a year. What’s he doing here? I frown. Should a member of the assembly be on speaking terms with someone like Hale? Jovan can’t be aware of the relationship, though I don’t really know what Blaine’s role is in the castle. I never found out. The two men seem like they’re friends. They’re grinning. At ease with each other.
I’ve been staring for too long. Slay has noticed and his face is twisted into a snarl. I force my tense shoulders to relax and turn the other way to find Alzona coming back from the other side with Crystal. She looks up and freezes. I’ve never seen someone go white so quickly. She scurries back, dragging Crystal with her.
Confused, I whip my head around to see what terrified her. Everything seems normal to me. Then my eyes alight on Blaine. She knows him. Alzona’s afraid of him! I move around the curved wall of the pit towards where she whispers frantically to Crystal. As I approach, her gaze flicks to me and over my shoulder. Her face blanches all over again. She throws herself behind Tricks’ bench.
A sneering voice sounds behind me. “Where is this woman Alzona, then?” I turn and Blaine stops in front of me, glancing down his oily nose. Hale is no longer with him. I scan the
“Maybe for another week. She’s gonna overtake me soon.”
“Why won’t she just bloody wear it?”
“Doesn’t matter, does it? She’s gone now,” he says. And I nearly am. I even reach the outside gate.
“Wait!” a voice hollers behind me.
I turn, arms crossed against the chill of the Sixth. A strong wind picks up my braid and whips it around. I’m lucky we’re only on the edge of this sector or I wouldn’t have been able to leave at night. I would have survived the pits only to die of the cold.
“What?” I make my voice angrier than I am. I already know I’ve won. I don’t brag about it. It’s probably hard enough for her to chase after me. She won’t take attitude from me on top of our argument.
“You don’t have to wear the bloody clothes. But you’re making a mistake. You get the crowd on your side and you can win any fight. People cheer for Slay, because they hate him. They cheer for Shard because he’s honorable. And they love Sin because they lust after him. You should use your sex appeal.”
“You’ll never try to make me wear it again?” I ignore her continued attempts to convince me.
I can see her jaw clenching and her reply is grating. “No. But don’t think it means you can just do what you like. Nothing else is up for negotiation. You pull any more shit and I swear I’ll leave you at the closest whorehouse.”
“I love you too, Alzona,” I say and push past her.
Chapter Five
I wait to find out who I’ll be facing today.
The roaring of the crowd is familiar now. I push their noise to the back of my mind and look absently around. My eyes fall on Sin, he’s talking to the man beside him. He catches me watching and winks, flexing a muscle.
I roll my eyes. I certainly don’t flatter myself by thinking I’m the only one receiving his attentions, but secretly, I find his antics hilarious. While we’ve been in Tricks’ barracks there have been no less than five females leaving his room. This wasn’t unusual in itself. The men at our own barracks had regular female company. But we’ve only been in Sector Six for three days. I wonder if he’s been through all the women on Glacium.
I don’t find the tension in the Cells threatening anymore, though I’ll never be comfortable with Hale and his men. My eyes search for the long black fur coat he always wears. The vile man faces me, talking to a man who seems familiar in some way. I can’t put my finger on it. I study the person’s greasy black hair. My heart jumps into my mouth as the man turns and recognition slams into me.
Blaine.
I’m half standing when I remember he can’t possibly recognize me. He’s only seen me with a veil on. I forgot he was exiled to the Sixth Sector for a year. What’s he doing here? I frown. Should a member of the assembly be on speaking terms with someone like Hale? Jovan can’t be aware of the relationship, though I don’t really know what Blaine’s role is in the castle. I never found out. The two men seem like they’re friends. They’re grinning. At ease with each other.
I’ve been staring for too long. Slay has noticed and his face is twisted into a snarl. I force my tense shoulders to relax and turn the other way to find Alzona coming back from the other side with Crystal. She looks up and freezes. I’ve never seen someone go white so quickly. She scurries back, dragging Crystal with her.
Confused, I whip my head around to see what terrified her. Everything seems normal to me. Then my eyes alight on Blaine. She knows him. Alzona’s afraid of him! I move around the curved wall of the pit towards where she whispers frantically to Crystal. As I approach, her gaze flicks to me and over my shoulder. Her face blanches all over again. She throws herself behind Tricks’ bench.
A sneering voice sounds behind me. “Where is this woman Alzona, then?” I turn and Blaine stops in front of me, glancing down his oily nose. Hale is no longer with him. I scan the
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