Anzil (Gladiators of Krix #2) - Miranda Martin Page 0,52

Widows curse a kin slayer above all.

“Bitral,” I say, keeping my sword up and ready for his next assault. “It was a mistake. I know that now, but at the time it was the best we could do.”

“They’re all dead,” he says, spitting blood. “Because of you.”

“It was war,” I say. “People die. People make mistakes.”

“We should have hidden,” he says.

He closes in, feinting and testing my defenses. His swings are too slow and his breath is too heavy. He’s out of energy.

“It wouldn’t have worked,” I say.

“You don’t know that!” He accents his rage with hard blows that I block easily.

When the last one hits on my left, I block and then punch him in his side. His breath rushes out and he stumbles back.

“Yes,” I say. “I do.”

I cut his chest, shallow but enough for blood. He dances awkwardly away, almost tripping over his own feet. I feint for his legs, he drops his sword to block, and I cut his forehead. A sure bleeder.

The crowd roars in pleasure. He stumbles forward then back, blinded by his own blood. I step around his sword and punch him in the face with my free hand then follow it up with my sword hand.

He arcs up and over, slamming to the sands. I put my foot on his chest and my blade to his throat, turning to the Governor as the crowd goes wild.

The Governor gives the thumbs up. I brandish my sword to the crowd then offer a hand to Bitral. He slaps it away.

“I don’t need the help of a traitor,” he snarls.

“I’m not,” I say as he climbs to his feet.

“You are and always will be,” he says as he walks away. “This isn’t over.”

I watch him walk into his tunnel and disappear from sight before I turn to my own. Holding my guts inside, I walk to the medicus and my love.

Chapter 19

Kiara

“Scarlet,” I say as I grab her face and run my hands down her arms as if she might not be real.

She gives a wan smile. “Hey.”

The wagon rocks hard to one side, and we’re thrown up against the wall. My cuts and bruises protest the rough ride. Xyron grabs Scarlet and pulls her back onto the bench on his side while Anzil helps me onto the other.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Scarlet shrugs, but her cheeks flush bright red and tears glisten in her eyes.

“I’m really hungry,” she says.

“We’ll get you fed once we’re back at the ludus,” I say.

She nods, keeping her eyes downcast. It’s obvious she was abused there, and I don’t blame her for not wanting to talk about it. So I’ll let all my questions go. Focus on the now. One target down, and we know where Nevaeh is now for sure.

That makes her target two while I find the other two. At least she’s not being abused. Well, any more than any of us are at least. She looked good and seemed healthy. Her spirit was good too, which is more than I can say for Scarlet.

As we ride along, my mind spins with a million questions. Xyron had lifted me up so I could see Anzil’s fight. His opponent was a person of the same race that he was, but the hatred he had for Anzil made it clear that it was personal.

When I get him alone, he’s going to spill the beans. That’s for damn sure. Unable to ask the questions I want to or talk openly to Scarlet about setting us free, we ride in silence. When at last we reach the ludus, we take Scarlet to the house medicus who gives her food then something to help her sleep.

The other girls take her to their quarters where they’ll make sure she’s cared for all night. I go with Anzil to his room.

He doesn’t say anything before going into the bathroom and running a hot bath. We undress together and I climb in, but before he joins me he goes back to the other room.

“What was that?” I ask, fixing Anzil with a glare when he comes back in.

I’ve kept my mouth shut, waiting to be alone before I questioned him, but now that we are, I want answers.

“That was my cousin, Bitral,” he says, dropping his pants and sighing as he eases himself down into the tub opposite me.

“Are you supposed to get your stitches wet?” I ask.

“They’ll be fine,” he says. He closes his eyes and leans his head back. I give him a