Weapons Master Galactic Gladia - Anna Hackett Page 0,4
and screaming—a day ago. She’d been kept in a cell with the other slaves, and now they were being presented to the head honcho, Zulnath.
Her belly turned over. He sounded bad. He had to have several screws loose to not fear the House of Rone.
She squeezed her eyes closed. She had to stay strong and help herself. She was used to that.
They were led into a stone building. It was cooler inside, and it had a large, domed roof in the entry.
The guards led them down a long hall, and she saw other slaves cleaning or carrying goods. They all briefly glanced their way—pity on their faces—before they looked away.
Her little group was led into a huge room covered in rich, red-and-gold wall hangings.
There were several people sitting around, drinking and talking at long tables. Harsh laughter echoed off the walls. Zulnath’s gang looked like standard-issue brutish thugs. She noted the Edull who’d brought her here were also sitting at a table in the back, enjoying themselves.
The rest of the people were hard, scarred men and women all clad in light-colored desert clothes. Among them were some women dressed similar to Bellamy, meaning, in not very much. They draped themselves around the room like a kind of living décor.
Zulnath was at the head of the room, seated on a low bench.
A woman clad in a dress of glittering chains massaged his shoulders, her outfit making a clinking sound as she moved.
Zulnath had a muscular body and bright-blue skin, with patches of iridescent green on it. His broad chest was bare, and he wore leather trousers. His long, black hair was pulled back in a ponytail secured by gold rings, he had bright green eyes, and a flat nose that gave him a squished appearance.
He reached out and took a drink off the table in front of him. He took a long swallow, his gaze taking in her trio.
“Scrawny bunch. Barely a decent snack for my pets.”
The male captive beside Bellamy whimpered.
Bellamy rolled her eyes.
Zulnath’s neon-green gaze zeroed in on her. “You’re the one who’s been causing the Edull problems.”
She snorted. “They cause their own problems.”
The desert crime boss rose. “You’re a feisty little thing.”
He circled her. The woman beside her cowered, but despite Bellamy’s pounding heart, she made herself stand still and not show her fear.
“I could find other uses for you,” he drawled.
“Yeah, and I could scratch your eyes out.”
Zulnath laughed. When he stepped back in front of her, his gaze was a little bright, and not quite right.
“Vossol warned me that the House of Rone is searching for you, and not to keep you around.”
“So, you’re afraid of the Edull and the House of Rone?”
The man stiffened. “I’m not afraid of anyone. This is my domain.” His voice lowered. “I’m especially not afraid of men who are more metal than flesh.”
She thought of her tawny-haired beast. She hadn’t seen any obvious implants, but she was certain he was a cyborg.
And very much all man.
Stay focused, Bellamy.
“None of this matters,” Zulnath declared, lifting a hand. “Because soon you’ll be dead.”
There was a grinding of gears, and suddenly the floor started opening. Bellamy stumbled back.
The floor retracted to reveal a pit below, with a sand-covered floor. The thugs at the tables shouted and stomped their feet.
Her mouth went dry.
At first, she didn’t see anything. Then the creatures crept out of the shadows, and her heart thumped painfully.
The scaled creatures weren’t big. They were lizard-like and quick, with spikes on their short, stumpy tails. How bad could they be?
There was a sudden movement, and the male captive beside her was shoved by the guard.
The man screamed as he fell.
“No!” Bellamy yelled.
The man hit the sand below, and the caquls pounced.
As the man screamed and bones crunched, Bellamy looked away. They were like a pack of piranha, ripping and tearing at the man.
She didn’t look, but she made herself listen to the screams until they died away.
The caquls made low growling sounds.
She lifted her head and glared at Zulnath. He was grinning. Laughter echoed through the room from his people. A man had died, and these people thought it was funny. The woman beside her was crying now.
“Any quips now, troublemaker?” Zulnath asked.
“Yep. Fuck you.”
The man waved the guards closer.
Bellamy dragged in a breath as the guards advanced. She had nothing to lose. The guard coming at her was holding a long, metal staff.
He advanced. He had dreadlocks falling around his scarred face. As he gave her an ugly smile, his scarred