inevitable, the gladiators grew angry. I don’t think they were angry at me to begin with. They were angry at my father for failing them because of me. My father was dead, and I was in the pits. I was female, which for some, called to baser instincts. Seventy-Two was angry, but he really didn’t start to hate me until I started killing them. Until I started rising to the level of Champion.
“I gave them reasons to hate me after that. Shadra played her game well. She knew I never wanted to die, and she knew the other gladiators would never forgive me for living. Things got twisted over the centuries, and one day, I knew there were some who wanted my body, and all of them wanted my head. Seventy-Two knew power came in two ways in the pits. Either winning every battle on the sands or…having the loyalty of the most Andinna. He was smart. He picked the latter. For his own protection as a leader, he needed an enemy. I was the only one he could pick without pissing off others who might become his enemy.”
“He tried to have you killed,” Bryn growled.
“A few times,” she agreed, not even trying to remember all the times. “And I killed thousands of them.”
“He tried to have Mat and Rain killed,” Bryn hissed. “Mave—”
“He had them jumped, so they would back off from me. He wanted them to be his,” she countered. “When that didn’t work, he knew he couldn’t let me form a group around myself, even when I wasn’t trying to, so yes, he tried to have them killed.”
“And Rain?”
That one made Mave stop. “I don’t think he told those warriors to try to…rape Rain,” she admitted. “If he did, I would have already killed him, regardless of what Alchan wanted.”
“You think those gladiators wanted Rain because they saw an easy opportunity.”
“Yes, and they’re all dead now.” Mave crossed her arms, staring at her husband. “You were a gladiator once, Bryn. Did anyone ever plot for people to be raped?”
“No…” he said, sighing. “It was a crime of opportunity. Anger and lust begin to blend and suddenly, there’s a moment to strike.”
“Exactly. So, I tolerate him even though I hate him. He can lead, and in the end, everyone was just trying to survive down there.” Mave started walking again, trying to beat down the memories. “And you can’t assassinate him in his sleep because the rebellion needs more Andinna like him.”
“There are others.”
“He is also Alchan’s cousin and still holds a lot of respect from the former gladiators, who are still sitting on the outside of our society. Because of me. Because I don’t trust them. If Kenav is killed by another Andinna, Alchan will have to respond. If he tries to execute you, I’ll have to stop him. Then we’re done. Everything we’re fighting for is lost.” She reached out and touched his cheek. “I know you love me enough to do it, anyway. I also know you love me enough to know not to do it. You’re just feeling a little bloodthirsty because he upset me.”
Bryn’s smile was bright, and his summer sky eyes twinkled deviously as he moved to walk backward in front of her. “How much do you love me?”
“More than enough to be down for whatever you have planned,” she murmured, leaning into him. Their lips met, and it was home. Bryn moaned as she ran her hands up his chest. They stopped walking as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She ran her hands back down and used one of them to tease at the knot holding his pants up, then further down to the erection he was already sporting.
A thump made their roaming hands stop, but they didn’t step away from each other.
Mave turned and saw Emerian where he landed, looking bashful.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…I’ll go.”
“Wait,” she ordered, smiling at Bryn before turning to the mutt.
Bryn coughed, trying to stay behind her and keeping one arm wrapped around her midsection. Emerian froze, his blood red ruby eyes wide. She watched as he swallowed, so very nervous to be in front of her after interrupting a moment between her and Bryn.
“What do you need?” she asked, feeling indulgent. Emerian was a good male. He just didn’t know what that meant yet. She never wanted to turn him away because he had so much to learn.
“Yesterday, Luykas and Nevyn sent me into some sparring, and they’re willing to let me