(Zorya)
My throat still hurt from Caliath’s abuse, and it reflected in my singing.
My voice came out differently, and Xalik instantly picked up on that.
“Is your throat hurting?” He asked concernedly.
Hiding any emotional pain that might reflect on my face, I lied.
“It’s just sore.
Maybe the weather.”
He gripped my chin, just short of pain.
His tender but apprehensive eyes were boring into mine.
“Open your mouth,” he commanded, but unlike Caliath, it wasn’t condescending.
Slowly I obeyed, and he carefully peered inside.
His jaw went stiff the more he stared, face hardening like granite.
Quietly he let my chin go and cupped my shoulders.
“You can tell me the truth without judgement.” The way his eyes held his truths and lacked lust made me sniffle.
The emotional barrage I was trying to barricade broke, and tears stumbled out of my eyes, making me tremble.
His warm arms went around me, pulling me into his assuring embrace.
I surrendered myself to him.
“You are safe with me.” That’s all he said while holding me.
His hands gently rubbed my back in a slow, reassuring way.
He let me cry and vent.
I smeared his hard chest with my tears.
The faint scent of damp forest emanating from his body soothed my senses.
A feeling I couldn’t describe.
A feeling I had never experienced before.
“Wait,” he quietly said, getting up.
Wiping away my tears, I observed him.
He grabbed something from his work table and returned.
There was a quiet elegance in his gait, which was effortlessly poised.
He carried a small applicator bottle in his hand.
Settling beside me, he asked.
“Give me your left hand.”
I extended it towards him, palm facing up.
He held my hand with his lithe fingers, his eyes fully focused.
I wondered what he was going to do.
He placed the tip of the applicator bottle in the crevice at the base of my palm—right above my wrist.
“This contains jagua gel and will last for about two weeks on your skin.” He pressed the bottle and a trickle of dark blue ink leaked out.
He began to immaculately draw.
Mesmerised, I watched what he was doing.
The thin lines of concentration decorated his forehead.
His muscles flexed, and I found it difficult to peel my eyes off him.
This will give you hope.”
My eyes dropped to what he was creating.
A tiny blue butterfly, the size of a ladybird, he had fitted in the crevice of my wrist.
My heart blossomed, seeing it.
The desolation washed away the more I stared at the tiny creature of hope he had painted on my skin.
My thankful gaze lifted to him.
“I appreciate this.” I knew he couldn’t always protect me.
This was his way of strengthening my heart even when he wouldn’t be able to reach me.
“Remember, a caterpillar completely breaks down in the chrysalis before it turns into a butterfly.” The pad of his rough thumb softly rubbed against the veins in my wrist.
“One day you are going to soar out of this place,” he said with finality, filling my heart with hope.
My eyes continued to stare at the tiny creature.
A silver lining in my horrible life.
“I will renew it when it fades.” He put away the applicator bottle.
The door opened, and I almost jumped in my place.
In walked the sentinel who had brought us here.
“Relax!” Xalik kindly said, seeing me get apprehensive again.
Why did he appear so nonchalant, unlike other sentinels?
“We need to return,” Kalish told Xalik with his lips bunching up.
Xalik sighed and pointed towards the device.
“Secure it.”
He did as he was told while Xalik helped me up from the mattress.
“Remember what I said.
Don’t despair.
I will come whenever I can.” He held my shoulders.
“There are cameras everywhere outside, so we will act like strangers.
This is the only safe place.” This place appeared like his haven.
I affirmed with my head, strengthening my heart, carrying his tattoo.
We left the room quietly.
Kalish and Xalik dropped me off at my room, and then they were gone.
***
The tournament began the next day.
Every resident of the Sunken Pit needed to watch the tournament.
Alphas and their special friends and families sat in the VIP enclosure.
Caliath and Canara were perched in the front seats like the king and queen of this place.
All the slaves and a bunch of sentinels occupied another enclosure.
The gamblers, pack members from different packs, made up the majority of the spectators and sat in four enclosures.
Thankfully, I was allowed to sit with the medical team.
Tatania, Ashlia and Rami sat beside me.
We had our own medical enclosure with all the needed medical equipment.
We were instructed to be ready to treat the winning warriors, so we sat very close to the gigantic iron cage in which warriors were to fight.
Rami excitedly rubbed his hands.
“I am looking forward to this.”
Ashlia sent him a glare making him sheepishly smile at her.
His eyes always softened when he stared at her.
My heart longed to see Shade, but I had to keep my emotions in check.
A single mistake and they would know we cared about each other.
The presenter wore a blue bell sleeve top with shorts that barely covered her hips.
She stood inside the cage with a mic, wearing a red collar.
I had never seen anyone wear red collars before.
Worker slaves wore brown collars.
Sex slaves wore silver and warriors wore black.
What did red collars represent?
“Welcome to the Tournament of the Brave Hearts.
I hope you are ready for some action.
Are you?” She tilted the mic towards the audience and they all shouted in unison.
“Yes!”
“More like for a bloodbath!” Ashlia muttered under her breath, making Rami bite his lower lip.
The drum rolled three times, and she introduced the warriors for the first battle.
She left the cage and the umpire took his place.
The battle commenced.
People placed their bets and cheered for their favourite warrior.
Bloody and brutal, the battle lasted for twenty minutes.
No weapons, only fists and kicks.
This was the test of their raw strength and endurance.
The last man standing won the first fight when he wrung the neck of the other.
The sickening crunching sound of his neck breaking and the other warrior’s scream of triumph jolted my heart.
“I don’t understand what you find appealing in this.” Ashlia nudged an engrossed Rami with her elbow.
“Punching techniques,” he answered, giving her puppy eyes.
This was brutally horrible on so many levels, and my heart ached thinking about Xalik.
The dead body was carried away while the winning warrior was brought to our enclosure for a checkup.
Tatania and Ashlia gave him first aid and water.
That craziness in his eyes terrified me.
Meanwhile, the announcement was made.
“Next match will be between Shade belonging to Vega Canara of Pack NightViper and Windspeed of Pack Silver Moon.”
My heart jumped into my mouth hearing this announcement, cement, and I clutched the side of my seat when Shade walked in.