Chapter 4
All week it had been the same routine for Scarlen, although Elbar had joined them in the silent system for the last two days, as she’d been caught tampering with her Rings during block time, so Miss Binnow said. Not that Elbar denied the accusation.
There were no lessons on Saturday, but there was mat time after an hour of passing cannonballs, and it was only curiosity keeping Scarlen awake as she changed into shorts and a t-shirt in her cell, as she could have done with a nap.
‘I fucking hate mats,’ said Dionne, stepping out of her cell. ‘Last time, my shoulder got dislocated.’
Scarlen met her on the landing, eyes wide with concern.
‘Got me out of jobs for the rest of the day.’ Dionne grinned. ‘Upside and that.’
‘Surely you’d be out of action for longer than a day.’
Dionne made her way downstairs. ‘Nope. If you get a bad injury, a healer fixes you, then you get one day rest for the weakness to wear off, as it only takes that long, then you’re pretty much back to normal, which means, so is your routine.’
‘Not sure I care too much for the sound of mat time.’
‘Some like it.’
Scarlen couldn’t see why anyone would like fighting, she hated sparring with Zana, but Zana had always told her it could come in handy one day.
Had the general’s daughter been told about Horstal Island?
Perhaps Zana knew what happened to Milon so decided to be prepared.
And there was Scarlen thinking it might only be of use the times she had run away, but so far, she hadn’t had to use the lessons.
‘Don’t worry, Scarlen. It’s your first time on the mats, and it’s only Binnow who’d throw you in the deep end, and she’s not normally around. I don’t know why. Probably doesn’t like controlled violence, what with her being a sadistic bitch.’ Dionne scoffed.
‘She’s definitely one of the screws who should be in Red.’
Dionne snorted a laugh. ‘With any luck, we’ll have Miss Harnish on our mat. She’s the softest one around here. Not exactly the best fit for a prison, but works for us. I wish they were all like her.’
‘Have you seen the way Kane looks at himself more than the inmates? If anyone ever escapes here, I wager it’ll be on his watch.’
They shared a laugh as they followed some others through the doorway to the main corridor, the last of their block to leave.
The gymnasium was a large basic room with barred windows up high and black sparring mats covering most of the floor, where small groups surrounded each mat, and a one-on-one fight was taking place on most by the time Scarlen entered, the smell of musty sweat hitting her at once.
‘Is this supposed to be classed as exercise?’ she asked Dionne.
Dionne shook her head as they made their way to their section.
‘Designed to let out frustrations. Word is, way back when, the government wanted to know why there were so many deaths each week here due to fights, so the warden made some changes to lower stress levels around here. Now he gets to say when someone dies.’
Scarlen raised her brow. ‘When someone dies?’
‘Oh, people still die in here. He just prefers it to be on his terms. The government expects fights to break out and deaths to occur, just not every week. Warden Cardell has a setup that suits everyone and is praised highly by the officials.’ Dionne wrinkled her nose. ‘Doesn’t suit us though.’
The sparring seemed to be under control, from what Scarlen could see so far. Grappling and strikes, no weapons, yielding when needed. ‘I guess if it helps stop people fighting in the yard.’
They came to a stop at the edge of an empty mat, members of their block already there waiting to see who would spar first.
‘This isn’t the problem,’ said Dionne, leaning closer and lowering her voice. ‘It’s the War Zone you have to worry about.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Every six months, ten inmates are taken out back to the island’s forest, and they stay there until one dies.’
Scarlen’s heart skipped a beat and heat tingled her spine. ‘What’s in the forest that kills you?’
‘One of the inmates,’ Dionne whispered. ‘Ten go in, nine come out. As soon as someone is killed, the horn blows, and no one is allowed to attack anyone after that, else you go straight to Red.’
‘Why would the warden allow such a thing?’
Dionne scoffed quietly. ‘He invented the Zone. Gets his witch to use her powers so some of his rich friends can see the forest, make wagers.’
It was hard to believe such cruelty was taking place in the kingdom, and she had to wonder if her father knew, and if Milon had ever been sent to the Zone.
‘Hey, Dee, who chooses the inmates for the forest?’
‘Binnow comes into the canteen with a sack and pulls out names.’ Dionne shrugged as Miss Goolan approached, organising two of the women to step onto the mat. ‘Luck of the draw. But fledglings are exempt.’
The thought alone had goosebumps prickle Scarlen’s arms. ‘How long are we fledglings?’
‘Three months.’
‘Smithson,’ snapped Miss Goolan. ‘Get ready, you’re up next with Kylar.’
Dionne subtly nudged Scarlen. ‘Shit, I bet Ky paid her for that.’
Scarlen wasn’t sure what made her eyebrows stretch the most: that guards could be paid for favours, or she had to spar with someone who clearly hated her guts. She turned to Dionne. ‘Why does Kylar hate me?’
‘She’s with Judd, and he wanted to claim you.’
Kylar was on the other side of the mat, warming up her joints by stretching. A twisted snarl was upon her face.
‘But I’m no threat to her.’ Scarlen stole a glance at Amber as Judd whipped off his top to fight another male of his build. ‘I’m with Bear.’ Just the words alone stung her tongue, but it had to be said.
‘That’s the second reason.’ Dionne grinned. ‘She wishes she could get with Bear. Most do.’
‘But she hates northerners.’
‘Yeah, but Bear’s her weakness.’ Dionne chuckled. ‘Just like southerners are Judd’s.’
Great! Thanks to Judd and Bear and their stupid claim, I’m going to get my head kicked in. Scarlen glared at her opponent while a pale woman held in a chokehold tapped out.
‘Weak, Frieda,’ said Miss Goolan, shaking her head at Frieda clutching her throat, gasping for air. ‘Next.’
In a moment of desperation, Scarlen grabbed Dionne by the arm. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.’
‘You’ve got to pin her down. Make her yield. No strikes to the back of the head or lady parts.’ Dionne gestured downwards. ‘Only two punches allowed per round, so mostly you’re wrestling.’
Kylar was already on the mat, her head tilted, her smirk firmly in place, and Scarlen inhaled silently to help calm herself, not that it did much good, but Zana always said calmness was needed to think clearly.
‘Places,’ called Miss Goolan.
Kylar crouched while Scarlen’s mind scrambled to go over everything Zana had taught her.
As soon as Goolan flagged her arm down, Kylar punched Scarlen straight in the left cheekbone, knocking the fear from her at once.
‘Ooh,’ Dionne hissed, wincing on Scarlen’s behalf.
Dignity hurt more as Scarlen steadied herself, grounding her feet and raising her fists, her adrenaline pumping at the smug satisfaction written all over Kylar’s face. But Kylar charged before there was time to assess the situation, bringing them both crashing to the mat.
‘This is for getting me dark cell time, fucking bitch.’ Kylar slammed her elbow into Scarlen’s solar plexus, stealing air and more pride.
Doubled over, Scarlen clutched at her chest, struggling to breathe, wanting to strike out but held back by the force of the blow she’d taken.
With one outstretched hand, she managed to straighten a touch, but Kylar grabbed her from behind and swept away her legs, placing her on her knees, her head angled in Kylar’s flexed arm.
‘Tap out,’ yelled Dionne.
And Scarlen thought she might, but Kylar wasn’t going to make it that easy. Yanking Scarlen to a stand, Kylar pushed her away, then smacked her in the mouth with all her might. Her two punches gone.
A hammering began in Scarlen’s bottom lip, and it felt it had swollen already.
A surge of anger had her roar forward, and for a split second she thought Kylar would dodge her charge so she’d fall flat on her bruised face.
But Kylar wasn’t quick enough, and within a moment, Scarlen was grappling with her on the thin mat, pinning her briefly before throwing her fist straight down onto Kylar’s nose.
An explosion of blood had Kylar scream out, her eyes wild, teeth bared.
Scarlen stumbled to a stand, Dionne shouting at her to pin the bitch, and the hesitation caused her damage, as Kylar landed on her, tugging an arm around her back and pushing her face into the blood-splattered mat, the metallic taste of it lingering in Scarlen’s mouth, or perhaps that was her own.
Kylar was attempting to break Scarlen’s arm, but Scarlen managed to free her other and tap out, much to Kylar’s obvious frustration.
Miss Goolan waved them away with her fingers, eyes only on her clipboard, then told two other women to step forward, no care for cleaning the blood from the mat first.
Dionne quickly had her hand on Scarlen, massaging her shoulder. ‘You okay?’
‘Yes. I think.’ The intent to humiliate or simply inflict pain had worked, because Scarlen felt both, while Kylar looked enraged with bloodlust.
‘You had some good moves there. You just need to be more attack than defence. Remember that next time.’ Dionne steered her over to the side wall. ‘Go get some water.’
Scarlen shuffled away on wobbly legs, trying to show no pain, as some eyes were on her, but then she noticed Bear step onto a mat.
His opponent was one of his friends, Oxley.
This she had to watch. Using an upturned bucket to stand on, she peered over heads, eager to spy on the two muscular men ready to bout.
Oxley circled the mat, goading the viewers with a fist in the air and an easy-going smile, which gained him some cheers, then laughter when he winked at Bear, who rolled his eyes in return.