29. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The earthy smell of herbs filled Katell’s nose when she opened her eyes. Sinope was kneeling beside her cot, her hands entwined around a small statuette of the Huntress, and her thin lips moving in a prayer. Nik was nowhere to be seen.
“You’re awake.” Sinope blew a shaky breath, relief washing over her face. “How are you feeling?”
Katell didn’t know how to answer the question. The blood-curdling screams of the prisoners still rang in her ears, chilling her to the bone. When she moved, her shoulder ached beneath the bandages.
“Take it easy.” The Amazon helped her sit up on the straw mattress, then took a seat beside her. “They left the bronze shackles on.”
The thin bands gleamed around her ankles, dampening her healing Gift.
Katell downed a cup of water. “How bad is it?”
“The healers were with you all day. You were very pale when they took you away. I wasn’t sure you would make it. You lost so much blood.”
Dark, crusty patches stained the bandages wrapped around her calf. “I feel fine, just a little sore.”
“Nikander was worried, too. He didn’t admit it, of course, but he refused to leave your side as the healers tended your wounds. He even brushed off his patroness when she called for him.”
Katell jerked her head back. Aurelius wouldn’t have liked that. Nik had taken a risk disrespecting the wife of a powerful Bruna noble.
“His patroness treats him well enough, so long as he gives her all his attention.” Sinope spoke in low tones, keeping an eye on the open doorway for any eavesdroppers. “She was displeased to find him by your side and even more so by his ill manner. She threatened to have him whipped.”
Katell’s stomach churned. “Whipped?”
It was how Aurelius punished Gifted warriors since they were too precious to be harmed any other way.
Sinope nodded, refilling her empty cup.
Katell clenched her fists at the thought of Nik being punished because of her. If even Nik, one of the strongest warriors she knew and one beloved by the crowd, could be whipped for showing concern, then perhaps he was right. Perhaps they were just animals made to fight each other with no hope of escape.
An endless cycle in the Pit, where death was the only winner.
“Will they whip him?” she asked.
“Not this time.” Sinope gave her a grim smile. “He wanted to stay, but the guards came to escort him to his next fight. His opponents looked quite fierce in the training yard, so I was praying to the Huntress for his safety when you woke up.”
Katell drank more water, trying not to think of the disappointment blooming inside her chest at Nik’s absence. Vague memories of him holding her against his warm body flashed through her mind, but she dismissed them and noted the wounds covering her body instead.
Her gaze paused on the bloodied bandage wrapped around her calf. “What happened to the prisoners?”
The two children had haunted her in her sleep. Gaunt faces filled with terror framed by long, tangled hair.
“I’m not sure,” Sinope answered. “They were taken away. Sold as slaves, no doubt.”
“Did I save them?” The words tumbled out of Katell’s mouth in a whisper. “Are they safe?”
Sinope clasped her face in her hands, her brow strained. “They are alive, Katell. You saved them from certain death. Take comfort from this small victory, for you will not be able to save them all.”
Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she shut them tight, sucking in deep breaths. No amount of words could relieve her of the hollow feeling inside her chest.
She’d failed to protect Alena. She’d failed to protect the Gifted Southern boy. Protecting the children didn’t feel like a victory, not when so many others had died, and Sinope understood it all too well.
Katell hadn’t saved the prisoners. She’d simply condemned them to a life of slavery instead.
“Come now,” the Amazon coaxed, pulling away. “Let’s get you a bath and some food. Everything feels better with a full stomach.”
Food was the last thought on her mind. She always had plenty to eat, courtesy of her patron, Fabius. But the sooner she ate and recovered, the sooner Aurelius would send her back into the arena. And as much as she enjoyed fighting, she didn’t think she would survive taking part in another one of his ‘shows’.
Sinope gripped her elbow and helped her to her feet with a wan smile. How the tall, kind-hearted Amazon had managed to survive the arena for so long, Katell could never understand.
An unrelenting heaviness had already taken root inside her, its suffocating presence a constant reminder of her failures. She wasn’t sure how long she could last. But at least she could count on Sinope and Nik for support.
At least she had them.
Golden light crisscrossed the dusty corridor as Katell and Sinope followed the guards back to their cell. At the very end, a handful of visitors stood outside Nik’s cell in a threatening circle.
Katell didn’t recognise any of the men. The tallest one with an Achaean chiton and a thick black beard rattled the iron bars separating him from Nik.
“What’s going on here?” one of the guards bellowed. “This corridor isn’t open to visitors.”
The group turned as one, then hurried away, except for the tall man who spat into Nik’s cell.
“Traitor,” he hissed before being led away by a guard.
Locked inside their shared cell again, Katell glanced at Nik through the small opening. He sat in the shadows with his back to the wall, arms resting on his knees, his jaw clenched tight. A gash in his biceps dripped with fresh blood.
Sinope’s eyebrows slanted in concern. Nik usually walked away from his fights with a swagger in his step, recounting each moment in detail. He bragged, he embellished, but he’d never once looked so sullen.
“We heard you won,” Sinope said. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
A dark chuckle echoed around the stone walls. “I killed them. They recognised me, taunted me, called me a traitor, and I killed them.”
A traitor?
Before they could ask what he meant, the guards returned, calling for him. He unfolded, revealing the blood-spattered leather armour still buckled around his broad chest. As he walked by, a harsh light flickered in his eyes.
Sinope frowned. “Achaean—”
“Don’t.” He halted, his broad shoulders slumped under an invisible weight that Katell had often observed among the refugees who joined the Freefolk camps. Something she recognised as guilt. “You don’t know me, Sinope. Save your prayers for yourself.”
He walked out, his head hung in defeat, despite another arena victory under his belt.
When Katell awoke from her nap on the bench, night had fallen. A sliver of moonlight shone through the small crack in the wall, illuminating their cell.
“It’s a full moon tonight.” Sinope stretched her neck to gaze upon the night sky. “The Huntress is watching over us.”
“She’s been watching over us for moons on end, yet here we all are, stuck in this godsforsaken place,” came Nik’s dry response from the darkness of his cell.
Sinope ignored him and helped Katell unwrap the stained bandages around her leg with care. Despite the dampeners only letting a trickle of her magic through, beneath the dried blood, the wounds were gone.
Sinope stared with wide eyes at the smooth skin. “Your magic is really unique. When you find out which deity Gifted you, be sure to make a proper offering to thank them.”
Katell didn’t feel particularly grateful for the Gifts that had forced her from her home, but she nodded all the same.
“Back in Ephesos where I lived, my family and I celebrated the full moon each month.” Sinope gave her a warm smile, one Katell had never seen before, and it lifted her spirits. “We’d walk to the beach, pray to the goddess, and then prepare a sumptuous feast in her honour at night. We’d sacrifice stags and goats to thank her for her Gifts and protection, and build a great fire. It was such a sight to see.”
Katell couldn’t imagine feasting on a beach. She’d never even seen the sea, yet it evoked a surprising longing within her. “My people organised similar festivals. We didn’t pray to the gods, but we were thankful for the sun, the moon, and the stars. The man who raised me said that the world made no sense without them. That they were essential to our way of life and should be honoured.”
Sinope nodded, her braided blonde hair gleaming silver in the moonlight, matching her eyes. “He seemed like a wise man. I never knew my birth father either. It was always only my mother and sisters.”
“Where are they now?” she asked.
Her friend’s smile faded, and a thick silence stretched on.
“You’re wasting your time, sweetheart,” Nik cut in with a sardonic chuckle. “Bright Eyes doesn’t share when it comes to her family. No matter her devotion, the Huntress hasn’t made it easy for her kind. The Amazons have been hunted throughout the Empire ever since the fall of the Rebel Queen.”
He appeared at the narrow opening between their cells, his handsome face cast in shadows. Beneath his fresh tunic, thick bandages wrapped his shoulder.
“The Huntress has every right to be angry with us.” Sinope took out the small wooden statuette from within the folds of her tunic. “We betrayed her trust.”
Sensing she had more to say, Katell held her breath and waited for her to continue.
“A group of us were caught by a Rasennan tracker while hiding in the Illyrian mountains,” Sinope said after a beat of silence. “He was a beast of a man.”
Nik’s eyebrows shot up. “The Blood Wolf?”
“He wasn’t called that in those days. He was just another tracker on a mission for the Emperor. To find the Amazons.” She paused, lowering her gaze to the statuette. “It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to the market to find food, but we were starving. We hadn’t eaten for days. I was recognised, of course, with eyes like mine, and back then, the Empire generously rewarded any information about Amazons. We had almost cost the Emperor the war at the Battle of Kendrisia, so he was determined to find and destroy us all. Take our Gift for his own, sell us into slavery, or to arena masters—anything for revenge. I managed to lose my pursuers at the market, but then the Blood Wolf found us.”
A chill ran down Katell’s spine. She knew nothing of Rasennan trackers, and yet the tremor in Sinope’s voice told her enough.
“He tortured my mother’s friend first. She was a priestess and knew the Huntress’ true name. That alone was worth more than any gold the Emperor could pay him. A deity’s true name means power. The priestess fought as best as she could, but when he threatened to kill us all, she gave in. We travelled south for days, crossing into Achaean territory, following the priestess’ directions. She led us to one of the goddess’ old altars in the heart of the forest. My sisters believed we’d be safe in the Huntress’ territory, but we were wrong. We stayed in that forest for days, tied up together, starving as the tracker left us to go hunt. Finally, he returned with three wolf cubs and—”
She faltered, then swallowed hard.
“—and a baby. A human baby.” She sucked in a breath, her voice a strangled whisper. “The Blood Wolf killed it along with the wolves. Then he lined up the priestess and her daughters, and slit their throats. It was his sacrifice to the Huntress. A terrible price in order to gain magic. He took all those innocent lives while calling upon her true name to complete the pact.”
“Sinope.” Nik’s voice was low and gentle as he pressed closer to the small opening. “It’s all right. Say no more.”
The Amazon shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “The Blood Wolf took my mother, sisters, and me back north to Bruna.” The words poured out of her in a single breath as if she could no longer hold in her secrets. “He sold us in a private auction to the highest bidders. My mother and eldest sister were sold to a local merchant. My youngest sister, beautiful as she was, was sold to a brothel in Kisra. I was sold as a slave to Decimus Saturius but fought his advances time and again. I should have been killed for my defiance, but I was too precious, so he took me to the Pit instead. ‘You will fight for me,’ he said, ‘You will fight until you beg me to return, and if you are killed, then I shall take your Gift for myself’.”
Katell ground her teeth. Amazons were not meant to be slaves. Amazons were not meant to be sold to arenas to fight for the entertainment of the masses. They were warriors of the Huntress, and their stories were as legendary as any Achaean hero’s.
“No one is taking your eyes,” Katell vowed. When she glanced back at Nik, the determined gleam in his gaze mirrored her own.
He opened his mouth to speak, but heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor.
They stiffened. The guards never disturbed them so late unless they were sent for by their patrons.
The heavy door groaned open, and three Samnite guards appeared in the doorway, with swords hanging from their belts.
“It’s a bit late for a nighttime stroll,” Nik greeted, a veiled threat behind his words.
A bearded guard, one hand on the hilt of his sword, looked between them. His gaze settled on Sinope. “Decimus Saturius has sent for the Amazon.”
The words echoed through the cell, and Katell shot to her feet. It never ended well for female slaves that were sent for at night. “She’s not going anywhere.”
A blond guard with arms like tree trunks stepped forward, his powerful frame blocking the entrance. “Come with us peacefully.”
Sinope raised her chin, all traces of vulnerability wiped from her face. She stared down the guard as only the fiercest warrior of the Pit could. “Please tell Master Saturius I will see him in the morning.”
The guard ran his tongue over his teeth. “He insisted you meet with him tonight and Master Aurelius has agreed.”
Sinope froze. Then, her gaze flicked to Katell, and in the next heartbeat, the Amazon lunged, slamming her shoulder into the blond guard’s chest. Taken by surprise, the guard grunted, reeling back into the corridor, and Katell darted out of the cell first. She grabbed the third Samnite’s sword before he could react and ducked just in time to avoid the bearded guard’s blade.
“Sinope, run!”
Katell called on what little strength she could through the bronze bands and smashed the hilt of her sword in the bearded Samnite’s face. He roared, blood gushing from his broken nose. The third guard wrestled her from behind, and she pushed against him, slamming his back against Nik’s cell.
“Nik!” she called to him.
The Achaean grabbed the guard through the iron bars and held him in a headlock. “Go!”
Sinope shot down the corridor, manacles rattling around her wrists. The blond guard attempted to stop her, but she slid behind him and jumped on his back. Wrapping her chains around his throat, she pulled hard.
The Amazon’s agility was a sight to behold, but Katell had no time to stare. The bearded guard lunged at her, intent on skewing her with his sword.
“Watch out!” Nik yelled.
She whipped around, spotting more guards and Non-Humans heading their way.
By that point, the entire row of cells had awakened to the sounds of their scuffle and the other Gifted shouted encouragements and warnings as Sinope rushed at the guards.
Twisting her wrist, Katell sliced the bearded guard’s thigh, and he fell with a grunt. She plunged her blade through his chest, then cursed when she struggled to tear it out again without her usual strength. Pushing against him with her foot, she pulled the sword out and ran down the corridor.
Half a dozen guards had managed to encircle Sinope, and the situation appeared dire. The Amazon knocked out a couple and pushed back another three when a Non-Human grabbed her shoulder.
Katell ran, shoving aside the pain of her aching body. Blood roared in her ears. She could reach Sinope. One more push and she’d be by her friend’s side.
Iron chains, gleaming with magic, sprang from the ground like snakes, coiling themselves around the Amazon’s body. Sinope thrashed against them, but the chains tightened, and she was soon trapped.
Katell’s heart lurched. “Sinope!”
The Non-Humans blocked her path, but she evaded their grasp until something hard collided with her side, knocking her to the ground. Her shoulder took the brunt of the fall, and she bit her cheek, blood bursting inside her mouth.
A Non-Human with long, scraggly hair held her down. She lifted her head, searching among the sea of red guards flooding the arched corridor.
“SINOPE!”
The Amazon, wrapped in chains, screamed in effort. She lost her balance and dropped to the stone floor. Then, the guards swarmed her.
Katell’s heart thundered, each beat echoing the dread mounting within her. Her breaths came in short gasps as panic swept over her. Through the jumble of entangled limbs and frayed emotions, she found Sinope. Their gazes locked, weaving a lifeline amid the surrounding chaos.
For a single beat, the world seemed to hold its breath. The tumultuous clamour of the corridor faded away, leaving nothing but the stark, naked terror glistening in the Amazon’s silver eyes.
No.
Not her. Not her friend.
With a raging cry, Katell pushed to her feet, lifting the Non-Human with her, and escaped his grasp. The guards blocked her way, but she plunged into the melee, fighting with every ounce of her being.
She wouldn’t let them take Sinope.
She couldn’t lose anyone else again.
The chains wound tighter around the Amazon, smothering her cries. Katell’s heart twisted, and when the guards grabbed Sinope and hauled her out of sight, ice flooded her veins.
“NO!”
The Non-Humans pummelled Katell to the ground once more, and burnished gold shackles locked around her wrists. Along with the bronze bands at her ankles, they cut off her magic for good.
Shouts rang up and down the corridor so loud that they were sure to wake up the city above. The muscled blond guard appeared again and shoved Katell’s face down with one meaty palm, barking orders.
Crushed beneath the Non-Humans’ weight, a flood of emotions surged through her. She lay motionless on the cold, damp ground, helplessness engulfing her like quicksand. The harrowing reality of what awaited Sinope clawed at her mind.
Her friend had been taken. And everyone knew what happened to the female slaves who were taken away at night—Aurelius made no secret of it.
Guards spread along the row of cells, attempting to bring back order. When the Non-Humans finally picked her up from the floor, she found herself face to face with Aurelius and Castur.
“I should have known the Outsider was responsible for all this nonsense.” Katell couldn’t tell if Aurelius’ small eyes glinted with rage or humiliation. Either way, she didn’t care. “All this, and to what end? To save the Amazon? Did you really believe you could both escape the Pit? Escape me?”
His face darkened and he grabbed her bloodied chin, forcing her to look at him.
“I own you!” He whipped around to confront the other Gifted slaves. “I own all of you! And you had better remember that if you don’t want to be fed to the lions.”
The corridor quieted, and Aurelius peered at her again. By his side, Castur was silent, his face twisted into a sneer.
“Let’s see if you put as much effort into your fight tomorrow.” Aurelius released her and retrieved a small cloth, wiping her blood from his hand. “Sinope, our strongest and most beloved Amazon warrior, against the Outsider.”