Alex

ALEX

I tumble out into the street through a flap which immediately seals behind me. Sitting up and blinking in the midday heat, I attempt to make some sort of sense as to what just happened.

What…who was the male in the cage? Did he nearly have me for lunch?

His eyes, those beautiful pools of darkness—they're haunting me. I can't unsee them or him. I cough and pound at my chest to get my heart moving again and feel the hard passes I stuffed in my clothing instead.

I actually got them out! The dome is supposed to be impregnable, or at least escape proof, for the public's safety, something I saw on a vid-screen some time ago.

I guess it's not human proof. I bark out a laugh, and two skinny gray aliens look at me with their big black eyes.

"Fuck off and probe someone who cares," I shout at them, getting to my feet and brushing off my clothing.

They hurry past me as I discover one of Ginka's rolls in my pocket and take a carefree bite. I got out of the dome, I got what Ixor wanted, and it'll keep him happy for a while.

As I wander back through the teeming streets of Tatatunga, keeping myself to the shadows as much as I can given the fact there are scout bots out and about, I want to forget all about the dome.

And all about the stunning creature in the cage, who was far too powerful to be contained. Above me, a hovering holo screen bursts to life, and I'm stopped in my tracks.

"Today only!" it booms. "See the Gladiator Gryn in action against the beasts and taking on all comers."

In glorious 3-D, stood in the center of what has to be the dome arena, is the male from my escape nightmare. He holds an enormous sword, the tip down to the ground.

Noble and graceful and absolutely not supposed to be in a cage, or in the dome itself, he lifts his head to glare straight down the holo-camera, and I see the stare which is burnt into my memory.

This time there is a steely glint, one which takes no prisoners.

A hard, heavy body slams into me, causing me to slide to one side and bounce off a nearby wall, all the wind being taken from my lungs. Fortunately, even with eyes streaming, I see a flash of sickly green skin.

Ixor. He found me.

"Hello, little slave" he grates. "I do hope you had a good reason for standing staring at nothing."

I look up again but the adverts on the hovering holo have changed.

"I did what you told me to do last night," I mutter, getting to my feet once again but not bothering to brush myself down this time. "I got the passes for the dome."

Ixor's expression goes from a glower to what approximates a smile. A greasy, flabby hand grabs hold of my clothing as the other one delves inside. I hold back the desire to throw up as he extracts the passes, ripping my top in the process.

"Excellent," he says, but he isn't referring to my work, given his piggy black eyes are focussed on his prize. "Are these formatted?" he adds, slamming me against him.

"Yes, I saw it being done." I cough.

He lets me go, looks around furtively, and pockets the discs.

"Go back to the safe house and wait for me there," he says in a low voice.

I turn away from him, but it's not over yet as a big green hand with zombie sausage fingers clamps on my shoulder.

"Wait," Ixor says with an inflection in his voice I haven't heard before.

Fingers pinch in my hair, and I spin back to him with a cry of pain. He's holding a small, slate grey feather.

"Where did you get this?" he asks.

I hesitate, but I know there's no point in lying.

"I met one of the gladiators when I was leaving."

The holo screen chooses this moment to return to what has to be a live feed of the games. My Gryn is in the air, sword flashing, his vital signs showing up next to him.

"You met Sylas?" Ixor asks. "And he didn't kill you?"

Sylas. His name is Sylas.

"I guess so?" I grit my teeth.

Ixor follows my gaze. "I guess you also left an impression on him. Those are the best odds I've seen on a gladiator of the Gryn for a long time."

He looks back at me and his eyes glitter with interest. "Perhaps you have more uses than I previously thought for such an ugly little runt."

I should be ready to dodge his grasping hand when it comes, but I'm far too confused as to what he means about Sylas and his odds.

If there's anything I've learned in my time off Earth, it's that nothing in this galaxy is what it seems, including Ixor.

Including the massive gladiator on the holo screen currently hacking off lumps of some slimy worm, brown goo covering every inch of his glistening, muscled form.

Whatever this is, I can't let Ixor use it against me or him. Sylas might be good in the arena, but I've seen Ixor work, and there's a reason he's the most wanted bounty hunter in the galaxy.

He doesn't play fair, and he doesn't care about anything other than his own skin.

Which means if I get Sylas involved in any of this, we're both in trouble.