21. Lily

Ijust stood there, mouth hanging open as Ohara's breath was squeezed from his throat.

Initially, the crowd had been so loud, I could barely hear the rasp of their swords as they swung through the air… and now, they were so silent, I could hear Ohara's choking gasps as he struggled for oxygen.

I wished the audience would scream once again, for someone to say something, to do something, that would take my mind off what was happening.

I turned away, unable to watch Ohara suffer any longer. Even if I wasn't watching, I could still hear that horrific noise in my mind, and I knew I always would no matter where I went, no matter what I did.

This isn't how it was supposed to go,I thought. This isn't how it's supposed to end…

My heart broke at the thought of Ohara's lifeless body, a body I didn't get to taste or explore. And I wept for all the lost experiences we might have shared.

Soon, Druin would come for me, to claim my life the way he had Ohara's. I would find a weapon, something to strike at him with, to claim his life instead. I would—

I felt a soft tap on my arm.

It was Gpidod and her eyes were focused firmly on the fighting pit. "You're going to want to see this."

No, I really didn't. But the upward curve of the corners of Gpidod's lips made me think otherwise. When I turned around and looked, I saw…

I saw…

I wasn't exactly sure what I saw…

Ohara was no longer on the ground, struggling to breathe. He was on his feet, using Druin's sword as a stand. His ankles were crossed and he considered Druin as if he wasn't even really there.

Druin was half bent over, one arm tucked under his armpit, the other between his legs, and he was making a weird noise like he was now the one being choked.

"What… what am I looking at?" I asked.

I wanted to laugh like the others but I couldn't bring myself to do it until I understood what was going on.

"He's doing an impression of a zilaz," Gpidod said before cupping a hand over her mouth to conceal her laugh.

"What's a zilaz?" I asked.

"It's a type of creature that lays… eggs? Is that how you say it in your language?"

"Eggs?" I said, perplexed. "Like a chicken?"

If Druin was performing an impression of a chicken, it was the weirdest chicken I had ever seen.

The crowd seemed to like it as they roared with laughter.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ohara said, letting the sword fall to the dusty floor. "I give you, the king of the roost!"

He raised his hands as though he were a puppet master, manipulating Druin's movements.

And suddenly, I understood.

Many of the inmates had a special ability, unique only to their species, and it turned out Ohara's was the ability to control others' minds!

That was what he was doing right then. And that was why he needed to get Druin's helmet off. Somehow, it must block his ability.

I stood in awe and, although I didn't fully understand what was going on, I laughed uproariously, as did the entire prison.

Druin was no longer a Champion but an alien chicken. The prison would never let him forget about it.

And the best part, the part that drew tears of excitement to my eyes, was that soon, Ohara would be here, with me, in the Prize Pool.

He would Claim me and take me for his own. He would take me to his room and we would be together, alone, and this time, there was no need to be shy, no need to hold back. This time, I would Claim him every bit as much as he Claimed me.

With a hop in my step, I ran into the backroom and hurriedly washed, changed into the best sheer dress I could find, put on fresh makeup, and made myself as beautiful as I could for the Champion.

No, not the Champion, but my Champion.

Within ten minutes, all the Prizes were summoned into the Viewing Room. They all turned to look at me, watching.

Us assembling like this was a formality, I knew. Him Claiming me was just a foregone conclusion, but I supposed we had to follow protocol.

The Prizes gibbered among themselves as a wave of excitement preceded Ohara's arrival. He entered the Viewing Room, his eyes fastened steadfast on me and only me.

He tried his best to conceal his limp, but it was as clear as day to me. I worried for his health, but other than the cuts and bruises, he appeared to be in good condition. Scrub that — he was in great condition.

Ohara marched forward, and the Prizes whispered giddily between each other. I beamed like a total idiot but I didn't care.

Then Ohara raised a hand and pointed. "I Claim this Prize," he said.

And… he was pointing at one of the other Prizes.

Shocked, the Prizes clapped hands over their mouths.

Ohara shifted his eyes to me and a grin spread across his face. "Only kidding," he said, and the room erupted into laughter.

The Prize he pointed at laughed the hardest.

"Excuse me," he said, and the Prizes stepped aside so he could stand before me. "You, Lily. I Claim you. And I always will."

I slapped him on the arm. "That's for Claiming someone else," I said.

Then I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips firmly to his, tasting him, savoring him, loving the sensation when he responded in kind, his arms wrapping tightly around me, pulling me in closer toward him, his long tongue exploring my lips and his hands at my wide waist. "And this is for Claiming me."

He bent down and picked me up as if I weighed a feather — and I definitely did not weigh a feather!

He carried me across the room, and the Prizes' cheers followed us down the hallway, fading to nothing as we turned first one corner, and then another.

As their roar of approval fell, another roar greeted us as the inmates slapped their thighs in a kind of alien clap and some hooted and others hollered and sung in strange, far-away voices that echoed up and down the halls.

I pressed my face to Ohara's chest and rubbed at him with my cheek the way Gpidod did with me. He had Claimed me, body and soul.

I was his. And he was mine.