37. Lily

The Prizes gasped as I was carried back into the Pool. They whispered among themselves, eyes wide and fixed on me. No doubt they thought no one could ever get the better of their madam.

And yet, here I was, living the life of their greatest fears. And that was why this was done, of course. To show them what would happen if they attempted to escape too.

The guards lashed me to my cot, the handcuffs about my wrists and ankles locking to the top and bottom railings of my bed. They pulled my arms and legs out to their full length and there was little possible movement.

The guards left me in deafening silence. I tried to fight back the tears that threatened to stream down my face. We had tried, had done our best, waiting five years for our opportunity…

And had failed.

We had failed completely. Not only would we end up not together, we would never see each other again either.

As bad as my fate was, it was nothing compared to what they would have in store for Ohara — especially so soon after the riots had taken place. They would want to make an example of him the same way they had me.

I tried to find solace in the idyllic beach images I had sought out before, but now they tasted sour and made my throat sting. They were a cruel joke.

The time of freedom was over — if it had ever really existed in the first place.

The bedroom door cracked open and a small figure I recognized as Erishia peered in at me.

I turned my face away so she couldn't see my tears. I was still the madam, even if it was in name only now, and I would maintain at least a little of my pride.

Erishia entered and I glimpsed half a dozen other Prizes out in the hallway before she shut the door behind herself.

I felt the soft press of Erishia's body as she sat at the end of my bed. Neither of us spoke. The assistant stroked my arm and the dam of tears I'd been struggling to hold back began to break. It was her kind softness that did it.

"We were close," I said. "We were so close."

Erishia made soft shushing noises. It felt comforting to have someone listen.

"We were going to be happy together, live our lives together. Start a family. But now, none of that is going to happen."

"I thought we weren't supposed to fall in love with the prisoners?"

"I said shouldn't. But I'm only human. Maybe at least one thing will come out of this. Now you will all listen to my advice. I can serve as a warning that none of us will ever find our happily ever after."

There was a long pause as Erishia pressed at the metal hoops around my wrists and ankles. The magnets only grew stronger, squeezing me tighter.

"The harder I struggle, the tighter they become," I said. Erishia immediately took her hand away. She was a good kid and I hoped she would do well after they were done with me and I was no longer able to take care of her.

"The others are scared," she said. "They think the Supervisor will punish us all."

"Maybe. I don't know what he'll do. But what difference does it make? We're dead on the inside with what they make us do."

The assistant stopped stroking my ankle. "But I thought after we served our time, however long that might be, they would allow us to return home."

I shook my head. "No one knows what happens to the Prizes. I've lost track of how many passed through here. They remained positive so they could cope. They were never seen or heard from again after they left this place. Maybe they do return home. But judging by the way they treat us here, would they really be kind to us once we've served our purpose and are no longer of use to them?"

Erishia was quiet for a long moment. "But it's possible, right? That they'll let us go home? If I knew I would never get out of here, I never would have done it."

I listened to her words and wondered what she meant with her final comment. Then I looked over at her.

When my eyes met hers, she looked away and removed her hand from my ankle. Then her fingers slid together, forming a spiky hedgehog shape that I recognized as her species' way of praying.

"If I knew, I never would have done it," she repeated.

She bowed her head low. I might not be fluent in her language but body language was — for the most part — almost universal. And I'd never seen such an obvious display of guilt before.

She had seen me last night… when I left with Ohara. She had seen me…

"No," I said, the blood draining from my face. "You didn't tell them? Didn't I treat you well? I stopped you from being a Prize so none of the Champions could Claim you. And this is the thanks I get?"

"I didn't know what he would do!" Erishia said, suddenly alive with energy in a way I had never seen before. "I thought maybe if I told him, he would reward me and let me go. I didn't tell him right away. I gave you lots of time to escape."

My eyes could have drilled straight through her. It was a good thing I was chained to my bed or I would have slugged her hard in the face otherwise.

Erishia got to her feet and shuffled side to side. "If I waited too long, it would be too suspicious. It would be like I was part of it, part of your escape, and he would blame me too."

"You didn't need to say anything!" I spat. "You could have pretended to sleep through the whole thing! You didn't think about me. You thought only of yourself! I had a future with my fated mate and you stole it from me!"

My words might have been physical by the way they struck her, making her rock back on her heels. "I didn't know he was your fated mate!"

I turned my head, my neck protesting at the sharp angle, but I didn't care. "You were jealous. You saw us escaping and wanted to stop us. Don't pretend like there's anything else going on. We're done here."

I slammed my head down and turned my eyes away from her.

"You don't understand. I didn't mean to—"

"I said we're done!" I shouted, my voice as sharp as polished steel.

It took a moment but Erishia finally got the message and turned to leave.

Then something tickled the back of my mind; something she'd said that made me curious. "You said you told him. Him who? The Supervisor?"

"No. He's new and he might be dangerous. He might punish all of us and—"

"Who?"

"Druin."

His name struck me the same way my words had struck Erishia earlier. The creature that had been the first to Claim me, the creature that had taken his belt to me, the creature Ohara had beaten to a pulp and then beaten again in the fighting pits the next day.

And he had always said he would get his revenge…

I didn't know when I started laughing but it was loud, maniacal, and terrifying — scary enough for Erishia to ask me what was wrong several times before I could calm myself enough to speak to her between the chuckles.

"Because… Because you aligned yourself with the devil," I said. "And you have no idea the hell you've unleashed on yourself."

The blood fell from Erishia's face, turning her skin a mottled yellow. "He said he could help me get out of here."

"Were those his exact words?"

Erishia thought about it. "He said he would release me, that he would give me his full attention."

I laughed again.

"What? What is it?"

"My girl, you're about to discover what Druin's idea of release and getting his full attention really means."

Horrified at my hysterical laughter and the haunted tone of my words, Erishia turned and ran out.

Betrayed by the one Prize I thought was the most innocent in this entire place. That just showed you where being kind got you. Strapped to a bed with nothing but torture to look forward to. Another wave of maniacal laughter overtook me and more tears streamed down my cheeks.

* * *

The Prizes leftme alone for a while. An hour, maybe two. I couldn't sleep, not that I really wanted to. I just stared into space.

I heard the cheering down the hall and knew that the pit-fighting competition must have already started. As news of our escape had passed, the inmates needed a new distraction — and here it was.

If it had been a slow news day, I'm certain that our escape and subsequent capturing would have been given more airtime. I marveled at how easily the inmates could be manipulated.

My thoughts were interrupted as the door eased open and a Prize sashayed inside. Young and curvy as all Glixar were, her hips swayed as she sauntered toward me, her eyes as mesmerizing as a cat's.

Outside the door that sat ajar, I made out half a dozen, maybe more, Prizes looking at me. They hastily pulled their eyes away but did not shrink back from the door. Their eyes always returned to me.

I supposed it wasn't every day you got to see your boss chained to her cot. Enjoy it while you can. I knew in my gut I wouldn't stay here forever. Soon, I would be Claimed and then… then… I couldn't even bring myself to think about what happened next.

The young Prize sidled up to me. Her steps were slow and she kept her eyes low, unable to bring herself to make eye contact. "The competition has begun—"

"I noticed," I snapped. "What do you think I am? Deaf?"

The Prize flinched back as each of my words landed. She looked down at her fingers, which danced when she was nervous. She glanced over at the door, where her comrades nodded their heads and waved for her to continue.

Looks like she drew the short straw.

The young Prize took a deep breath. "There's something happening. Down in the fighting pits."

I rolled my eyes. "You honestly think I care what happens down there?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean…" She took another deep breath. "It's your mate."

"What about him?"

"Well, he's down there."

I just stared at her. Was this some kind of cruel joke? Had someone put her up to this? I looked over at the Prizes again. Their eyes rolled up to mine and instantly looked away again. But in that fraction of an instant, I witnessed a spark of hope.

Could it be that she was actually telling the truth?

I nodded at her to continue. When she didn't, I said: "Go on."

"Somehow, he escaped from his cell. They say he overpowered the guards and enrolled in the competition."

"Where is he now?" I said, my heart beginning to fill with the same hope that had clearly consumed the other Prizes.

"He hasn't started his first round yet but he will. Soon. After Druin's fight."

My head snapped around at that. "Druin is fighting too?"

It was like a repeat of the competition that took place the day after I was Claimed. I could only hope the result would be the same.

As for Druin, it was too much to hope he wouldn't make it to the final. There was no chance he would face a fair fight before that moment — especially since he was now in charge of a powerful criminal network.

"Tell me everything that happens in the pit," I said. "I don't want to miss a beat."

"We don't need to keep you updated," the Prize said.

"Huh?"

In response, she turned to the Prizes waiting outside the door and waved her hand for them to enter. They crowded around my bed.

"We're going to carry you out of here so you can watch the fight yourself," the Prize said.

My heart filled with pride at the young females and their bravery. "The Supervisor and the guards won't like it. You'll be putting yourselves in danger."

"They will never know. They're all watching the fight. They're still keeping sentries outside, but they're not really paying attention either."

Even so, the Prizes were still taking a big risk. I looked them each in the eye. "Are you sure about this? If you get into trouble, it'll be on your head, not mine. And there's no way I can protect you now."

The Prize looked at the others and smiled. "You spent all this time protecting us. We appreciate you. But now, it's time for us to do something for you."

The females around my cot smiled and I beamed back at them. My eyes teared up. I had cried so much that tracks had formed down the sides of my face.

"Thank you," I said pitifully. "Thank you. All of you. You don't know what this means to me."

"That's where you're wrong," the Prize said. "We know exactly what this means. At first, we all thought you abandoned us but when we learned he was your fated mate… Well, that kind of love doesn't come around very often. You should grab it with both hands and never let go."

The females dipped the hems of their negligees into a small cup of water that they passed between themselves and wiped the dirt from my feet and the tear tracks from my cheeks. I felt like an elderly parent being taken care of by my loving family.

Then they placed themselves evenly around my cot, the bigger, stronger ones at my head and the smaller ones by my feet. They bent their knees and coiled their tendrils, and braced my weight.

"Oh, you should know," I said. "It was Erishia. She is working with Druin. You should watch her."

"We know about the sfizzik in our midst," the Prize said.

"You do? How?"

"Because she wasn't the only one who saw you leaving last night. But she was the only one to leave and return shortly after."

The Prize leaned forward and tapped me on the shoulder. "Have no fear. She will not have an easy time of it from now."

"It's been arranged," another Prize with Medusa-like hair said.

The others chanted as one in response: "It's been arranged."

I'd been concerned about leaving the females behind, worried about who would take care of them after I was gone, but now I realized I needn't have worried at all. They were fully capable of taking care of themselves — and each other.

They had to turn my cot ninety degrees sideways so I could fit through the doorway. Other Prizes had to hold my body in place or else the handcuffs would grow so tight they would restrict all the blood flow to my hands and feet completely.

We passed through the back room and entered the Viewing area. The other Prizes were already arranged in front of the glass, excitedly peering through the windows at the fighting pit below.

They put the bottom of my bed down and lifted it up so it was at a seventy-degree angle. I don't know how they fixed it in place but it was firm and didn't wobble or threaten to fall at all.

My feet slid to the bottom where I could brace my weight on the balls of my feet. My arms were stretched, with just enough room above my head so it was reasonably comfortable.

The Prize placed a cushion behind my head. I smiled over at her, nodding my thanks. Another held a straw for me to drink some water. I might have been Cleopatra surrounded by her loyal servants. Or with friends at home, watching a match on TV.

A match where the outcome would control my life.

When the fighters came out, the crowd cheered. When Druin appeared and raised his arms above his head triumphantly, turning to receive his adoration… he got silence. Some inmates folded their arms, others shook their heads, but no one cheered.

Druin took it as a personal insult. He unsheathed his sword and I felt sorry for whoever he was going to face first. It turned out to be an alien warrior with an impressive form. He wore a heavy shield and shining armor.

Just as I thought, Druin hacked at the warrior mercilessly. He defended himself with his shield until he couldn't hold it up any longer. He made vague jabbing motions with his sword but they were half-hearted at best.

Once the fight was done, the warrior was smothered with slashes, blood, and bruises. He never stood a chance.

Druin raised his arms victoriously to the crowd, turning on the spot, and got a smattering of applause, no doubt from those he had paid. His shoulders slumped and he marched out of the pit.

When Ohara's name was announced, electric murmurs buzzed among the crowd. Ohara stepped out and the applause gradually grew until it consumed the entire audience. The Prizes at my shoulders screamed with joy and rapped their knuckles on the wooden frame of my cot.

My heart was in my throat when I noticed Ohara was wearing a strange helmet that — no, not a helmet, but some kind of mask that covered his entire head. I couldn't make out any eye or mouth holes that he might use to see or breathe through.

I couldn't help but cry. I never thought I would see him again.

His opponent was a goliath. A single successful blow might have knocked Ohara out for good. But it never landed. He danced, too quick for the larger beast. I remembered this was the same tactic he used in his earlier fights too.

With every successful dodge and lunge of his sword, the entire prison cheered. It was only then that I realized Ohara wasn't fighting alone. Ikmal was on his side. And unless the Supervisor was careful, he might end up creating what he was so desperate to avoid…

Another riot.

My eyes were fixed on Ohara and I saw nothing but him. I watched as he danced and moved, every gesture looking like it was choreographed.

Hope wasn't dead yet.