19. Kami

19

Kami

I 'm moving on autopilot as I follow a line of survivors, directed by a guard. We're walked under open, overhead showerheads by the back corner of the room, given a handful of soap, and ordered to rinse off the accumulation of blood and muck.

I'm sluggish but becoming more present as I'm told to hurry. I want this stuff off me and have no time for fear and worry.

Doing my best to get clean, I follow the others and rejoin everyone gathered by the other side of the room.

Oz is there, and so is Crash.

But I don't see Malkar or Ries.

Not paying attention, I bump into a large shifter, who glares down at me and snarls, "Fuck off."

"Sorry." I try to move around him, but he yanks me back by my hair.

"Ow." I scowl up at him, my heart racing.

He doesn't let go, using my hair to pull me closer. "Look, Dryad, we're gonna make a deal. "

"Deal?" I'm trying to tug my hair free, but he's holding too tight.

"I was stuck in that dungeon a long time. I'm horny. You look like a right little cocksucker." He smiles. "I'll make sure you survive tonight. And you'll do whatever I tell you to do."

"I don't need?—"

"Your friends aren't going to make it. Enwiss sends his regards."

That fucker. "You know what?" I say in my softest, sweetest voice. I even bat my lashes at the prick.

He blinks and leans in, a half smile on his face. "What?"

I run my fingers over his hand, freeing my hair. Then I move even closer, so that my breath tickles his mouth. "I think…" I bite my lip.

He's so close I can see myself in his eyes.

Perfect. I don't want to miss.

I duck and punch him in the balls. Hard. When he doubles over, I crack him in the chin with a lift of my head.

The shifter goes down. He won't stay down though, so I rush around him, only to come up against his friends.

Suddenly, Oz and Crash are there, and the fight begins in earnest.

I'm shocked that the guards are allowing it to happen, though I shouldn't be. They're laughing and exchanging coins.

A vampire drags me by the arm away from the masses, but before he can bite me, Ries pounds him in the face.

Malkar scoops me up and plants me behind him, sandwiching me between him and the wall. "Why am I not surprised you found trouble?"

"More like it found me," I growl, trying to be tough and stop trembling, but I'm still wound up from being ingested by a giant snake .

I've been through a lot of shit in my life, but today is definitely one of the worst I've encountered.

Well, next to the day I lost Ahza.

"Aw, poor little dryad." Malkar chuckles. "Nice headbutt, by the way. Not as fragile as you look, are you?"

He kicks out his leg while staring at me, and a fae trips, sprawling into a ghoul.

More fighting, until a clap of thunder breaks over us all. Then it starts raining from clouds that suddenly appear overhead.

When lightning flashes, everyone stops moving.

"Exactly." The high priest appears in the corner, larger than life and not really there. "Look, citizens, upon our tribute! They're rough and tumble, ready to brawl, eager to satisfy our great god of war."

Chants of "Beyrthnel, Beyrthnel," grow louder. The walls around us fade until we are centered in the arena and looking around at so many fae, watching us.

"Are we in the arena after all?" I'm so confused.

"I don't think so." Malkar narrows his gaze. His eyes grow brighter before dimming once more. "Just as the priest shows us his face, he's showing us the crowd in the stadium."

Ries returns and pummels a fae getting too close. "Projection magic. They're using the water to do it."

After tossing the fae at several ghouls, he snarls at them then turns a winsome smile my way. "Hey, Kami. You doing okay?"

I shouldn't be, but surrounded by my strong allies, I'm feeling better. Especially when Oz and Crash return, making our group solid again.

"Getting better."

"Yeah? You look good." Malkar frowns. "But you're wet. What happened to you? "

"A naga ate her," Crash offers.

The others gape at him.

He nods. "Yep. Swallowed her whole. Nasty."

"Shut up about it," I snap, and my breath hitches. I force myself to remain calm. I'll fall apart later, when no one's watching.

As it is, everyone—and I mean everyone in the room—keeps looking at me. I don't know if it's because I kind of started the fight or because I'm on display in this stupid getup. Either way, it sucks.

I tug at my top, which is all but letting my boobs spill out.

Crash rolls his eyes, and I swear he calls me a drama queen under his breath.

I'll give him drama…

Before I can, Oz lifts me in his arms and hangs me over his shoulder. "Eyes off," he yells at the crowd. "This one's mine."

There's a sudden silence before grumbling centers on the conceited orc and his band of loser friends. Then the death threats come, and more talk about Oz's mother and what everyone plans to one day do to her.

Which then starts more arguments among the ones issuing threats.

Honestly, none of them seem very smart.

A hand runs over my ass, cupping me closer to Oz's shoulder.

"Oz," I hiss at him.

"Quiet." He smacks my ass and growls in a low voice, "Just go with it, okay?"

It stings, but I know his act—I hope it's an act—is giving me some protection. I go limp.

"You do look better ass-forward," Crash adds with a snicker .

I hear laughter from the others and push up on Oz's back to glare at Ries. "That's not funny."

He coughs and looks away. "Nope. Not funny at all."

Malkar turns his head, but I swear I saw him smirking. "I agree. Treat our companion with respect, young orc."

"Exactly how old are you?" I ask the demon.

"Old enough to know that you're everyone's target tonight. There are handsome odds on you surviving. I overheard the guards talking. And, ah…"

"What?" Oz and I say at the same time.

Ries scowls. "Enwiss is offering a bonus to anyone who manages to stick a dick in you. Just because he thinks it's funny to shove wood in a dryad." Ries huffs. "Get it? Wood meaning cock? Wood, because dryads like trees?"

"We get it. You don't have to explain it," Crash says.

Ries snorts. "The joke is just stupid. It's not even funny."

"Not to mention in poor taste," Malkar says dryly.

"Right. Of course." Ries flushes. "Goes without saying."

Oz sets me down gently and puts a large hand on my shoulder.

I stare without seeing, not sure what to make of this. Having been nearly killed by a naga and now offered on a platter to be raped so Enwiss can score some coin off my misery?

Why me?

What have I done to deserve any of this?

Instead of looking alarmed, my companions smile.

"It's not funny," I say, glaring.

Oz looks positively evil when he says, "Oh, it is. I can't wait to see who thinks they can take a turn on my dryad." His eyes glow with possession when he looks back at me. "What say we make our own bet? How many do you think I'll kill tonight? "

"You're on," Crash says, a similar killer smile on his face. "No way you kill as many as me."

"Please. You and what army?" Malkar drawls.

"I'll take that bet." Ries scoffs. "No puny fae or white-haired wannabe demon is gonna outkill me. Maybe the orc, but that's a slight maybe."

They start quarreling with each other with a sense of fun I can't understand.

I have to wonder if I've made a mistake making a deal with them when I could have just struck out on my own.

Guess I'll soon find out.