Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Very entertaining?" I asked and looked at Vax with wide eyes.

"Is this not what you expected?" Vax lifted a brow. "You said you'd been to one before."

We were seated on padded thrones near the golden railing of the King's balcony box. It overlooked the arena where the races took place. In short, they were the best seats in the place. And the place was huge. An amphitheater capable of holding hundreds, if not thousands, it was packed to the top tiers for the crab race. The underwater folk, including many Sea Dragons, cheered and waved wildly as crabs ran the tracks.

"Yeah, it was a track maybe ten feet long and crabs no bigger than my hands. There were low walls to keep them in their lanes, and their handlers prodded them on the back to keep them going. It was nothing like this."

I got up and leaned on the railing to watch the contestants scurry by. Three seconds at most and then they were past. Crabs could move quickly, but it helped that these were fucking monsters. The crabs, if you could even categorize all the shelled sea life down there as crabs, had pincers the size of a ship's anchor and protrusions sticking out of their shells that resembled horns. And they were massive. Large enough that if they were hollowed out, they could be used as carriages. They came in a variety of shapes, some oblong, some more square, and some were indescribable nebulous combinations. As if these crustaceans weren't deadly enough, metal tips had been fitted over their horns, and serrations added to their claws. Why? Because this wasn't a peaceful race.

There were no walls between the racing crabs. Just one broad lane. They were simply set loose to scamper. And that meant a big cluster fuck of crabs running along the sandy track, bashing into each other to get to the end first. They didn't seem to know that there was no end. The track was an oval.

I winced as a bright crimson crab cracked the shell of a mottled blue crab. "Where did they get these crabs?"

Vax came up beside me. "They tend to stay in deep sea ravines. Their owners catch them and bring them here to race."

"Wow. And how do they train them to run?"

"They get taught that at the end of the race, they're fed."

"So, they're running to eat?" I looked at him.

"That's right."

"Do they starve them before the race?"

"I'm not sure. But I would imagine it would help."

"That's kind of cruel."

Vax lifted a brow. "Do you think so?"

"Look at them." I waved at the running crabs who bashed each other out of the way to get ahead. "I've always heard the Sea Dragon cities were places of art and culture. Refinement. Peaceful sanctuaries. Not this." I looked around at the vicious crowd. "They're bloodthirsty."

"There's no blood shed here, Zix."

"Only a few shells broken." I looked at him. "And what does that matter when they're just a bunch of crabs, huh?"

"You're truly upset," Vax said in surprise.

"I expect to find shit like this on one of the pirate islands or in the worst parts of the land cities. Barbarism. You may have shined it up a bit, but that's still what this is. Cruelty for the sake of being cruel. A bunch of higher life forms forcing lower ones to do terrible things for their entertainment."

"Zix, they're crabs," Vax huffed. "We eat them."

"Does that make it all right to torture them first?" I shoved away from the railing and walked away. "You're no better than the Frellen."

"Frellen?! What the fuck?" he growled. Then he called after me, "Where are you going?"

"I need some space. And don't fucking follow me. Let me cool off." I glared at Vax's knights who stood guard at the door. "And don't send them after me either."

"Zix, you're a duke now. My mate. You need—"

"Don't!" I pointed at him. "I'm really angry right now, Vax. Angry and sick to my fucking stomach. Just fucking disgusted! Let me cool off before I say something I'll regret."

Vax grimaced, but nodded—first at me, then at his guards.

One of the Sea Dragon knights opened the door for me. I rushed out into an empty hallway. The roar of the crowd was dulled in there and it helped to calm my racing hearts. Still, it wasn't enough. I loved Vax, but I was realizing that I didn't know him. I knew his soul. I knew what a good man he was. But I didn't know him . His likes and dislikes, what he did for fun, how he drank his fucking tea—all the little things that created a personality. I wasn't upset that I didn't know those things. The knowledge would come in time. I was upset because I'd just seen one of his likes that I didn't like.

"And I call myself a pirate," I muttered as I left the private corridor and passed yet more guards, these assigned by the theater.

They nodded at me as I passed, and I nodded back. It was all the politeness I could manage. Frankly, every person in that place disgusted me. They lived their peaceful lives, never having to worry about starvation or fighting for survival. And then they went to watch others fight.

As a pirate, I shouldn't care. Violence shouldn't bother me. But Teng and his crew were different from other pirates. We didn't kill unless we had to. We looked at what we did as a job. And we never stole from people who couldn't afford to lose something. There was honor in how we lived. And you know what? Even vicious pirates, those who enjoyed killing as well as stealing, were at least honest about themselves. They lived barbarism. I imagine it became hard to separate it from their free time. If they participated in violent pastimes, it was expected. Not acceptable, but expected. They were who they were and didn't pretend to be otherwise. But these people were charlatans and cowards. They craved violence but were too weak to go out and commit it themselves. So, they came to places like this and forced it on others. Then they cheered and bet on the fucking outcomes! Pathetic.

I looked around at the employees manning the betting booths and food carts. A few people were lined up to spend their money and support this terrible place. I wanted to shout at them that they were all a bunch of gutless bastards who needed the thrill of watching weaker creatures fight to live because they'd never faced a day's hardship in their entire lives. I was just so fucking furious!

Unfortunately, that meant I was also distracted.

"Well, well, well. Here we were, trying to form a plan to get you away from the Sea King, and you just sauntered over to us."

I spun toward the sound of the voice, but it was too late. Something pierced my skin and a cold rush shot through my arteries. My muscles gave out, and I fell into a pair of muscular, furred arms.

"Whoa, Zixin! You've had too much to drink, my friend," the Hulfrin said. "I've got you."

My head lolled as the drug sank deeper. I couldn't speak, much less cry out for help. All I could do was watch the few people there back away and shake their heads. As if I was the shameful one! The motherfuckers. But it wasn't time for that shit. It was time to fight. I had . . . to . . . what was I doing again?

The arch of the amphitheater entrance passed over us, and I stumbled. The Hulfrin picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I watched in a daze as the sidewalk stones passed below me. A broad back covered in sturdy black cotton was under my hands. I caressed the fabric. It was so soft.

A chuckle came. "He's stroking my back."

"I think I may have given him too much oppulen," someone else said.

"I hope it doesn't kill him. The Captain will hang us up by our toe claws if he dies."

"Nah. He'll be fine. He's Neraky, not human." A snicker. "Just don't let him near your junk."

"Why not? A mouth is a mouth."

More laughter followed me into oblivion.