I thrilled to the fierce protectiveness, and drew strength from it, strength that I sorely needed at the moment.
“How many are left here?” My voice was a whisper as I surveyed the area around me. The arena was littered with fallen bodies, enough senseless deaths to make me feel sick. The crowd had gone silent, and my skin prickled as realization hit me. “We are nearing the end, are we not?”
Christus nodded, then stood, placing his back against my own, so that we could watch more of the eerily empty space. “A single man is left here. I have not seen him since you arrived.”
“There is but one that I know of, as well. Bavarius.” Christus gnashed his teeth at the mention of the man’s name, and I knew that nothing would satisfy him but seeing the man’s head parted from his body. “He has hid the entire time. He will be refreshed, where we are not.”
“He will die.” A great roar rent the air then, causing us both to jump. The people in the crowd were looking to the far end of the arena, away from Christus and me. We whirled as one, just in time to see Bavarius leap from his tree and break into a run.
The giant of a man that he was running from did not follow him. He stood and watched as Bavarius charged toward Christus and me, his intent clear.
He meant to eliminate the two of us, to perhaps intimidate the giant of a gladiator who seemed content to wait until this scene had played out.
I braced myself for the onslaught. I was stronger and more skilled than Bavarius, as was Christus, but the foolish man was fighting for his life.
It made him stupid. There was no other reason that I could think of for him to charge the two of us. This realization seemed to hit him as he neared us, slowing his pace, altering his expression to display the cunning that I had seen there so many times before.
“Come!” Gesticulating wildly, as if he had meant nothing more than to rally us all along, he shouted with excitement . . . and with fear, “Let us take out the giant together!”
I did not look at Christus—I did not have to. I knew that the disgust that I felt would be as clearly displayed on his face as it must have been on mine.
“No.” It felt liberating to say this word to Bavarius, and to see, for once, fear on his face as I spoke. “No. It is your turn.” And with these words I charged at him.
He was surprised at my sudden attack and, never the most disciplined, found himself on his knees at the end of my sword within moments. My chest heaved with exertion, and also with emotion.
I had dreamt of this moment for years.
Stealing a quick look at Christus, who was tensed, alternating his attention between the giant who now skirted the arena, and me, to make certain that I was okay.
He nodded solemnly. “He is yours to kill.”
The words hit deep. Staring into the eyes of my tormentor, I raised my sword, preparing to plunge it deeply into his chest.
I found that I could not. My hand shook as I stood suspended. I could hear the roar of the crowd, as if from a distance, urging me to do it, to kill.
I raised my head, looked at my lover. “I cannot. He does not deserve even the kindness of death, not from me.”
Christus’ eyes questioned me, and I nodded at the unspoken question. Striding forward, he lifted his own sword, and in answer I dropped my own.
“It is him or us, Lilia.”
His sword slashed through the air, a streak of silver. I shuddered but did not turn away, watching the blade slice through flesh. When the sword had struck home, Christus looked up at me, and I saw my own feelings again reflected there.
There was no joy in killing—there was no longer even the rush of victory. There was simply survival.
“I will choose you every time.” Wrenching his arm back, Christus pulled the sword from Bavarius’ body. The dead man slumped to the sand, a massive wound gaping open in his chest.
I swallowed as my tormentor hit the sand, great clouds of dust rising around him. Once my greatest wish had been to see him dead.
Instead I felt nothing. I had no feelings for him at all, neither good nor bad. As I looked at Christus, at the eye that was swelling shut, I knew that all of my emotion had been claimed elsewhere.
“That leaves just the one.” Christus’ voice was grim. The large gladiator had disappeared into the wreck of the ship, an area that I had not yet had chance to set foot on. Nerves began to twang in my body.
We were so close to being the final two. So close to making our stand by refusing to kill each other.
“We should rest for a moment, while he is far away.” Placing my hands on my knees and trying to will strength back into my fatigued muscles, I glanced up at the balcony where Gaius, his women, his slaves, and his soldiers had been watching the games.