A chill washed over me as I realized that he was no longer there. Realization crashed over me in a wave, one of those gut feelings that had served me so well in the arena in the past.
I had no information on which to base it, but I knew that Gaius’ disappearance had something to do with me.
“Christus!” I stood straight, my fatigue disappearing in a rush of adrenaline. “Something is coming. Some sort of trick. Gaius will not allow the games to end so calmly.” Christus did not ask me how I knew this, simply nodded and pulled at my arm, pulling me in tightly toward him.
The screech of metal grinding against metal rent the air, and the crowd again fell silent. They, as we, were straining to see what the gate that was being lifted at the far end of the arena would reveal. They watched with glee, however, and Christus and I with dread.
The games had gone by so fast that Gaius needed something large to end them. And for the first time since proposing that we simply be the last two to live, and to refuse to kill each other, I wondered if it was even possible to live through something that had come from the twisted mind of Gaius.
“What is that?” A great roar sounded through the air, and people in the crowd squealed in fright. Ice filled my veins as I saw a great orange beast stalk out from the holding area.
My mouth fell open in shock. It was a great cat, but one far larger and more exotic than any I had ever seen. Its fur was the color of the sun, striped through with inky black. It was larger than a man, and tension and agitation were clear in its coiled muscles.
The beast had clearly been provoked, likely at Gaius’ instruction. The noises from the crowd were upsetting it all the more. I cast a quick look at Christus to find that he, too, was in shock.
It was one thing to fight another human, for even with differences in size and strength, there was hope. How were we to survive against a strange beast who had been angered and was now on the hunt?
I had encountered beasts in the arena before—lions and bears. They were usually tethered by long chains, however, and that this angry, abused creature was allowed to roam free showed another extent of Gaius’ madness.
“Lilia.” I saw Christus try to size up the situation, just as I was, and saw the same finality on his features. There was no way out of this, none at all.
The beast turned at that moment, as if it had suddenly sensed that it was being watched. Its intelligent eyes fixed on us, and it cocked its head to one side before slowly beginning the long march across the sand.
It was heading straight toward us.
“Be still.” Christus’ words were an order, and I could not have moved if I’d wanted to. Possibly the smart move would have been to strike, to try to kill the beast before it killed me, but I could not bring myself to lay a hand on the beautiful, fierce creature.
It had been brought into the arena just as we had, through no choice of its own. Its apparent anger was not its fault either, and I could not imagine killing a beast that was so magnificent and innocent.
A low growl whispered through the air, just loud enough for us to hear. Turning, I saw that the other gladiator who still lived had emerged from the depths of the shipwreck, and was stalking toward us. Murder was in his eyes, and I could not blame him. He was so close to winning the games, to winning his life, and he did not care about saving the life of another.
He intended to strike at us while we were distracted by the great cat, then to hope that he survived the beast himself.
I did not know what to do, and the instincts that had led me to so many successes in the arena had fled.
I prayed to the gods for guidance.
“End this now!” the gladiator shouted as he broke into a run, and I saw the trembling in his muscles, which were sheened with sweat. He was as fatigued as we were. I tensed, ready to counter, and heard an unearthly roar echoing from behind us.
A quick glance over my shoulder told me that the cat was on the move, running with an inhuman grace. The sudden movement of the gladiator had spooked it, and it thought it was being attacked.
“Lilia!” Christus shoved at me, and I tried to hold my ground, knowing what he was trying to do. “Run!”
The gladiator moved past me and swung his sword in a wide arc at Christus. I cried out, then saw the flash of orange, muscles bunched tense, flying straight for me.
I listened. I ran.
The shipwreck was near, and I darted inside, hoping that the closed off-interior would deter the beast. It paused for a moment, then leapt onto the railing, the wood splintering beneath its great weight.
I darted back out into the open, my one thought to get to Christus. I saw him reach for me as he swung his own blade at the massive gladiator with his free hand. I was nearly there—we could defeat the warrior together, I knew it.