Page 36

She brought her hand back and started to step away. He lunged forward and caught her wrist, pulling her gently back to him. "But you can finish."

She looked confused and uncertain but didn't question him. Quietly, she finished rubbing the gel on his ribs and then had him bend forward to get his back. Next, she shined his horns and rubbed the back of his skull, and, by the elders, it felt so divine he almost asked her not to stop.

When she was finished, she stood before him as if she wanted to say something. Instead, she cleared her throat and returned the bottle to the cabinet. The whole situation was quite bizarre to him, and he started to laugh. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd find himself being pampered this way by a human and actually liking it.

"What's so funny?" she asked in a clipped tone.

"Hmm, nothing. Nothing at all."

She didn't question him further. "Well, that's it then." She looked at the little screen connected to a band on her wrist. "They'll be starting soon. We should go."

He took a deep breath, wondering if he would make it through this day without breaking his composure, then stood and followed her to the door.

CHAPTERELEVEN

Xeda

They were led down to the tower's center by another two wardens—one lygin, one human—who seemed more robotic than real. It still unnerved him to see otherkin that were not intimidated by him. This made him wonder about the other fighters. These servants of the games were clearly used to seeing the most vicious of players, so even he was no longer the most threatening thing in the city.

As they stepped into a glass box that took them down to ground level, he peered down at Ophilia who was unusually quiet. He could practically smell the tension in her.

"Have you seen them, the other fighters?" he inquired, wondering what made her so nervous.

She shifted beside him. "No. But I know about the ones I've seen fight before."

"Is that why you're so nervous?"

She glanced up at him. "The fighters aren't the only thing I worry about. That's your job. But the other trainers..."

He studied her. "You're seriously worried about them?"

"I'm...an outsider. And many of the trainers had ties with Hendrik."

He suddenly understood. He straightened, staring ahead. "If they so much as touch you, they will wish they were dead."

He thought he heard her inhale sharply, as if shocked by his statement. "Just let me deal with them. You can't compromise your place in this at all. One wrong move outside the arena, and they will ban you, possibly for good."

His fangs slipped from his upper lip. "I guess we will both have to watch our backs then."

"Yes, we will."

The doors to the glass box opened, and beyond was a dark, circular room with a deep sea-blue floor. The two wardens had them wait just before another set of doors, to be announced before entering.

"Just remember," Ophilia said. "You're not here to make enemies. If anything, you want allies. If not that, then you must stay neutral. Talk as if you aren't about to fight. Act as if you are already a champion. And don't let them upset you no matter what they say."

The doors opened, and Xeda entered with Ophilia into a large central room with a ceiling high above, stretching all the way to the top of the tower roof. He stepped onto the gold and blue floors and saw the banners of the different fighters hanging from pillars around the wide open space. Floating above was a cylindrical monitor that his face appeared on.

"Welcome, fighter Xeda of House Salimar," boomed a female's voice.

Strangers applauded him. Hundreds of well-dressed individuals and all manner of otherkin crowded around him.

For a panicked moment, his instincts rose, wanting to lash out, a growl nearly escaping from his throat. He quickly pushed his instincts down and forced himself to remain calm. He kept his head high and stayed still. Ophilia beside him was doing a better job at playing the part. She smiled and waved, even putting her hand on his arm. She took his hand and rose it above her head as if in victory while she paraded him around the room.

He had to admit he was impressed by her cool, collected manner, even after they merged with the others and began to mingle. She kept her smile, her air of excitement, and did all the talking as people came up to them, asking questions about him.

He remained quiet, saying only a few words, mostly yes or no, when someone asked him something directly. It was bizarre to see so many people looking at him with such awe and praise when he was only used to terror and disgust. He wasn't sure what to make of it or if he liked the attention or not, but he remained calm, only going rigid every so often when he felt someone dare to touch him. He had to take deep breaths and try not to lose control, to not become overwhelmed, knowing he was being watched carefully by the game wardens nearby.

As if she sensed he was becoming uncomfortable, Ophilia thanked those around them and then led him away toward separate rooms past the central chamber. It was then he could start to relax and also pay more attention to his surroundings and specific people. He caught sight of other fighters and had to make sure not to stop and stare. There was a grex with a pair of extra metal arms. Then a massive corax, larger than the one he had fought at the house, and as tall as him, wearing some strange metal suit and some kind of jaw piece that gave him an extra set of teeth. There was a lygin who must have been genetically altered because they were also larger than the rest and looked more feral, with talons longer than Xeda's own and a mouth with a detachable jaw which he showed off to a group of onlookers.