Page 27

Benet heard Kyden’s amused laugh in his mind and had to suppress an answering grin.

There was no further conversation as the Nichevsky crew surrounded him and escorted him to the facility with much cheering and back slapping.

He refused to do any more interviews and asked them all to leave him alone.

The shower was refreshing and he withdrew to his tiny cubicle to get his mind set for the finals.

A trainer brought him rations and special drinks, which he accepted.

Stretching out on the floor, he tried to grab a few winks of sleep.

At home, in the arena dressing room, he had a ritual, as did every man.

He’d check his weapons, sharpen the edge on his sword, polish his shield to dazzle the eyes of the other combatants and kept his mind sharply focused on the tasks.

He had certain exercises he did each time, in a set order and then he’d dress, donning each piece of the archaic uniform until he was the embodiment of the killer gladiator of old.

He had his lucky charms and his short prayer to the Lords of Space.

By the time the first trumpets sounded and the signal came to march onto the sands and swear fealty to the ruler (who was never there but the ritual was always carried out anyway) he was calm and ready to fight.

Here there was no such comforting routine to be followed although he did his best.

His ‘uniform’ for the fight to come was a loincloth with the Nichevsky crest in an awkward spot. There were no weapons as it would be hand to hand combat, no holds barred.

The Great Mother will be with you, Dmitri said in his mind. I wish I could fight beside you as we did the first day.

Sorry it isn’t a team event, Benet answered.

It will be Klorizenko. You remember the report we had on his tells and weaknesses . The remark wasn’t a question.

I do .

He fights for Prince Vasili’s family, let that give you extra strength to throw him from the ring. Dmitri had an evil chuckle.

Is Marushka doing all right?

White knuckled and on the edge of her seat the entire time but cheering for you.

I’d better go — the trainers are here, no doubt to tell me the Klorizenko news.

Benet cut the link as Kyden had shown him how to do and sat up to give his attention to the coaches crowding his space.

He managed to act suitably surprised and allowed them to give him a few excited tips and suggestions before sending them all away.

He had his strategy for the upcoming fight and didn’t need anyone’s advice. Dmitri had trained him well.

It took a long time for all the surviving athletes to make it through the maze and the obstacle course, after which the rankings were announced and revised once as another man was disqualified for his injuries even though he’d managed to stagger across the finish line.

The top 18 men would battle hand to hand for the final ranking but Benet and Klorizenko would be fighting for the gold and silver since they’d captured the top two spots.

Kyden found it all wearying and vowed to himself if anyone in the Five Systems ever dared to propose a ‘sport’ anything close to this abomination of a contest he’d expend maximum effort to shut the idea down.

He hated contests which killed the entrants on a regular basis.

His progress on getting death matches banned at home was gratifying and watching this spectacle reinforced his resolve.

Men and women weren’t pawns to live and die at the whims of, or for the entertainment of other sentients.

Once the final standings were certified by the judges, Duke Nichevsky rose and led the way to a special dinner he’d ordered to be prepared in one of the pavilions erected for the purpose a short distance from the Games’ venue.

Other groups were making their way to their own banquets and the general populace had a huge food court on the other side of the sports complex to go to.

Kyden walked with Tallin and Dmitri and they compared their impressions of the day’s events and Benet’s performance as they strolled.

“He beat two of my winning times,” Dmitri said with pride. “I can handle that.”

Talinn punched him in the arm. “Of course you can—you’re ahead.”

“I don’t think Benet has any desire to repeat this experience,” Kyden said.

“I didn’t either,” Dmitri answered with a frown. “Each time I competed the empress, whoever was on the throne then, ordered my participation. Ekatereen could have ordered me to compete this time but thankfully did not. One never knows with her.”

Kyden hated to think of Benet and Dmitri being pitted against each other so he was glad the unpredictable empress hadn’t stepped in.

He was seated next to Marushka at dinner, with another lady on his other side, who ignored him for the most part, which was fine.

He liked Marushka, who reminded him a little of his own mate Elara.

Both were highborn women who probably shouldn’t even have encountered a gladiator like himself or Benet, much less fallen in love with them.

He had no regrets about Claiming Elara and they were incredibly happy together.

But where his mate was ambitious and highly motivated to succeed in her personal life as well as the life they shared and their gladiatorial House and other business interests, Marushka seemed more innocent and na?ve to him.

She’d grown up close to the heart of the venomous Outlier imperial politics and when she spoke of anything to do with them she was crisp and obviously hardened but at other times she came across as young and uninformed.

He was frankly surprised she’d pushed hard enough against her place in elevated society to become a veterinarian but he admired the accomplishment.

Marushka said she was going to break off her engagement to Prince Vasili and sounded quite determined about the decision but Kyden was dubious her resolve would hold once Benet was gone.

She did carry the faint scent of being Benet’s mate, to his highly developed Badari sense.

Kyden rubbed his chest over his heart where his own mate bond was quiescent, having gone dormant after he’d traveled a certain number of lightyears from the Five Systems. He hoped Elara wasn’t in too much discomfort.

Fortunately the separation was purely temporary and they’d gone through this before, when he went off to rescue Rennyr and then Talinn.

Thinking of Rennyr, he realized the pack bond would have also gone inert once Kyden was too far away for it to manifest. We’ll be home soon and all will be well. They had to get through the fights tonight and then Kyden could take Benet and go home.

He glanced at Marushka, who was being polite and chatting with Talinn on her other side during this course of the dinner. He suppressed a chuckle at the way the woman on his other side turned a cold shoulder to him. So much for my ego . He concentrated on his fish, which was excellent.

Benet and Marushka had a hard parting ahead. He’d probed gently during the long day at the Games and she’d been adamant there was no way the Empress would allow her to leave, and would make every effort to reclaim her if she did manage to escape.

Dmitri would do his best to continue protecting her.

Kyden flicked a glace at him now, across the table, ignoring the women on either side of him.

Marushka carried the faint scent of being Dmitri’s kin, although she wasn’t.

He’d wondered and poked a bit at the topic but the Badari assured him he’d never even met Marushka’s mother, much less fathered a child with the woman.

“I was in disfavor with the empress on the throne at that time,” he’d said.

“I think she believed she was punishing me by assigning me to guard a baby. No concern for Marushka of course! Who would ever think it was a good idea to give a helpless cub to a hulking monster like me, with claws and fangs? But the moment her late mother’s maid put her in my arms and she smiled at me, I knew I’d do anything to protect her. And I have.”

Of course Marushka had also had nursemaids, governesses, tutors, dance teachers, riding instructors and other support as she grew up but the one constant was Dmitri.

She’d explained to Kyden her father took no interest in her but expected her to show up at age eighteen as a perfectly prepared Grand Duchess, ready to enter the upper echelons of Outlier society and to serve as his prize offering in the political marriage arena.

Kyden pitied her but at least she’d had Dmitri.

Badari placed their cubs above all else in the world when Kyden was in the labs.

It was one way the damn scientists controlled the packs, threatening the cubs.

He was eternally grateful to Dmitri for conveying the Great Mother’s message revealing a blood transfusion would enable Elara to have his child, which was the thing the couple both desired with all their entwined hearts.

Dinner dragged on way too long but eventually the group was led in a procession to the viewing stands and the evening’s competition began.

Of course the gold medal round would be the final event of the night so Kyden settled in for a severe test of his patience, watching the other eighteen competitors pummel each other with varying degrees of skill and finesse.