Page 96 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

Kitan

I woke with my skin prickling, my body responding to some sound that I hadn’t consciously registered.

Sitting up, I surveyed our hideyhole quickly, noting the stacks of boxes, the old and dusty furniture, and the single window to one side of the room.

It looked out over the vast storehouse we’d taken refuge in, but it was nearly empty, with some scattered debris and leftover detritus lying around, but not much else in the way of cover.

I’d shoved the leftover furniture in front of the door to barricade it.

The window was made of safety glass, containing a webbing material that would ensure that when the glass itself shattered, all the shards would remain stuck in the frame.

This meant it wasn’t likely to be an access route into the room, but it did give me a chance to look out through it.

What I saw froze the blood in my veins. Kest had betrayed us, damn it! How had he even found out where we were? Had he traced the call? The fucking bastard—when I got my hands on him, I was going to tear him limb from limb!

I was so angry that, had I been alone, I would have leaped through that door and confronted him—even though both my parents, Purveyn, and a whole contingent of guards surrounded Kest. I was so going to bash his lying face in.

“Kitan,” Chloe whispered, her hand curling around my bicep, a soft, warm weight.

Then she pressed her face against my shoulder and nuzzled, and I let out an angry, pent-up breath.

“I love you, Kitan,” she said, her voice sad.

She knew as well as I did that this meant the end for her.

Heart breaking, I curled my arms around her and held her tight.

“I love you, Chloe,” I husked out through a throat so tight I could barely breathe.

“I won’t give up. This can’t be it,” I added, my fingers curling into her soft sweater, sliding beneath it and stroking over her curves, enveloped in the nubby texture of her crochet top.

The window showed me things hadn’t changed.

Soldiers stood at each exit of the warehouse, surrounding our small office space with stunners at the ready.

Meanwhile, two soldiers flanked Purveyn, and a third stood at Kest’s side.

My parents stood next to each other, their heads bent close as they debated something in hushed, angry whispers.

What were they waiting for? They couldn’t see us right now; we were hidden in the corner, behind the blinds.

They knew we were here and had us completely cornered, so they didn’t need to rush.

Purveyn’s face was twisted into an awful, satisfied grin.

He was drawing this out because he took great enjoyment in torturing those he had control over—like Chloe and me.

Maybe I’d go for Purveyn first before I bashed Kest’s head in.

I didn’t even want to look at my brother right now, where he stood among the people who had tortured me growing up—those who sought to profit from my misery and Chloe’s death.

“Come out, Kitan, you’re surrounded, and there’s no getting away!

” Purveyn drawled in his stage master’s voice.

Deep and resonating, it was a voice that carried authority.

With the years upon years of trauma I’d suffered while listening to this damn voice, I could feel how my entire body rebelled.

I felt physically sick; I’d failed Chloe so badly.

“Let’s go,” Chloe said. She sounded strong now, showcasing strength I didn’t have.

“We might be trapped, but we can walk out with our heads held high.” She looked determined—so strong and beautiful—that I could do nothing less than follow her example.

If they dared harm her, I wasn’t going to hold back.

I’d destroy every single one I could get my hands on before they stunned me.

I slid off the table, helped her down, and straightened our clothing, picking up and folding our things as if we had all the time in the world.

As if we would be allowed to keep any of this.

Chloe shrugged out of her sweater and stuck it in her bag, giving me a soft smile, but she didn’t explain why she’d taken it off.

Her hand felt extremely warm, when I took it, and I feared she was running a fever.

At least she made a beautiful picture in her leather pants, gun belt, and figure-hugging soft gray top with its V-neck and delicate ribbing.

She looked badass and beautiful, and I’d forever cherish this image of her.

Despite the remnants of blood beneath her nose and the redness in her cheeks that indicated her fever, she looked strong and brave.

Taking my cue from her, I checked the weapons on my belt and made sure the charges were still good.

Then, I loosened the laces on my boots so that I could easily shift out of them should I need to.

We left the blankets folded neatly on the table, the rest of our things now fitting in a single bag that Chloe slung around her slender shoulders.

“In case you want to fight, I’ll hang on to this,” she whispered.

It was but the work of a moment to push everything out of the way and clear the door.

As we stepped through, a dozen stunners were aimed our way, but neither Chloe nor I raised our hands in surrender.

I eyed Purveyn, where he stood in smug satisfaction, and looked at my parents, who seemed both angry and relieved.

Kest—I couldn’t stand to look at just yet; his betrayal was making my body twitch, wanting to hurt him for what he’d done.

“There you are, Kitan, good boy,” Purveyn said with a sneer.

“Did you really think you could get away?” My skin prickled.

Yeah, I had, and if I hadn’t trusted the wrong person, I would have!

Finally, I let my glare settle on Kest for real, wanting him to know just how much I detested him for betraying me and causing what was quite possibly Chloe’s end.

I couldn’t think about that now, though, so I settled for anger.

Kest stood, back ramrod straight, arms tucked tightly behind his back.

His red hair, long and sleek, was in a topknot on his head, pinned in place by two gilded and carved sticks.

My eyes narrowed on those; they were the hair ornaments specifically reserved for the head of the house.

I’d only ever seen them on my father before, though I likely just hadn’t noticed them when Kest had visited the monastery earlier.

His eyes were flinty and angry, his posture confrontational despite the hands behind his back. Was the bastard seriously angry at me? “You asshole,” I told Kest. “Being head of our family house has made you as greedy as those Vaher, hasn’t it?” With an angry gesture, I pointed at our parents.

My mother curled her lips at me and gave me a disgusted snarl.

“Watch your tone there, boy,” she said. “You are nothing but trouble. You and your non-Sune mate—it’s a disgrace.”

Ah, thank you, mother. Serve your greed with a side of racism, why don’t you?

“Delightful, this,” Purveyn said with a smirk, “family drama. Well, don’t worry, Kitan, you’ll never have to see your brother again.

” I reeled in surprise, turning to take my attention from my sneering parents back to Kest once more.

It made no sense for Purveyn to make such a statement.

As head of the house, Kest would have the privilege of having me show up at hosted events to boast about his relation to a true shifter.

So why would Purveyn say I wouldn’t see Kest again?

Or were they locking me up so tight I’d never see the light of day?

That made no sense either; I’d be useless to them then.

“Look, Kitan,” Chloe whispered at my side, “the guard.” My eyes focused on the guard at Kest’s side immediately, and I realized he had a hand behind Kest’s back, almost as if he…

Shit, was he pointing a gun at my brother?

My heart started pounding fast and hard for entirely different reasons.

A flood of relief went through me when I realized Kest hadn’t betrayed me.

Something had happened to him. Besides, I’d never given Kest our location, and he hadn’t asked.

Something else was at play. I’d been too hotheaded to see it, but Chloe had.

Narrowing my eyes, I took in Kest’s expression, a little less hostility in my own this time.

He seemed to notice because he widened his golden orbs and then tilted his head Purveyn’s way.

Then he mouthed a word that seemed suspiciously like ‘talk.’ So, Kest wanted me to keep Purveyn talking.

I could do that—I was good at talking and pressing all Purveyn’s buttons.

“Why can’t you let me go, Purveyn? I’m never going to stop fighting you, you power-hungry bastard,” I told the high priest with a sneer, watching as his face tightened in anger.

“You dangle the health of my mate over me in exchange for cooperation in your sick schemes and your torture of me and other shifters. And you never even intended to come through on it!” I yelled the last with vehemence, a snarl rending the air after my words.

My skin prickled, and my nails ached. It was a struggle to hold back my hybridform.

The high priest didn’t flinch back; it seemed that he got off on my anger.

Stepping daringly closer, his two guards flanked him.

They weren’t the guards Ga’tera had dispatched last night, and I hadn’t seen Ga’tera himself, either.

With a flick of his expensive robes, Purveyn dramatically held out his arms. Shimmering cloth fell from his wrists in a blatant display of riches.