When I first saw Elix leaning against the post by the bench area, my heart almost exploded. Seeing the collar around his neck and the inscrutable expression on his face nearly killed me. I had to fight the urge to run and throw myself into his arms. To hold him and tell him everything would be okay. It wasn't easy and I almost lost the fight on several occasions. But, I knew that if I tipped my hand, if I let on that I knew Elix, that the game would be up and it would be bad for the both of us.

As I walked to the bench area across from him, I cut my eyes to Elix and gave him a subtle shake of my head, hoping he understood I wanted him to pretend that he didn't know me. He stepped back into the shade of the bench area, but couldn't keep his eyes off of me.

It hadn't been all that long really, but I found myself a little surprised that he looked the same. I didn't know what I'd expected, but a life in captivity, being forced to fight or die – I had expected to see some changes in the man I loved. Scars or something, maybe.

But then, as I looked at him, looked into his eyes, I realized the scars he was bearing wouldn't be visible.

“Master Dryx,” Plynt said. “Is this your warrior?”

Dryx nodded but didn't speak. Plynt smiled wide and bowed before turning to me. With his back to the Master, Plynt tipped me a wink. After I told him to sell me to the man who'd bought Elix, he'd arranged this whole charade – including having me “audition” against Elix. Plynt was turning out to be a better man than I was expecting. He seemed to have a good heart – despite his line of work.

He handed me a practice blade and I looked at it with some skepticism. We'd trained with blades back in basic, but it had been a rudimentary, worst case scenario type training. Our guns were our primary weapons and we seldom ever ran into a scenario where we had to use a knife, let alone a sword. I was just hoping I could fake it and be convincing.

“Walk to the middle of the yard here and wait,” Plynt said softly.

I did as he instructed and a moment later, Elix joined me. He loomed over me and I took comfort in his presence.

“You don't know me,” I muttered. “You can't know me right now.”

I turned and looked back to where Elix was standing on the dais next to the Master. Plynt nodded and Dryx waved his hand at us but did not speak. Apparently, we were so far beneath him, we did not even merit a vocal acknowledgment.

Turning back to Elix, I brandished my blade. He just stood there looking at me. I could see how torn he was between wanting to hold me, and wanting to take me and fight our way out. We couldn't afford to screw this up.

“Fight me,” I hissed. “We have to make this look convincing.”

“What are you doing here?” he said, his voice low.

“Saving your ass,” I snapped. “Now, fight me.”

“I won't fight you.”

“These are fake blades, Elix,” I said. “Nobody is going to get hurt – unless you refuse to fight and make it look convincing.”

“Kianna – ”

I knew Dryx was watching closely, and since I had no desire to catch a bullet in the back of the head if he figured out my game, I launched myself at Elix. My blade a blur of motion, I smacked him half a dozen times with it, the practice blade ringing with a high pitched chime every time I made contact. Dryx backed up, rubbing at the spots I'd made contact. In addition to the sound made on contact, the practice blade emitted a sharp shock of energy as well.

“Fight me, Elix,” I said.

“I can't,” he replied. “I won't.”

“Don't be an idiot,” I said. “You're going to get us both killed. I have a plan. Now, play your goddamn part.”

He stepped forward and raised his blade half-heartedly, and I waded in again, smacking him with my own half a dozen more times. I guess hand-to-hand combat training was finally paying off. Of course, it helped that Elix wasn't fighting back.

“What's the problem, Elix,” called a man from his bench area.

Elix looked back at him but said nothing. So, I had to fill in the gap.

“He won't fight me because he thinks I'm his lesser,” I said. “He won't fight me because I'm a woman.”

“That true, Elix?” the man called.

Elix said nothing. He just stood there, staring at me. His eyes were filled with love and he looked like he was on the verge of taking me into his arms. Ordinarily, that wouldn't have been a bad thing. In our current situation though, it was something we couldn't afford at that moment.

I stepped forward and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Reaching back, I punched him in the face as hard as I could. Elix dropped his blade and stumbled backward, clutching a nose that was flowing with blood. He fell on his ass with a grunt and Jurg laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

I turned and saw Plynt looking aghast, but Dryx was smiling, though trying to look stern at the same time. Knowing I needed to make it look convincing, I stepped toward Elix, my blade at the ready, about to pepper him with a series of strikes.

“Hold,” Dryx's deep voice rumbled across the yard. “I've seen enough.”

I turned back and saw him exchanging a few words with Plynt. I turned back to Elix, careful to keep my face neutral. He'd gotten back to his feet and clutched a rag to his nose. I'd expected him to at least look irritated about being punched, but he still looked at me like a lovesick puppy. He was going to get us killed if he didn't man up and play his role.

I turned back to the dais and Plynt subtly nodded to me. The deal had been made. The man who'd been standing by Elix's bench stepped forward and looked me up and down, scrutinizing my every detail.

“You've got some skill,” he growled. “But, you're still raw. I give you ten seconds in the ring before you get yourself killed if you don't tighten up your technique. It's sloppy and undisciplined.”

“Then train me,” I snapped.

The man smirked at me. “You don't give the orders around here,” he said. “I do. Pop off to me like that again and I'll reinforce that basic truth.”

I did not like the man and wanted to punch him in the face too. There was something about him though. Violence and death clung to him like a second skin. I could see in his eyes and his bearing that he was a hard man. A man who'd seen too much death – and a man who'd been responsible for much of it.

I looked up at Elix, who remained silent. The blood had stopped gushing from his nose, but it was drying upon his face. Through it all, he looked at me with nothing but love and tenderness. I tore my eyes away from him and focused on the other man again, trying to get it through Elix's head that we couldn't afford to look at each other like star-crossed lovers.

“You were a pit fighter,” I said to the man.

“Yeah, I was,” he replied.

“And now you train them.”

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “I know talent when I see it. You've got some in you. But, your attitude is for shit.”

“Yeah, like I haven't heard that before.”

Dryx and Plynt retired, walking back into his mansion, leaving the three of us in the yard. The man looked me up and down and I was growing uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny. I didn't know why, but the way he looked at me made me think he knew something was up. That something wasn't right about this whole situation. He didn't know what it was, but I could tell he suspected something. It was like he could smell it on me.

Honestly, it probably had to do with the way Elix was reacting to me. Which meant, I needed to get him to fight back, to play his part, and to hopefully, throw the man off our scent.

“Stop staring at me,” I told Elix. “Or I'll put your goddamn eyes out.”

Elix said nothing. He just stood there, looming over me, his eyes locked onto mine. I thought I could see the faint flicker of understanding in his eyes. He knew we needed to put on a performance. He just couldn't seem to make himself do it. Which meant, I was going to have to help him out.

I stepped forward and drove my knee up into his crotch. Elix's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he doubled over, clutching his wounded balls, a choked, wet gasping noise coming from his throat. The other man just shook his head and laughed.

“I warned him,” I said.

His laughter finally fading, he nodded. “That you did,” he replied. “Come, let's get you to your bunk. There isn't a lot of time left in this tournament cycle and Dryx is going to want to get as much use out of you before it ends. Or, until you die.”

“Nothing like feeling wanted and appreciated,” he said.

“Make no mistake, girl,” he said. “This isn't about making you feel wanted or appreciated. Dryx has purchased you with the intent of making a profit off your back – or off your death. He would rather keep you alive to maximize the return on his investment. But, he won't shed a tear or lose a wink of sleep if you die.”

“He seems like such a warmhearted, generous man.”

The man sighed, but I could see the smile on his face. I was pissing him off, but amusing him at the same time.

“I am Jurg,” he said. “Tonight, I want you to rest. Tomorrow, you are going to train with Elix. He is our best fighter and if anybody can teach you to stay alive in the arena, it will be him.”

“Yeah, that should go well.”

“It better go well,” he replied. “Or you're going to end up a blood stain on the arena floor.”

“Yeah well, his fighting skills didn't impress me today,” I said. “I sure hope is skills as a trainer are better.”

Jurg let out a long breath. “I will take care of that,” he said. “I see potential in you, girl. I don't want to see that go to waste with your death.”

“Finally,” I say. “Something we agree on.”

Elix followed behind us, still gasping, as we made our way down to where Dryx housed his pit fighters. I hated having to be so rough with Elix. So cruel. It was necessary though. I knew he'd understand, but treating him the way I had still sent a dagger of pain through my heart all the same.

I cut a glance behind us to Elix and he gave me a faint smile, the light of love burning brightly in his eyes. Which only made me feel like more a shit for treating him like I had.

But, I was going to do anything and everything in my power to get us out of there alive. Anything.