“What are you doing?”
“I just need to speak with the officials a moment. I’ll be right behind you.”
Ziana shrugged and kept walking, free of the cable that had bound them together for so long. Flagro and Galla had already taken their position, both watching her with undisguised disdain.
“Oh, look. The little human is finally free to roam, and her partner already abandons her,” Galla said with a chuckle.
Ziana ignored him and kept walking.
Her brother wouldn’t let it go that easily, joining in her mirth and sizing Ziana up with a gross sneer. “At least she can make herself useful to her superiors. A role you will be getting usedto very soon,” he added. “Be a good girl and fetch me some Lectrolis cooler.”
Ziana spun, hands on her hips in annoyance but a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen.”
“Oh, she has spunk!” Galla snarked. “We’ll break you of that when you are our servant.”
Ziana didn’t take the bait. In fact, she laughed so loud other players turned to see what was so funny. Being made fun of wasnotsomething Galla enjoyed, but there was nothing she could do about it.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so much more than that,” Ziana replied with a saccharine sweet smile. “By the way, how’s the nose feeling?”
Galla lunged to her feet, but her brother grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit. If she’d attacked another player so openly under the watchful eyes of everyone in attendance there would have been no way even an elite could avoid being expelled from the games.
Ziana gave a little wave and carried on her way. “See ya later.”
Galla stared pure hatred at her. “You can count on it.”
Ziana stepped up onto the low platform for their first round and took the attendant’s seat. Their first opponents were elites. Bladzo and Skeetaxa. It seemed whoever had set this up was wasting no time putting the troublesome upstart team in their place.
Dorrin joined them a few minutes later, but rather than take his seat he stood beside Ziana. The officiant arrived right after him, a shocked look on his face no matter how he tried to hide it. Whatever Dorrin had said to them had taken them all by surprise. Ziana looked up at her man.
“What’s going on?”
“A little change of plans. Switch seats with me.”
Despite watching many games at once, all attention quickly shifted to just this one and the murmurs rising from the crowd transitioned to outright uproar in an instant.
Ziana’s face flushed as she realized what he meant. “Wait. Hang on. I’m not allowed to?—”
“You are, actually,” he cut her off.
“No, she cannot!” Bladzo declared, utterly self-assured and secure in his status. “You may not break the rules, commoner. Even one from the lower class knows this.”
Dorrin flashed the most condescending, bless-your-heart grin imaginable. “While custom dictates that Bolaxis is a game played only by males, that is tradition, not law. Isn’t that right, officiant?”
The poor officiant squirmed under the elite’s gaze, well aware he was currently being watched live by damn near every gambler in the city.
“It’s true,” he said with a gulp. “While the games have certain parameters regarding the team member playing the game, those issues have been recognized, discussed, and addressed to the satisfaction of the overseer. As for the game itself, while highly unusual, this request is legal.”
“What sort of issues?” Ziana asked.
Dorrin rested his hand on her shoulder. “Do not concern yourself with that. You have but one thing to focus on. Just play the game.”
“But I?—”
“You are a far better player than I am, and you and I both know it.”
“But I can’t just?—”
“Youcan. I trust you, Ziana. I trust you with my life.”
