“I will stay close by and if you need help, I’m here.”
In other circumstances, with any other woman, he would have said no, but not with Bree. “If a wall falls on me, come and save me.”
She knew he was joking, but she didn’t laugh. “I will.”
He left the shadows to go to Mekos.
Bree heard a man with a powerful voice announcing the coming match. He said the Monster of Sheean was “undefeated.” No one had ever beaten him. He could take on a dozen men at once. He could—
She couldn’t stand to hear more. She wanted to see the “monster,” to see what the men were about to face. With her upper half covered, she walked along the wall, looking in each of the cages. They were empty, but inside the cage at the end was a creature like she’d never seen. It wasn’t very tall or even muscular, but its skin was a glistening brown metal-like substance under long, sparse fur. Its head was long, sticking out past its back. About its neck was an old chain with an oval medallion at the end. As Qip had said, it didn’t look valuable. When she looked up, the creature was staring at her. For a moment, its eyes seemed almost human. But in the next second, they turned a deep red and looked like flames.
Bree turned away. She instinctively knew that it would take more than just strength to conquer something like that thing.
When horns were blown, the audience began stamping their feet. Bree saw Mekos and Tam, both heavily armed, standing at the entrance to the arena.
Behind them, four men cautiously opened the cage door. Calmly, the creature walked out. It stood on its two back feet, but its arms were long enough to be legs. Its feet were sharp hooves and in its right claw was a heavy blade. Whatever it was, it was enough human that it could use a weapon.
The men stepped back, as though ready to flee, as the creature got onto a wheeled platform. Obviously, it knew the drill.
As the men started to pull the platform forward, the creature abruptly turned and looked straight at Bree. Yet again, she saw its eyes. For a flash, they were human, then they changed. He sneered at her, showing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. His gesture was threatening.
I can’t watch this, Bree thought.I’m going to be likeAradellaand run away.
There was the roar of the crowd, then came the horrible sound of steel on steel.It has begun. She leaned against the stone wall, listening to the battle, but not wanting to see it. When there was a collective shout, she knew someone had been wounded.
She didn’t know how long it went on, but it seemed like an eternity when suddenly, everything went silent.Death!she thought.Someone has been killed.
She ran to the big doorway so she could see into the arena.Tam’s left arm had blood running down it. Mekos’s leg was bloody. Facing them, unscathed, was the monster, its eyes glowing like balls of fire.
Bree’s instinct was to run into the arena. She didn’t know what she could do, but there had to be something.What wouldPapádo?she wondered.He’d grab the creature from behind and break it in half.Bree knew she didn’t have that much strength.
But she could try! She took a few steps forward, then realized that the audience and the fighters were staring at the far end of the arena. There was utter silence. Even the children were quiet.
Bree turned to look. She didn’t believe what she was seeing. Men were rolling out a big, heavy sheet of metal. It was tall and wide and leaning against a two-wheel handcart. There were two holes in the big slab and a heavy chain had been threaded through them.
The chain was around... Bree shook her head to clear it. Leaning against the sheet of steel was Aradella. She had on her costume from the play and around her waist was a thick chain. She was being held as a prisoner, offered as a sacrifice, to the battle. If Tam and Mekos lost, Aradella would be at the mercy of the monster.
Bree didn’t think, she just ran to Aradella. At the sight of her, the crowd erupted. There were cries of, “It’s the ugly maid.” “With the beautiful princess.” “Together!”
Behind Bree, she heard the clash of steel. The men and the monster were back to fighting. She grabbed the chain with both hands. With all her might, she tried to pull it apart but it didn’t budge.
Aradella stared at her in silence.
Bree went to the back. There was an old lock on the chain. “If only Ian were here!
“They’d probably rush down here to capture him,” Aradella said.
Not even Bree’s strength could break the chain. “Why didyou try to do this alone?” she shouted to Aradella over the noise of the crowd.
“They think I’m beautiful so I thought they’dgiveme the medallion. I wanted to stop the fight.”
There was a metal stake in the ground. Bree pulled it up—to the cheers of the crowd—and used it as a wedge on the lock. “You think that having a pretty face gets you anything you want?”
“Yes! The men on Pithan leap to do things for you.”
“That’s because of myfather!” Bree yelled as she wrenched at the lock. “They hope I’ll say something good to him. They know Olina hates you so they’re afraid. That’s why they ignoreyou.” She took a breath to gather all her strength and again tried to tear the lock away.
“Is your sister strong?” Aradella’s voice was wobbly as she used her questions to cover her fear.
