But I knew it was for his amusement.
Watcher pushed off the wall, so I pulled my attention from the nine prisoners to watch him move through the cages. I couldn’t tell if he was stalking towards me or the prisoners. His strides were long, purposeful. He had a target in mind, but I couldn’t tell who.
When he came to a stop at the cage beside me, my beast huffed a breath. I didn’t move, though I kept my eyes trained on him as he activated the runes on the bars. He wrapped his fist around one before unlocking it, allowing the door to open.
“Get out,” Watcher snapped, allowing the door to swing outwards. “We’re going down to the Pit.”
A shudder rolled through me. But the lion in the cage didn’t fight. He climbed to his feet, still bloody from the last round. Another night down there, and he would die. My beast could scent that certainty in the air. There was a rottenness surrounding him, clouding his normal scent.
The lion left the cage, and Watcher let the door slam shut behind him. Another guard appeared on the other side of my cell with chains in hand, a large collar at the end. Watcher snapped his fingers, motioning for the guard to follow quickly. The lion stood there without struggling. He knew better than to bother. It would only make the night worse.
Who would he be forced to fight? Another beast in the cages? Or one of the soldiers?
Another beast in the cages would give him a chance to live, to see another day.
A soldier would surely slaughter him for fun.
If the rotten one were here, he would have stopped this, I was certain. He wanted a real army forhim. And the rotten one would see this as useless. A waste.
Watcher, however, enjoyed the pain. Thought it was fun. He didn’t care if one of us died.
I wished I’d taken the chance to kill him when I’d been free of my cage.
Instead, I watched as the second soldier led the lion off towards the dark hallway that would take him down to the Pit.
Watcher moved to stand in front of me. My stomach sank, but I remained still as he clutched the third bar of my cage.
When the door swung open, he offered me a dark smile. “Your turn, Thor,” he growled. “Now, make me proud.”
For the first time, I didn’t wish for death in the Pit. Not when I sawherface as I closed my eyes and rose from the cold concrete floor.
Death would not be easy now. Perhaps not ever again.
There were toomany soldiers surrounding the Pit.
They cheered first when the lion entered, their voices overwhelming. Some shouted at the beast, while others screamed their hatred of him.
But their voices turned raucous when I was led into the arena.
I felt the prickling of wards as I entered, the magic lifting my fur. The roar of the crowd dimmed, voices turning hushed as they considered the odds.
He would not win. My beast knew it. The soldiers knew it. And so did the lion. The already injured creature moved to the other side of the arena, towards the blood stained dirt and remnants of his last fight.
The gate slammed shut, locking me and the lion within. My beast rose onto his back legs before slamming down ontoall fours. It had the crowd cheering, but not for the right reason.
I wanted to warn the lion. I wanted him to fight back. If he fought for the full time, he could survive.
But like the other beasts in the cages, he might be too tired. If that were the case, I would help him die.
Because he knew, just as I did, the Pit was the only true way to escape our prison.
“Welcome back!” Watcher’s voice carried over the sound of the crowd. They quietened until there was only a ringing left in my ears from the noise. “Tonight, we have a treat. Our King has graciously given us access to two of his best fighters: the mighty Leo, who has been keeping you entertained since our return from the dead world!”
More applause. More cheers. My ears twitched, but I kept otherwise still. The lion met my eye, tired of fighting. He didn’t want to be entertainment anymore.
“And his opponent?” Watcher’s voice pierced through the crowd again. I felt the weight of their stares fall on me. “The great and terrible Thor!”
My beast hated the name. It was notourname. It was the one Watcher gave me. The one he used when he wanted to make a point.
