Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator (89 page)

“Lumen, stay behind me, out of harm's way. No one here wants to see you hurt.”

He didn't answer. He was shining, more cracks than ever. Time was running out for him, and that meant no one could allow these games to run for too long. There were going to be lots of quick kills, rivers of blood on the sand.

Mania nocked an arrow and fired. Then another, and then a third. Fast! I swung Orbis out in sweeping arcs, catching the arrows in different places in their paths, redirecting them away before they reached me. Move forward, close the gap. Mania just stood there, a slim smile on her sweet little face. Why wasn't she following up? Then the first arrow struck me in the back, just below the right shoulder blade. As the arrow point penetrated, I fell forward and spun, lashing out with Orbis. Orbis caught the other two arrows and splintered one, destroying it, and sending the other away. I cast my discus in pursuit, and he followed the arrow on its course and cut it in half just as it was arcing around to come back for another strike. Trick arrows to match Orbis' return arc. The stories said that Diana's arrows never missed their mark. This must be one of Aquilinus' little jokes. What additional powers had been given to the other Sertorians?

I awkwardly ripped the arrow from my shoulder, then switched my spear to my left hand and threw it at her. A split second later Orbis returned and I cast him at once. Mania dodged the spear neatly, but it caused her to step right into Orbis' path, cutting her left shoulder. She screamed and swore, giving me a second to quickly survey how the others were holding up.

To my right, Licinus slipped past one of Marcus' gladius thrusts and punched him, sending him flying across the cell so fast and hard that I thought he was going to hit the electrified wall, but Marcus managed to roll and disperse some of the force of the Sertorian's blow, coming to a stop just inches away from certain death. Licinus was the new Mars in more than just appearance. He had superhuman strength. But how? Not from the ambrosia. He didn't have that kind of strength before, even when he was dosed up to the eyeballs.

“The armor,” I shouted to Marcus. “His strength comes from the armor!”

Forbidden machinarii enhancements. It was anything goes in Aquilinus' arena, as long as it suited his team. Marcus nodded in acknowledgment as he recovered his feet, and then I was on again with Mania. Another volley of her seeker arrows. I used the arms from my breastplate, swinging Orbis in a pattern. The arrows flew off the shield of arcs it formed, clattering away, only it put me on the back foot. I couldn't attack. I lowered my guard, and then, as the arrows came, I snatched one with my arms, spun, and sent it back. Then another two. If I could throw a discus with them, then why not an arrow, just like Pavo's crossbow or a spear throw? Mania diverted one with her bow, one missed, but the third struck home, hitting her in the left hip bone. She shrieked, her white hair flailing about her, as she fell and then quickly pulled the arrow from her side, grimacing in pain.

To my left I caught sight of Pavo, his muscles straining as he tried to disentangle himself from Barbata's net. He was too late, though—her trident speared him in the upper chest. It was on his right side and it missed his heart, but it probably punctured a lung. He'd live, but for how long? It was a strange encounter to witness. Pavo was a strong competitor. How had Barbata delivered such a crippling wound so quickly? He didn't seem to be struggling or fighting at all.

I looked past Mania as she stood up. Beyond her, in the cell opposite, was Julia versus the Dioscurii. No match at all. The charioteers were moving apart, rejoining with lightning speed, one moment working together as one, then separating into two one-armed charioteers attacking from opposite angles. Their power was super speed, and they were using it to play a game of cat and mouse as they cut her to pieces. Their weapons flashed as they passed, paper-thin cuts to make her bleed. They were playing to the crowd's bloodlust. Julia was sensible, hovering near the rear curved wall of the cell, using the danger of electrocution to minimize their opportunity to come at her from both sides.

Mania closed in on me, long knife in her left hand. No traditional one-on-one, she ducked and rolled under my first swing and came up under my guard, stabbing me in the side as she passed. She was fast, but not as fast as the Dioscurii. I cast backward as she passed and heard a yelp of surprise. Spinning about, I saw she was missing some fingers. A lucky strike on my part. Good luck pulling the string on her bowstaff now.

Marcus and Licinus faced off. The whip lashed out, and Marcus threw up his arm, biting back the pain as the electrified surface wrapped around his forearm. But it was planned. He ran at Licinus, faster than the Sertorian could retract the whip. Licinus had only two options: focus on the whip and use the other hand to speed up, retracting it to gain control over Marcus' body, or let him come and focus on the spear to attack. He chose the spear, and it snaked out, right through Marcus' body. But Marcus angled himself at the last moment, and it took him through the shoulder. He drove down the spear's length, his hands closing around Licinus' throat. He was squeezing with all his might, but a flash of light revealed an armored membrane protecting the Sertorian's neck, hampering Marcus' assault. Then Licinus used his trick of transmitting electricity through his weapon, shocking his opponent. Marcus had gambled that he'd be able to squeeze the life out of Licinus before the electricity claimed him, and he'd guessed wrong. Marcus went limp, and I looked through the shield helplessly as Licinus lowered his spear, letting his opponent slide to the ground.

Suddenly, Licinus sank to one knee with a shout. Marcus had feigned his collapse and then attacked Licinus' legs, taking the Sertorian off guard. Throughout the fight, Marcus had been cutting the Sertorian's armor away, and plates of black and red littered the arena floor. Now Marcus pulled aside, staying out of the way of Licinus' fists, and was actually about to drive his gladius into the space between Licinus' neck and right trapezius.

I turned on Mania, who was edging away from me, protecting her wounded hand. With no bow and only one good hand, I'd make short work of her. In moments two of our enemies would lie dead on the arena floor.

“My interest in this combination is waning. Let's shake things up a little,” Aquilinus' booming voice said from on high.

The Blood Eagles broke off combat at once and sped to their chambers in the middle ring. Force shields were reactivated as Aquilinus reached down and pretended to spin the arena wheel, triggering the motors to turn the platforms below. We were spinning again, thrown back to the rear walls of the cells by the sudden centripetal force. I braced for the electric shock, but it had been disabled. Cheating bastard. But, though Aquilinus had prevented Marcus and me from killing our opponents, the upside was that it saved Julia's life. Wounded by the Dioscurii's daggers, she had at least three puncture wounds she was trying to stem the blood from. She was going to die, but not yet. Aquilinus was happy to let things run while Julia was being cut up. Marcus was yelling something at me, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. He was desperately trying to pry himself free from the field that held him to the wall, trying to pull his sword arm up, but to swing at what?

The wheels slowed and I fell from the wall. Opposite me now were the Dioscurii, with their cold, expressionless faces, weapons gleaming in the bright light. They separated as they moved toward me, closing in on either side. The wall crackled behind me. Round two had begun.

Marcus faced Barbata now, but he had no weapon in his hand. Pavo had managed to untangle himself from Barbata's net, but he was struggling to stand. Out of breath, running on one lung, he was facing Licinus. And Julia was up against an angry Mania. Mania was done with arrows; she had to play up close. No distance weapon and fighting with her off hand. It might buy Julia a few extra seconds because the Sertorian was not going to make the Dioscurii's mistake and play games.

The Dioscurii were a sudden blur and then they were on me, weapons flashing. I was going to use the arms of my breastplate to keep them at bay, but they were too quick. I blocked the cut to my jugular but didn't catch the one to my thigh. I lashed out, but they were gone again. Damn fast.

I risked a glance back in Lumen's direction. He was shining. The air was heavy with ichor. He was drawing it into his small body, but from where?

Then then Dioscurii began to slow. Black fluid was seeping from their eyes and ears. A powerful light source behind me lit the arena and I risked a look back and saw Lumen. However much ambrosia was left in the Blood Eagles, Lumen was reclaiming it, emitting power as he'd done at the heart of the mountain, driving the impurities right out of their bodies.

Looking around I saw Licinus' eyes widen in shock. They were dying, vulnerable, and completely reliant on their armor enhancements and trick weapons. Lumen had given us our best chance at survival.

The Dioscurii were still moving faster than I could react. If I struck out where they stood, they'd already be gone, but the art of the discus was the art of anticipation. The strategy was to attack not where they were now but where they were going to be. But I'd get only one chance. I needed to entice them to rejoin. I threw in arcs, a scythe action that made it too hard to come at me from either side. Wait for it. Now. They rejoined in a blur and then slipped through my defense to start their attack. I was swinging like I was still holding Orbis. They went to counter but realized there was no weapon in my hand at the same time as Orbis came back to me, right through both their necks, severing their heads from their shoulders. For the first time, I saw emotion on the Dioscurii's faces. And all thanks to Lumen's intervention. Shock, surprise, they didn't see that coming. The headless bodies fell at my feet, and the sky was filled with golden thumbs. I was a hit. And then I realized they were not just cheering me. Pavo was dead at Licinus' feet, the steel chain wrapped around his throat. And Julia? I was shocked to see Mania lying dead on the sand. But how? Julia was no gladiator. The answer came when I recognized Marcus' gladius in Mania's back. Marcus must have found a way to bypass the energy shields. It was the spin. The shields must weaken as they spun, allowing a weapon to pass through. He had delivered a fatal wound to Mania. He had thrown away his weapon to save Julia's life.

I turned to see how Marcus was faring against Barbata in time to witness tragedy. He was just standing there. Barbata stood before him, brandishing her trident. There was no mistaking the swirl of red and purple light that surrounded them; Barbata had a hypnogogic machine. Some portable version of the machine they used on me aboard
Incitatus.
I studied her armor carefully. The effect seemed to come from a panel on her upper chest and was directed by her trident. Like the arachnoraptors' staffs, the trident was a transmitter that could focus the machine's effect into a beam for use in combat. But that information was no good to Marcus. His weapon was lowered; he was pleading with Barbata, “Don't do this. I love you!” and holding something out to her, maybe a ribbon, but I couldn't say for certain. I'd seen my father in Crassus' hypnogogic machine, but I knew who Marcus saw—his great love, Amphiara.

I screamed his name, trying to get him to snap out of it, but it was too late. The trident took him in the throat, and he fell to his knees and then to the floor.

As we were stuck in our segments, a new figure appeared in the arena: shrouded in black, a scythe in his hands, a long helmet covering his face. I didn't even see him enter; it was as if he just materialized. This was the man playing Hades, and he'd come to take the unworthy to hell. His pick hit the bodies in their center of mass before dragging them away, one by one; he took his time, like an elderly gardener raking leaves. The Dioscurii, Pavo, and Mania. He took Marcus last. My mentor, my lover. I weakened him, my need was what caused him—he who should never have fallen—to fall. The blood trailed after his body, making a red track on the sand as he was dragged off. Even the Sertorians were left in the same pile. No honor was given by Aquilinus to those who failed him.

XLVII

T
HE ENERGY SHIELDS
rearranged to accommodate the number of remaining players, leaving one great wheel split into four equal parts. At the center, the shielded podium and the gold laurel crown awaited the victor. Julia was in the segment directly below me, Barbata to my right.

“And now that the weak and unworthy have fallen, and those with righteous skill and power as well as those who have survived by pure chance make up the final four!” Julius Gemminus boomed. “The wheel spins around and around, who will live and who will fly, fly away to death's door?”

The wheel turned slowly. I tested the shield but it held firm, no way for a weapon to pierce it. Speed was the key. That was the secret that Marcus had discovered before his life was stolen away. We had to have speed if I was going to be of any help to Julia. As we came to a stop, I was certain he'd give Barbata to Julia and have Licinus and me pair off, but the lineup was Julia facing Licinus. The snake-headed Venus and her hypnotic armor were mine.

I got it. Aquilinus thought Julia would be dead whomever she faced. He wanted to appease the mob by making a grudge match between Barbata and me. I had to have the chance to strike back at Marcus' killer to keep the audience happy. And if I survived, he wanted to build anticipation for a final round between Licinus and me—the ultimate test. That meant I had to finish Barbata quickly and then do what I could to keep Julia alive.

“Run!” I yelled at Julia. “Keep clear of the whip! I'll come as soon as I can.”

She nodded and backed as far away from Licinus as the space would allow.

“That's a bit presumptuous, don't you think, my little vixen?” Barbata asked, pouting her full lips. “You're hardly a wolf anymore, are you, Accala-of-no-house? More a wily fox bitch who's playing out of her league. It's very disappointing. Will you fall to your knees before me and beg as your teacher Marcus did?”