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"No."
I bite a fingernail and do my best to look helpless and girly. "It's just…how are we going to tell Lord va'Rin when he returns to find Victor dead that we didn't do everything possible to help him? That we took the easy way out? That we didn't try every avenue? He'll be so very disappointed. And think of the message it sends to the other rescued gladiators." I gaze up at him with a beseeching look. "We know Victor won't harm me. Even when he's been upset with the guards, he hasn't harmed me. Even when he had the opportunity to escape, he stayed and protected me. He feels an attachment to me. Let me go in there and help him so we can show Lord va'Rin that we're honoring his wishes, even when we have to go above and beyond the normal call of duty."
"She's crazy," one of the guards in the back mutters.
But I've got Kennak's attention now. He gazes thoughtfully at Victor's cell, and I know he's turning it over in his head. He doesn't like the situation, but he's ambitious, and he won't want to disappoint Lord va'Rin.
"You've got great big weapons," I say enthusiastically. "If I look like I'm in the slightest bit of danger, you can use them, right? You can activate his collar—a collar he's wearing voluntarily, I might add—and shut him down. I'm not in real danger." I put a hand on his sleeve. "But he is in real distress. And I want to help him."
Kennak stares at Victor's form in the cell. His back is still to us, but his shoulders are hunched tight, his hands digging at the tile at his feet. He thinks for a long, long moment, until I worry he's going to tell me no. Instead, he looks down at me and sighs heavily. "You realize this is foolhardy."
"He won't hurt me," I point out again. "We both know that."
"When he's in his right mind, he won't, no. But he's not in his right mind right now, Bee."
"Which is why you fine gentlemen are here to protect me," I say sweetly. "Just…please. Let me do this. I promised him I was on his side. I want to show him that I truly am."
He sighs again. "I'm a keffing idiot." But he moves away from the door panel. "If there's even a hint of danger—"
"I know," I say quickly. "I understand. Victor won't hurt me though." I don't tell them it’s because he wants to kiss me. Because we have an agreement. Right now I'm not sure if he even remembers our agreement. Maybe he's not in his right mind, like Kennak said. But he's in distress, and I have to try. I can't leave him like this.
I move toward the door, watching the guards. They hold their weapons tightly but no one stops me, so I remind myself that I must truly be safe if they're going to let me do this. If Riffin was here, he would pitch a fit, but…would he? I wonder, because I've been so used to managing everyone to get my way that I don't know if that's the case. Maybe he'd let me waltz into Victor's cell anyhow and not say a thing. I put my hand on the door panel and lift my head so the security computers can do a retinal scan. I wait for anxiety or nervousness to kick in, but the only thing I feel right now is worry for Victor. What's happening with him? How can I help?
The door opens, and I hear the sound of a half-dozen stun-rifles sing to life. Right. I have to play this carefully. If I panic, I don't want anyone shooting Victor by mistake. "It's Bee," I say softly. "I'm coming in to talk to you, Victor. Please don't make any sudden moves, all right?"
"Bee," he grits out again, and it sounds as if my name is coming through clenched teeth. Mercy. His tail shivers, and I can't tell if it's with fury or something else. But he doesn't move, which is a good sign. He just remains where he is, hunched in the middle of the floor.
I take a step forward and the door slides shut behind me. It takes everything I have not to jump, and I clench my hands at my sides. Then I realize that's not exactly the pose of a relaxed person, so I force my sweaty fists to release and smooth my hands on the skirt of my tunic. "I'm taking a few steps across the room," I say, dictating aloud my movements. "I don't have any weapons with me, or any food. It's just me and my bare hands, all right? But once we figure out what's bothering you, we'll get you the regular treats I bring."
