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I wondered if he could hear me.
Please, Kaio. Using it doesn’t make you bad. And I’m here, here to remind you what a good person you are. What a good king you are. Save yourself. Please!
Gwen, his mental voice floated to me, barely audible, If I do this intentionally, I fear there’s no going back.
But you’ll be alive, Kaio! Your people need you! I need you!
Gwen, I love you.
I love you too. So live! Live so we can be together.
As if love was all he needed, Kaio’s body began to glow, the veins of lightning cracking to life beneath his dark beautiful skin. He was obsidian, glassy and bright and reflecting everything around him. Even the snow seemed to sparkle more brightly in his vicinity.
Zyair took a step back. I could see surprise in his face. But he recovered quickly.
At least it was finally going to be a fair fight.
As Kaio volleyed his first orb of flame toward Zyair, Bloodworm released me. He stumbled back, grunting in agony and clutching at his stomach.
I wanted to watch the fight, wanted to see what else would happen, but my plan was unfolding, and it need all of my attention. I walked over to Bloodworm’s desk, placing my still full wine cup on its surface, and then I turned to the odious Texan and smiled.
His eyes, wide and rageful, bore into me.
“What have you done, you stupid bitch?” He collapsed to his knees, shuffling toward his desk. I walked closer to him quickly, cutting him off and kicking him square in the chest. He fell down easily, face sweaty and red and whimpers of pain escaping his mouth.
“I’ve poisoned you, Bloodworm. With shit you’ve never even heard of because you’ve been away from Earth so long. And unless you bring Kaio up here right now and stop making him use magick, which you know is against the law on his planet and punishable by imprisonment in Vanguard, then you’re going to die a slow, painful death. Your intestines are going to bloat and rupture. Your heart is going to shrivel and stop beating. Your brain is going to melt into so much sticky mush.” I smiled cruelly, moving closer and placing my right boot on his stomach, making him wince. “But I have an antidote. Which I’ll give you as soon as Kaio is safe, and you’ve signed paperwork stating he’s fulfilled his planet’s debt. Hell, to sweeten the deal, you can even use Kaio’s image to promote next year’s GGG.” I thought of something, adding it on quickly. “Also, you have to release the human woman Sandy from that ridiculous fake western jail in the arena. I promised someone would come back for her.”
“I can’t pull him out now. It’s the grand finale,” Bloodworm grunted out the words, spitting bits of sandwich and wine-stained saliva onto the pristine marble floor.
“Spin it any way you like. Kaio might win, but how he wins will ruin him. So say you let Kaio show mercy to Zyair. Say… you wanted to heal Orenda’s wounds and bring two warring factions back together again. Say whatever the hell you like, Bloodworm, but end this now. And I want paperwork. I want this written down in black and white and signed. And believe me when I say I’m going to read every single word and make sure you’re not being your usual horrible, devious self.”
“Bitch,” he spit out.
“Yeah, I’m a bitch, Bloodworm. But I’m not the bitch you want to mess with.”
He pointed, hand shaking, “Give me the transmitter on my desk.”
I got it, holding it out, but issuing a warning at the same time. “Let me tell you what I was told when I first arrived here. No funny business, Bloodworm. You try to pull a fast one, and that antidote is going down the sink.”
“I won’t. I won’t.” He shook his head, looking green around the gills.
“Lovely,” I smiled. “Make it happen before the violent diarrhea hits and your stomach begins to swell as big as a blue-ribbon watermelon at the state fair.”
Frantically, Bloodworm gave the orders.
I watched as Kaio began to shimmer, fading in and out the way I had, until he disappeared from the quarry.
I sighed in relief as dozens of ex-gladiators appeared on ascending platforms to replace him on the battlefield. They surrounded the exhausted Zyair.
My stupid samples case had saved the day after all.
