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“Is that an opinion shared by the other minotaurs?” she asked, already predicting his response.
“It’s an opinion that got me sent here.”
Sofie wanted to know more. Like whether he’d been overthrown as king. And why the new ruler had decided to hide behind the labyrinth. It was odd. She never had an interest in anyone. Well, except for Ryshi, who’d been haunting her thoughts since she’d first caught sight of him. But why would she care about the minotaurs?
Was it because they’d retreated from the world as she had?
Sofie slammed the mental door on her disturbing thoughts. The only thing that mattered was finding a way to escape.
“I could return the stone to you,” she offered. “Perhaps your sins would be forgiven if you could offer your people the missing artifact. Release me and I’ll—”
The commander came to a halt, his expression stoic. “I have other plans for you.”
Sofie slowed and turned back with a frown, belatedly noticing the large wooden doors set in the wall. Her stomach clenched. Had they reached their destination?
“What if I’m not interested in your plans?”
“Tough.”
He reached out and laid his hand against one of the doors. There was a loud creak of rusty hinges before it opened. The thick scent of minotaur rushed in with a humid blast of air and Sofie leaned forward to catch a glimpse of a vast oval amphitheater. They were standing at the edge of the arena where she assumed the gladiators would fight, although it was currently empty. The hard-packed dirt field was surrounded by long bleachers that soared toward the gray clouds overhead. The seats were packed with minotaurs who were busy drinking from large steins and shouting insults at one another.
As Sofie watched, two minotaurs lunged at each other, throwing punches and spilling ale. The scuffle swiftly encompassed the surrounding demons until a dozen or more were shoving and pushing. It was a ridiculous spectacle, but that wasn’t what captured her attention.
There were hundreds of minotaurs jammed into the stadium, all of them shouting at the tops of their lungs, but the sound was oddly muffled. Since she was fairly sure she hadn’t lost her hearing, that could only mean there was a layer of magic laid over the actual arena. To keep the fighters from fleeing the battle. Or more likely, to keep the spectators from jumping in and joining the contest.
Sofie clenched her hands. She’d clung to the hope that she could somehow escape from her captors. Now it appeared she was going to have to find some other way to survive.
She turned toward Stavros. “You expect me to fight?”
He shrugged. “You have options. You can tell me what I want to know, or you can fight,” he informed her. “At the end of each battle you will either be dead or you will once again have the opportunity to give me the information. We’ll continue as long as necessary.”
Sofie made a sound of disgust. She was powerful. Far more powerful than any minotaur. And she didn’t need weapons when she had her mind control and lethal fangs. But the silver had sapped her strength and made it impossible to use her hidden talent. She would be destroyed in the first battle.
Lifting her hand to touch the collar, she glared at her companion. It was a long shot, but she sensed that this male had a sense of honor. Why go to the bother of putting her in the arena if he wasn’t hoping that he could force her to give him the information he wanted?
“You expect me to fight with this around my neck?”
“Of course not. We aren’t animals.” With a grimace the male glanced toward the minotaurs who were still tangled in a melee that had grown to include dozens of the creatures. He returned his attention to her with a wry smile. “Not entirely. Once you’re in the ring I’ll have it removed. I’ll also give you back your weapon.” He smiled as her eyes widened in shock. “You see? Minotaurs are always fair.”
Sofie couldn’t disguise her surge of hope. Not only would she be able to use her powers, but her dagger carried a deadly curse that would allow her to destroy her opponent with one stab. She assumed the minotaurs hadn’t been able to sense the magic on the blade.
Unless this was a trap?
Only one way to find out.
“Get comfortable,” she murmured, mentally preparing for the upcoming battles. “This could take a while.”
Stavros appeared unconcerned by her warning. “I hope so.”
“Why?”
“Eventually your companion is going to try to rescue you,” he explained. “Then I’ll finally have him trapped. He won’t escape again, I promise you that.” Stavros motioned toward the guards behind Sofie. “Prepare her for battle.”
Chapter 14
Entering the large cave, Bertha had expected to find herself surrounded by barren rock and cloaked in darkness. That’s what proper caves were supposed to be like. This one, however, seemed to glow with a yellowish light that revealed the lush vegetation that grew everywhere. Even the ceiling.
Flowers. Grass. Ferns. Moss. If it was green, then it was growing someplace in the cavern. Bertha stifled a sneeze as thick pollen tickled her nose. Once she was out of there, she intended to spend several months in a place where plants wouldn’t grow.
