Page 24 of Gladiator Moon

“Um, I’m sure he did. But aren’t you forever shielded behind charms and magic?” I say, taking a stab in the dark here, “Never allowed to see the real world?”

“The real world sucks.”

“The real world is awesome, at least on my world it is.”

“Well, if your world is so great, then why did you come here to die?”

“I was kidnapped from my home by Baltazar.”

“Kidnap? What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means I was forced to come here and fight.”

“But you’re not fighting! You are running away like a wimp! They will make you fight, woman!”

“They can try. I do not wish to kill anyone.”

“But aren’t you going to kill me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I do not enjoy killing. Especially innocents.”

“I am hardly innocent. Just this morning, I ordered my chambermaid to be killed for coughing in my presence.”

“Okay, maybe I should kill you, then. That was a jerk move.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I feel kind of bad. And hold on, how would you kill me?”

“I’m not going to kill you.”

“You could drop me.”

“Nope.”

“You could bash me against that roof.”

“I don’t think so, unless you keep scratching me.”

“I tried scratching you, but you barely bleed, and look, your skin isn’t even scratched anymore. It’s all healed. The Dark One won’t be pleased.”

“What does that mean?”

“The Dark One demands blood. You are a witch!”

“I am a vampire. An energy vampire, to be exact.”

“I am ready to die, vampire. Drop me down over those rocks over there. It will be quicker that way.”

“Those rocks are outside the arena. I am blocked from going there.”

“True. But I am not. The shield gives way for me.”

Is that what Baltazar had been hinting at?

“Why does the shield give way to you?” I ask, noting the commotion in the royal box. All fingers and eyes are pointed at us. As of yet, my inner alarm remains silent. No need for panic.