Alliance

Chapter Fifty

Olivia woke me the next morning demanding details an hour we usually woke. Yesterday after delivering the food to Clark, he had taken me down to the pit fighting. When I had finally returned to our bedroom only two hours ago, Olivia had been in a deep sleep.

I needed sleep, wanted to sleep, but I pulled myself out of bed and told her everything. About the pit fighting and Asher and Ben being forced to fight. And about Clark, like who he was and that he wanted to help us. I twisted the truth a little that she would not ask me too many questions of why Clark wanted to help and what he demanded for his help.

At three, the guard took us to the kitchen.

Carla, to my surprise, did not snap at me for ditching my kitchen duties yesterday. Nor did she snap at me when I went straight for the coffee and poured myself a cup and drank the whole thing before getting a second cup.

In fact, she didn't say a word to me. Didn't totally ignore me but also didn't question me about yesterday.

She only threw some food scraps on a plate and pushed it toward me. "The slaves in the Chambers got fed last night but one. You are to take it to him."

I looked down at the plate. Three pieces of bread, some strips of chicken, a bowl of questionable fresh fruit, and a water bottle. "They get fed pretty well," I said more as a question than a statement.

Carla didn't look up at me as she said, "How well they fight depends on how well they are fed. Now hurry up."

I took the tray of food and turned to the door. As an afterthought, I grabbed my cup of coffee and filled it up once more.

The guard was waiting for me outside the door. I followed quietly as he led me down to the Chambers.

The entire time I walked I kept track of the plain halls that led to an elevator that took us to the basement. The part of the basement we were in was dimly lit and small. It was empty of anything but two doors on the opposite wall. The guard unlocked one of the doors and walked down a very tight hallway.

Stepping into the hall, I took in the walls on each side. They weren't walls. But thick doors with little-barred windows at the top.

The guard stopped at a door. He lifted an electric lantern from the ground and turned it on. "You are to stay there until the slave has eaten all the food. Some like to starve to death to make a statement."

Then let them. I wanted to snap but held my tongue. My stomach turned at the thought of forcing the food down someone's throat. I was not told to do that, I was told to give food to a slave.

The door opened and the guard handed me the electric lantern that I awkwardly held with the hand that held the plate of food.

I stepped into the cell and the door closed behind me. The lantern washed the small area with a dim glow. A body laid on the opposite wall. His clothes were tattered but I knew who it was. Knew the shoulders and short hair.

"Ben?" I breathed.

I fell across the cell to him, almost scattering his food everywhere. Setting down the lantern, I slowly and carefully turned Ben over.

Blood had dried from where it rolled down his chin. The bridge of his nose was blackened along with his right eye that was fully swollen shut. His chest took in shallow, slow breaths.

"Ben," I said softly.

My voice woke him and he instantly tried to push me away. But failed. He could barely raise his arm an inch off of the ground.

"It's me." I gently took his hand into mine. "It's me, Mel. God, what have they done to you."

"Mel?" His good eye focused on me.