GLADIATOR | ELYSIUM RISING 1 ✔️

⍢ | 16

Before he could scream, one of the hands clamped over his mouth. Eyes bulging, he thrashed against their hold. When that didn't work, his feral instincts took over. He bit their palm, prompting a hushed curse from his assailant.

With his heart pounding, he scrambled out of bed and tumbled to the floor. His shaggy black hair fell into his eyes as he peered at the man rubbing their bitten hand. Iggy let out a sigh of relief once he recognized them through the darkness.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed.

Jaxon cradled his hand. "Why the hell did you bite me, you maniac?"

"You tried to kidnap me!"

"Don't be dramatic. No one was kidnapping you, kid. I was just trying to make sure you didn't make any noise."

"There were other ways to do that."

"Yeah, yeah."

After getting to his feet, Iggy shook his head at the man. His anxiety subsided but was quickly replaced by curiosity. He looked the rebel up and down. He no longer wore the white uniform of an empire-owned servant. His new outfit consisted of dark leather pants, a black shirt, and a navy-blue pilot's jacket adorned with colored patches and a fluffy collar.

"What're you doing here?" Iggy asked.

"You were supposed to meet me in the supply closet."

He blinked. "Wait, you were serious about that?"

"Jaxon Gunn always keeps his word."

Iggy rolled his eyes. "Why would you come all the way back just to tell me, some random tribute, your plan? Isn't that kinda counterproductive to the whole 'spy' thing?"

"It is. But then I had a revelation." He grinned at the Arigorii. "Maybe we can help each other."

"Help...each other?"

"That's what I said, didn't I? Jeez, kid, keep up."

He squinted at the blue-eyed man. What game was he playing? How could he possibly help him with whatever he and his fellow rebels had planned? And vice-versa; how could Jaxon help Iggy in any meaningful way?

"Unless you can help me escape this arena and get back to my mother, I don't think you can help me."

"Your mother, huh?"

Iggy nodded. "Yeah, she's sick. She needs me to help pay for her medication. If I don't get back to her soon, she'll die."

Jaxon's eyes lit up. "Now, I can't help you escape. But I can help you with that other thing. I know a few smugglers. My boy Pavlo can get a shipment of whatever medicine you need to your mom. The bastard owes me a favor too. Might as well cash in on it now."

Iggy bristled. Every ounce of common sense he possessed told him not to trust Jaxon or this offer.

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Like I said, kid, we can help each other."

He folded his arms. "How could I possibly help you?"

"I told you I'd explain all that." Jaxon motioned toward the door with his chin. "But not here."

"What? No, I'm not leaving—"

"Listen, do you want to help your mom or what? You're not getting out of this hellhole anytime soon, so unless you can jump through space and time, you might want to listen to what I have to say."

Iggy's shoulders deflated. He, in fact, could not jump through space or time. He could barely throw something across a room. Grumbling, he frowned at the rebel. Tenn's words were starting to make a lot more sense now. He'd just told Jaxon about his mother's predicament and the man was already using it to his advantage.