GLADIATOR | ELYSIUM RISING 1 ✔️

⍢ | 28

"I didn't know Voltai was going to—"

"Would you have stopped him?" When she didn't answer, he asked another question. "Could you have even if you wanted to?"

Noia pursed her lips. "I do not control him."

"I'm very aware."

The priestess blew air from her nose. She turned to Opal. "Leave us."

"But—"

Noia cleared her throat pointedly. That was enough to get the android to scuttle out of the room. They closed the door behind themselves, liking standing right outside of it as if keeping watch. Iggy and the priestess were alone now. His eyes flickered over to a knife set laying on one of the tables nearby.

She hadn't done anything to him.

But she belonged to the emperor.

Grimacing, he pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't do that. Besides, he hadn't figured out why the woman brought him here yet.

"You weren't supposed to do that," Noia told him, practically whispering. She stared down at her tattooed hands. "You weren't supposed to antagonize him." He squinted at her. "The card...it was meant to encourage you for the games. Not to go on an anti-empire rant that would be broadcasted across the galaxy."

His eyes widened as he stepped away from her. "You left that note?" She nodded. "Why?"

"I...I was trying to be nice." She shook her head. "It was a mistake."

"Yeah. It was."

Lifting her head, she scowled at him. "I understand that you are grieving. You have every right to do so. But I am not your enemy. I am trying to help you."

"Help me? The only way you could help me is if you help me escape this arena and lead me to your beloved fiancé. You want to help me? Do that."

"You know I can't."

He turned his back on her. His black hair hung in his face. "Then I guess we're done here."

"Iggorii..." She let out an exasperated breath. "Please, sit down. I had the arena workers bring you breakfast. You must be hungry."

His stomach grumbled again, louder this time. He ignored the hunger pains ravaging his midsection. A sneer pulled at the corner of his mouth. Turning, he threw a steely glare Noia's way.

"I don't need your handouts or your words of encouragement or whatever else it is you want to give me. Do you know what I need? I need my friend back. I need to know that my mother is safe." He stomped up to the taller woman. With his fists balled at his side, he glared up at her. "I don't need you."

She closed her eyes and turned her chin away from him.

Before she could get a word in, he let the barrage of words continue to flow from his mouth.

"Does your fiancé know you're a traitor?" he asked her, his tone deceivingly nonchalant. "Does he know you've been—"

She clamped a hand over his mouth faster than a predator striking down its prey. His words stopped in his mouth. He gawked at her, temporarily frozen.

"Do not," she hissed.

He said nothing. She released him.

Straightening herself up, she breezed past him and approached the closed doors ahead. As unlocked them with the handprint scanner built into the wall, she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"You don't want to eat? Fine." The doors slid open. "Come then." Opal stepped out of her master's way as the woman stormed down the hall.

"I believe she wants you to follow her," the android quipped.