Enslaved by Brittany Barefield

Author:Brittany Barefield [Barefield, Brittany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Historical, Ancient World, Short Stories, Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781628302059
Google: 8fAyAwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00H9HO9E0
Barnesnoble: B00H9HO9E0
Goodreads: 20721628
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press Inc
Published: 2013-12-10T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

The sweltering Mediterranean sun beamed down on the oblong amphitheater in Cales. It was packed with spectators of various ages and classes. The rotten stench of piss, shit, and entrails permeated throughout the seating area like a dense fog. The humidity intensified the foul odors.

Beads of perspiration rolled down Marcella’s cleavage as she sat between her father and Macer near the ring’s edge. The rumble of the crowd and the clanging of weapons rattled their ears. She covered her face with a fan when the warriors came too near. It was common to receive a splash of blood if the strike was forceful enough.

“Thraex looks strong. Who do you guess will win?” Macer wiped sweat from his temples. The moisture darkened his auburn hair to a burnt copper color.

The Thracian, with his shield and curved sword, battled the net man and his trident. A trio of her father’s gladiators were dead from the group matches and a fourth man wasn’t expected to survive his injuries. If the net man lost now, that lessened the odds of Canus winning or at least walking away with his head intact since today’s audience was especially brutal with their votes.

“The Retiarius is stealthy with his net,” she answered.

Macer spoke with a man behind him in order to place his wager. He would likely bet against the net man.

The Thracian thrust his weapon, finding his blade amongst the trident’s prongs. As the net man twisted his wrist, the sword was wrangled from his opponent’s hand. He only had to rise and skewer his rival to win, yet a celebration was short-lived. A shield smashed into his throat and knocked him down. The Thracian followed him to the ground, pummeling his head until the skull cracked apart like an overripe melon. The mass of watchers shouted with approval. A few boos came from factions that bet on the loser.

“How much did you collect?” she asked.

“I lost.”

Marcella wrinkled her brow. “Did you not say you favored Thraex?”

“Yes, but you picked Retiarius and so he had my support as well.”

The deceased man was dragged out by his feet, and the next two contenders entered the arena. Canus, with a sleeve guard on his weaker arm, held two swords against a bigger and more equipped challenger. The Provoker was dressed as a Roman legionary with a large shield, a sword, and a helmet that covered his head and face.

Marcella was more petrified than she’d ever been. She regretted telling Canus that she might accept Macer’s proposal. The way he responded was like the passionate fighter within him surrendered, as if now that she was taken care of he could let himself depart this earthly world.

When his name was announced, Canus raised his weapons and looked into the crowd. The people reacted with a unanimous roar and stomped on the wooden stadium equaling the sound of a herd of galloping stallions. Women screamed the loudest for the champion of Campania. He was a coveted symbol of sex and virility.

Marcella’s gaze froze upon him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.