The Arena (Ultimate Soldier Book 1) by Escalera Tessa

Author:Escalera, Tessa [Escalera, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-08-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9: Jarda

The first thing Lila noticed was the smell. The odor of unwashed bodies, rusty metal and spoiled food washed over her as soon as the door was opened. The next thing she noticed was that the whole room seemed to follow this impression of unkempt and unwashed. Men clad in black leather with chainmail peeking around the edges of their shirts stood lined along each wall of the long, narrow room. The only light was indirect sunlight from the window on the far end, and candles in sconces every few feet along the wall. Lila's breath caught in her throat as every face, most scarred in some way and all the visages of fighting men, turned toward her. They reminded her of nothing more than wolves, knowing nothing other than bloodlust and the desire to cause pain. For some reason this comparison made Lila feel as if she walked a familiar path, even though the dimly lit room was nothing like the open of the forest. She straightened, and held her head high, letting a hand fall casually to the knife on her belt. She followed Josef through the center of the room, realizing that the three figures at the end of the room were people.

Behind a long plastic table sat what had to be Jarda. She was by far the fattest person Lila had ever seen, but instead of implying weakness it gave her an aura of solidity and power. Small eyes glowed in the dingy light from a single candle set on the table. To Jarda's left and right sat a young man and woman, who were also heavyset and appeared to be the woman's children. They had the slack-jawed look of someone either with little intelligence or little reason to use it.

When they reached the table Josef stepped aside, leaving Lila standing alone in front of the woman that was called the leader of the Fox village. Jarda's flat, glassy eyes reminded Lila of those of a snake hiding under a bush. Her unexpected feeling of strength persisted, allowing Lila to look Jarda straight in the eyes.

"So," Jarda's voice drawled, her tongue coming out to lick her thick lips. Her daughter's eyes focused briefly on Lila's face before turning once more to gaze off into the distance. "I am told my boys found you in the forest."

Lila nodded slightly. She bristled inwardly at the possesive way Jarda mentioned the men who had found her.

Jarda's face darkened almost imperceptibly. "What are you called?"

"Lila."

If Jarda really had been a snake, her rattle would have been humming in warning. "Hmm. Such a pretty name for such a...pretty little thing." The way she drew out the word and her eyes sized Lila up made her feel dirty, almost violated.

She's nothing but a snake coiled under a bush, afraid of the sun, Lila thought, the image adding to her courage. She stood straight and unwavering in front of Jarda's gaze. "Thank you."

Jarda sat back in her chair, which groaned beneath her bulk, folding her arms over where her chest blended into her massive belly.

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