Ignited by Deese A. M

Author:Deese, A. M.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Print
Published: 2022-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

The auction was held an hour’s trip outside of the city walls. Like many of the wealthy, Beshar owned a small carriage and a team of camels for distance travel that was unsuitable to a litter. Ash was grateful and enjoyed the comfort while he could. Beshar said he wasn’t staying for the auction, which meant he and his new cadet would be walking home in the moonless night.

As if reading his thoughts, Beshar spoke up, “I’ll send the carriage back for you and our new investment after I return to the city.”

“Thank you, Councilman.”

“Just watching my water. You’ll ensure he settles into the arena . . . I assume you’ve done this before?”

“More than once,” Ash lied. He’d always heard whispers of the night auction. Its very essence was taboo. Slave traders from Kitoi held the auction once a year. While it was not illegal to own slaves, it was illegal to purchase them within the Republic. Slaves from the Republic were chosen to their calling by God, marked by the Everflame. Ash was unsure how the slaves were chosen in other lands. The few cadets that came from the secret auction were almost always the most powerful, but they never seemed to live long. The cadets were always moody and rebellious. They came from distant places and didn’t understand they had been chosen. They were reckless in the arena. They didn’t care if they lived or died. They didn’t understand the glory of being chosen because they could still remember their old lives, back when they had been free. Ash was free now, for all that word did for him.

The carriage jerked to a stop; they had arrived. Just outside the city limits a huge tent had hastily been erected in the dunes. The thin fabric stretched over several wooden poles and the material was thin enough to see the stars, had there been any. The night sky was full of clouds and the dunes were impossibly dark. The only light came from torches and a single fire pit lit within the tent. Ash hopped out of the carriage, forgetting his knees in his excitement. He was grateful for the soft sand that dulled the sting of his landing.

Beshar lumbered down awkwardly, helped out of the carriage by one of his oiled men. Beshar led him into the makeshift tent and stopped him in front of a small man with stooped shoulders. The man’s long hair was pulled back by a leather cord.

“Udo.” Beshar handed the man a small sack of water chips. He handed a much larger one to Ash, meeting his eye.

“Ash will purchase in my stead.”

Udo nodded, pocketing his chips with a smile and pointing a finger toward the center of the tent.

Ash followed the direction to see a network of cages set up in the center.

Beshar turned away. “I have to leave now. I’ve done far too many favors for one day.” He stopped and turned around to face Ash one last time. “You

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