The Winged Serpent (The Order of the Oath) Read Online Free PDF Page B

especially one new to the household, and especially if they did not prove themselves valuable to their masters.
    Aurora let out a raw, jagged breath, her stomach already roiling, already quivering at the thought of entering the arena again. She’d vowed never to return, not after what had happened, not after she’d finally escaped such a life. But here she was, every demon she’d thought she’d vanquished, every memory she’d fought to bury, returning to haunt her.
    Her heart hammered harder and faster beneath her breast, sweat beading her forehead. If she didn't prove herself as a fighter, she could not be certain she’d find a place as a servant within Claudius’ home.
    She drew in another breath, this one quiet, calming. She opened her eyes.
    She could not fail. Never once had she failed. Not at anything. She recalled the lesson learned long ago . Failure brought only pain, punishment—if you failed, it brought you an early death.
    Death may very well be her fate, but no matter her fears, no matter her wishes—she would not fail.
    * * * *
    Despite his reservations and his displeasure at having to do so, Cyrus summoned the woman at dusk as he’d been commanded.
    He stood within the center of the training arena, two wooden short swords at his feet and beside each of them, a parma .
    He glanced over at Flavius at the same time she entered with a guard by her side. The guard stopped at the edge, but she continued forward, her chin high and proud, her shoulders back.
    When she halted before him, she looked curiously between him and Flavius.
    “I would have you fight one of my newest gladiators,” he said in answer to the question brimming in her eyes.
    “You do not wish to match your skills against mine. You do not think me a worthy opponent.”
    He did not mistake the smug gleam upon her face, yet Cyrus did not rise to the challenge. “It is difficult to judge your skills while engaged in a battle. I will learn more of your abilities from my position as a spectator.”
    Within her eyes he saw what she did not say. She called him a liar, then a coward. He kept his face blank, even as his gut churned with anger.
    He gestured for Flavius to retrieve the gladius and shield, deciding this fight would be over soon enough. He would see who the coward was when she begged for him to call an end to the match, when she begged for mercy.
    Marching across the arena with long strides, he took up a position far enough away from the battle, but close enough to see. When he turned back around, she was gripping the hilt of the sword within her hand, and her gaze speared him.
    “Your dominus told you to match your skills against mine, not those of one of your men. What will he say when he finds that you have disobeyed him?” she challenged.
    Cyrus held back a snort. Claudius would never know otherwise. Despite the fact that the gladiators of this ludus were the source of his vast wealth, Claudius was only mildly interested in the testing and training of his men, leaving most of the decisions to him as doctoris . Cyrus glanced up at the balcony, which was adjacent to Claudius’ private chambers. It was empty—as it usually was.
    He returned his gaze to Aurora. “ Our dominus has given me leave to assess you as I see fit, and this is how I see fit.”
    He did not explain himself further, for he did not owe this woman an explanation at all. That he’d given her this much was more than enough.
    Besides, she had no more time to ask questions after that because with his two fingers raised in the air, he signaled for the match to begin.
    * * * *
    Cyrus had introduced her opponent as Flavius, and she circled him, her gladius loose in her grip, ready to strike. At the same time, she held her parma close, prepared to wield it as a weapon or to deflect the blow of her opponent.
    Flavius must have thought her as unworthy an adversary as his doctoris because he charged her like a mad bull, exposing himself to an attack.
    Aurora did not