Ravaged by Jaide Fox Page A

throat.
    She gasped and strangled, struggling to keep up with the herd.
    The guards drove them into a clumsy run inside the great doors of the coliseum. She was thankful to see that a roof over the immense structure would provide them further protection from the storm, they were nevertheless not given an opportunity to recover from their dowsing.
    They slipped on the slick stone floor, running clumsily, coughing and choking from their pelting and freezing from the wetness of their clothes. They skidded into each other as they passed through the antechamber and another door was open ed . Beyond, a great wide space opened like the maw of a beast ready to devour them.
    Inside the massive mouth, they heard the cheer of thousands of spectators watching the games in progress.
    Maura had no idea what to expect, but she hadn’t thought to see ShadeShifters fighting amongst themselves. She caught a flash of blue lightning erupting from one of the men, saw another launch himself from the ground as sudden leathery wings sprouted from his back.
    Terror-filled, Maura averted her eyes and followed the line of women up a staircase that led to a walkway up to a stage centered in the coliseum.
    The master of the games stood at their approach, turning to the crowd with his hands held high, a smile upon his face as he spoke into the microphone housed on his ear and just beyond his lips.
    “The prizes have arrived!” he said. His voice echoed around the stadium above the din of the crowd.
    In every direction, the crowds roared in approval. They stomped the bleachers with their feet, making the stands rumble as if an earthquake shook the ground. The stage vibrated beneath her feet, the rumble so strong she felt it straight up her legs.
    Maura swiveled her head, seeing the stands above them filled to the brim with men and women who’d come for entertainment. Below, the fighting had seemed to come to an end, though she hadn’t seen who’d been victorious and who the loser.
    The men standing, facing the stage were huge. Spirals and spiky swirls etched their skin, glowing blue and purple as they controlled the shifting of their bodies, still fueled by the rush of the fight.
    Maura thought they would look more like monsters, based simply on the tales she’d grown up with as a child. Her mama likened them to the bogeyman, and used the ShadeShifters to keep her in line and make her obey. Now she saw they looked no different than any other man, other than the glowing black tattoos on their bodies. They were taller than she was accustomed to, broader and more muscular, but their build could be a direct cause of their gladiatorial occupation.
    “The winner of the games will make the first selection of his prize. The second the second choice, and so forth. Winner, come and claim your mate,” the master of the games said amidst the rabid cheering of the audience.
    Maura stooped and sneered, hoping she looked as unattractive and bedraggled as she felt. The soaking of her shift, though it revealed her shape, should make her less attractive than the flowing and embroidered gown had before the dowsing rain had gotten a hold of her. Her long brown hair hung in tangles around her face, and she did nothing to push the tendrils back off her forehead.
    She hung her head down, hoping the winner would move on to more attractive fare.
    In her mind, whoever had won against the others had to be that much closer to losing his mind and going berserk. As much as she valued her life and had chosen this path, she didn’t want to be bound eternally to a brutal maniac. She’d far rather have last place in this instance .
    Booted heels climbed the long staircase. The weight of the man mounting the stairs sounded loud in her ears. She winced inwardly at every stride, shrinking inside with fear as he approached.
    Maura stared at her feet as he passed by, examining each of the women. He moved down the line, checking each of them visually first. Not seeming to find what he