Free Slave Pits of the Tyrannical God (Path of Transcendence Book 2) by Brian McGoldrick Page A

her.
    With a twist of my wrist, I free it from Elan'fer'sha's grip, and snake my hand around her wrist, grabbing it tightly. As I rise to my feet, I pull her up with me. Forcing her arm behind her back, I use my hold on it to pin her against me. If she tries to move or attack, I will feel the tension in her body long before she becomes a threat.
    Smith makes a come-hither motion, and the fragments of my collar float into the air and hover in front of him. Orbiting an empty center point, the shards of metal form into a ring of debris.
    “There is no collar in the Atran'ler Empire, let alone Gor'achen that can hold this man. If he uses the Od, he can shatter any tool you attempt to bind him with. If the two of you work together, you can both come closer to your goals.”
    I stare at Smith. “You seem pretty insistent on bringing us together, but what's in it for you?”
    Smith frowns. He suddenly gives the impression of being much older than he appears. “If one or both of you succeed in your goals, it may jar the balance of power that has kept the factions inside the Labyrinth of Yggr in a stalemate for fifty thousand years. For good or ill, the balance must be broken so that events can move again.”
    Elan'fer'sha cannot be trusted. She is DokkAlfar. Whether or not I can believe Smith is immaterial. I cannot trust him, but I am in no position to refuse him. Even without the collar, I am still a prisoner, until I can find a way to escape from this Great Citadel.
    “What is you proposal?”
    Smith does not smile, nor frown. He simply stares at me for a few moments. He has an air about him that suggests he is using Power, but I do not feel anything.
    “You fight in the arena for Elan'fer'sha. There are three slaves here in Gor'achen that will be of interest to you, and two of them are gladiators. Once you mater the real Shadow Fist, all gladiators will fall before you, even the Iron Fist.”
    Elan'fer'sha tenses in my grip. Looking at her, I see the gleam of pure avarice in her eyes. The honey amber of her irises almost appears to be glowing, but the avidity dims, as she glances at the crystal next to the altar.
    That crystal, which was originally milky white, has become silver-grey and is emitting a soft radiance. Now that I am paying attention to it, I feel the thick rich Power contained within the crystal. Is that really my Power?
    “I really don't have any choices, do I?” I let the bitterness and anger inside me fill my voice.
    “If you do not use the Umbra, this man has more than enough Power to fill the crystals that you owe to the priest. What is the price he extracted from you?” Smith's words are flat, a simple statement of fact.
    “Twenty-three Power crystals.” Elan'fer'sha's face is shadowed with bitterness.
    Smith laughs at her. “You would kill a normal adept if you tried to fill that many crystals in a two year period. With this man, you can fill them all and not impact his fighting ability, but that will mean taking his Power slowly, a little bit every day. One crystal every three ten-days should be the perfect rate. Give the priest his crystals one every three ten-days.”
    Elan'fer'sha turns to face me, even though I keep her pinned in the same hold, without releasing the pressure on it. For her, it must feel like her elbow and shoulder are about to be torn apart, but the only sign is slightly deepened breathing and a flush on her cheeks. A shiver passes through her, as she moves close enough to pin my still hard dick between our bodies.
    “I do not know what you seek, animal, but if your plans do not interfere with mine, I will work with you.”
    I do not like this arrangement, but what alternatives do I have? Before acting, I need to wait and learn enough to escape. Besides, there may be some side benefits. Even after everything that has happened in the past couple of days, I still want to fuck Elan'fer'sha's brains out. Her attitude does not put me off. It makes me want to force her into