Shadow Cipher

18. Nova

Bradford comes by later after I've had a nap and tells me that it will be 2 weeks before we get to Bolton's estate. Then he tosses me some scraps of cloth that he claims are clothes, but honestly? Even with them on, I'm pretty sure they are clothes in the loosest form of the term. It consists of two triangles that barely cover my chest and "pants" that are basically a thong with scraps of cloth that drape down my legs to barely cover me. I have a bad feeling I know what is about to happen, but I plan to fight tooth and nail if these guys try to touch me.

No surprise, a guy tries to touch me. As I'm walking by, a man smacks my ass. So I do the reasonable thing and grab my fork, which I hid in my hair and jab it right into the fucker's eyeball. He screams, the men around him start shouting, Bradford grabs my arm and pins me to a wall. Then Kevin comes in.

"You just stabbed one of my men," he says.

"He smacked my ass," I reply.

"I see. I suppose the only way to settle this is a fight to the death. Kray! Get over here." The man I had stabbed stumbles toward Kevin. He bumps into almost everything between him and Kevin on his way. I smirk when I see that the fork is still in his eye. "Do you want your chance at retribution?" Kevin asks.

"Yeah! That cunt needs to pay for what she did!"the man, Kray, proclaims.

I get nervous when Kevin hands Kray a dagger, but then he shocks me when he hands me one as well. He whispers in my ear, "I'll be taking that back after this fight." Then he shoves me towards Kray. It seems this might be a normal occurance on this ship because everyone has made a ring for us to fight in.

I take stock of my surroundings. We're in the mess hall, so there are tables and chairs everywhere. I use this to the best of my ability. Kray doesn't have good depth perception because of what I did to his eye, so I jump on tables and chairs, never staying still enough for him to aim well. Unfortunately, as I throw my dagger, he throws his and we are both successful, but where mine lodges deep in his throat, killing him, his lodges in my upper arm. It sinks in good, but luckily it doesn't hit anything important.I tear a bit of my outfit (not that there is much to it) and wrap it around the wound.

Once the fight is over, Kevin grabs me and takes me to a communications room. "Sit and shut up, please. I need you to behave," he says.

I sit in the spot he points to and just glare at him. Then the monitor comes to life with Bolton's ugly mug. I tense up when Bolton laughs.

"Good to see you succeeded where that useless mercenary failed. So much for the stainless reputation of the Red Shadow. I see she is wounded. Good. She deserves everything she gets. When will you arrive?"

"Two weeks, sir. We have the route planned with no delays. You promise once she is turned over, you will never bother him again?" Kevin asks. This piques my interest, because there is only one person I know that Kevin cares about... Did he do all this for Cygnus?

"Yes, Yes. I will stop meddling in the races. Just get her to me." Then the call is cut off.

The room is quiet for a long moment as I look at Kevin and he sheepishly looks at me. "You did this for Cygnus?" I ask.

"Why else would I hurt you?" He says, like I should have figured it out on my own.

I look at the floor, refusing to let him see the tears starting to well up in my eyes. "Thank you," I say to him.

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Look, Nova. I need to not see you as the little sister you have been to me for the last several years. So, be ready for a really shitty trip." Then he punches me in the stomach so hard, it takes my breath away. Another of his men comes in, grabs me and I start my two weeks of hell.