The Rings Fighter by JC Andrijeski Page B

lived in their Nirreth’s homes, often sharing their beds.
    Chloe had trouble imagining that––with any Nirreth––but she knew from many humans that it happened, and that it could be very mutual. She had friends with Nirreth boyfriends back in Kabasi, the district near Old Santa Fe where she grew up. Some of those Nirreth lavished their human companions with presents and affection.
    Agnon would never deign to wear such a thing, of course.
    When Chloe glanced up, she found the silent Nirreth’s eyes on her still. He narrowed his gaze slightly as he looked at her, flicking his tail lazily to one side right before he looked away. The gesture and his facial expression bordered on dismissive, but somehow, she got the sense that he’d done it more for Agnon than for her.
    Maybe she wouldn’t mind sleeping with this one.
    The thought brought a strange pull in the lower part of her belly, what might have been nervous butterflies. She wondered if he would be considerate about it, the way some of them could be. Sex with Nirreth wasn’t unpleasant, per se––physically, that is.
    As with humans, it was all in the delivery... and in the individual Nirreth, of course.
    “So, Trazen?” Agnon gloated. “Will you lower yourself to take my little bauble? Despite her lack of ex-skag toughness?”
    The quiet Nirreth continued to study Chloe a few seconds longer.
    “Yes,” he said abruptly. His voice came out blunt, deep. Flicking his tail again, he looked at Agnon. “I will take her. I have an…opening. I don’t suppose she can fight?”
    Agnon stared at him, his dark eyes widening enough to show a faint rim of white. Then he burst out with a laugh.
    “This one?” he said. “Fight? You must be joking!”
    Trazen let out a purring sigh, folding his muscular arms. His voice turned gruff.
    “Well, that is all right,” he said. “I will still take her. She clearly has other... uses.”
    Agnon blinked, the smile sliding from his dark, drink-smoothed face. Understanding ignited, seemingly for the first time in the exchange. He stared at the muscular Nirreth, then at Chloe, then back again.
    His next words came out with an edge.
    “I think you misunderstood my offer, Ringmaster. She is not for sale. I offered you a borrow only... and in my presence only.”
    Chloe barely heard the last part. She’d stiffened at Agnon’s first words, staring anew at the muscular Nirreth with the gold-flecked eyes.
    Ringmaster? Ringmaster Trazen?
    This was that Trazen?
    Nerves flooded her all over again, turning her brief interest in him to something closer to panic. Gods above. Could this really be the Ringmaster? He was too young, surely. And he was handsome, this Nirreth. He didn’t look anything like the image she remembered from vids.
    Yet she knew she hadn’t heard Agnon wrong.
    She’d also seen close up images of Trazen before, in publicity photos for the Rings. Looking at him now she could see the resemblance. In those images, they made him out to be a savage, a near-animal encased from head to toe in a form-fitting, midnight black sense-suit. He’d also been bloodied up and bruised and even more muscular back then.
    But she remembered those gold-flecked eyes.
    Now that she looked for it, she remembered the long line of his jaw and high cheekbones, too. She’d just never seen him wearing civilian clothes. She’d never seen him without that murderous look in his eyes, the bared teeth, the bruised skin.
    If this was that Trazen, he had an even worse reputation than Agnon.
    Her initial shock turned even more intensely to fear. She forced her eyes to remain on the two Nirreth, fearing she might be tempted to look for Kiji if she didn’t.
    Trazen wasn’t looking at her now, though. He stared at Agnon instead, his gold-flecked eyes holding an overt threat.
    “I wasn’t asking, friend. I will buy her from you... you will tell me the price.”
    “There is no price!” Agnon hissed, his tail lashing angrily. “She is not for