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Author Insight
First Battle
Atalanta shows off her gladiatorial prowess in a battle against her foe.
Book Excerpt
Gladiatrix
I never would have thought it was possible to get bored of the roar of the crowd. To not care to hear them chanting my name. To wish, just once, that they would look away.Yet here I stood, the gaze of thousands of eyes crushing me beneath their weight, and longed to be somewhere else, anywhere but in front of the bloodthirsty audience screaming for me, chanting my name.The show must go on, and I was the show. My head throbbed in time to the crowd’s noise as they cheered, whistled and stomped, the noise rising until it blocked all thought, constricting me in its crushing embrace.Across the dusty arena, my eyes locked onto my opponent. Blood dripped down her face from the shallow cut across her forehead as she gave me an almost imperceptible nod.I dipped my chin in return to confirm, and Johanna let out her battle scream, lowering her spear as she charged. Her flat-sandaled feet churned up clouds of dust from the arena floor as her powerful legs ate up the distance between us.I raced forward to meet her, summoning up my showmanship for the final move. My own battle cry tore from my throat, only to be quickly swallowed by the thunderous noise of those staring down at us. “For the Goddess!”We clashed in the center of the arena in a fury of limbs. Her foot landed on my knee and I placed a hand on her waist, guiding her momentum up and over as she pushed off of my braced leg, exactly like we had practiced.She flipped over my head and landed on her back, a puff of sand billowing up around her. Her chest rose and fell as she panted, mouth open and eyes wide. My thrill in victory was muted, dozens of practice repetitions dulling what used to be razor-sharp.I’d won. Just as we’d planned.
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