Heart of the Gladiator (Affairs of the Arena Book 1) Read Free

father made me a slave to a medici so that I would learn the trade. When I did, I was sold to the ludus.”
    A young man called out “Ursus” as he passed. A few others took note, and began sounding the name with him. They held up their fists, shaking them in good cheer, and Caius shook his fist right back. This brought a cheer.
    “I thought your name was Caius?”
    “It is.”
    “And yet...”
    “Oh, that.” He shrugged. “I went by another name once upon a time. People knew me for it. The better for you not to have, believe me, from what you say”
    “Very well.” She paused for a moment. “Oh.”
    It rather pleased him, seeing her face turn beet red like that. All that color in her cheeks. It made him imagine what other sorts of activities could bring a flush to her body.
    “Ursus.” She shook her head. “ You’re the Great Bear of Puteoli?”
    “The one and only.”
    “Didn’t you retire?”
    “I did.”
    “And now...you’re headed east. With me.”
    “All the way to the ludus.” He turned, and showed her his other arm—and the shoulder bearing the mark of House Varinius. “I’m afraid, good medicae, that I’m one of those idiots who has sold himself back into slavery.”

Chapter 2
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    C aius and Aeliana had approached the rest of the way to the ludus with Aeliana burning in silent shame and anger from her words.
    Her mind shifted on a long, torrential pendulum, with one end holding all the various apologies she might offer, and the other creating vast, intricate angered arguments for why she was right and who was he to think she ought to apologize?
    Not that he had said anything or even taken anything she had said with naught but good humor and an ineffably decent, charming look on his heart-melting, handsome face.
    That made her angry too. Why did this man who so effortlessly set fire to her world have to be exactly the kind of brute she hated? There was nothing worse than a gladiator. Only, now there was—a gladiator for whom she couldn't deny her heated attraction
    In a way, that was worse. It was like he mocked her for her inability to play everything as coolly as he did. Certainly he didn't feel some electric connection between their bodies—and even if he did, it was only because a gladiator only ever thought with the sword in his hands or the sword between his legs.
    When they reached the ludus, the tall metal gates opened to admit entry into the yard where the gladiators trained. Large words reading Ludus Magnus Gladiatorum were carved in the stone above the gate.
    The Dominus of House Varinius was Rufus Antonius Varinius. His family had been training gladiators for more than two hundred years, commissioned to duty by Augustus himself when the great Princeps had placed control of the bloody games directly in the hands of imperial power.
    The Varinius ludus was east, outside of bounds of the city proper and buried in the base of a small hill. The walls of the ludus were tall, built just as much for keeping the gladiators in as they were for keeping bandits out —though not many thieves in their right minds would dare to infiltrate a school full of the city’s most terrible fighting men.
    The training grounds for the gladiators were placed just next to the walls, with several plots of sand allotted for their maneuvers. Beyond the training grounds was a raised, green hilly area, where the Dominus and any guests could watch the fighters at work. Trailing upward next to that hill was a long stony stairway, leading up into the hill, into the meat of which was where the Dominus and his family lived in a large house.
    Guards were posted at different intervals through the grounds, patrolling regularly. Some were paid for by imperial decree—the games were entirely under the purview of the Emperor, after all—and still some others were personal bodyguards paid for by Rufus. Their weapons were kept razor sharp, and a gladiator approached a guard only with his life at