I wasn’t fast enough to kick free before my shoulder smashed into the floor.

Damn it.

Her fist hit my stomach, and all my air was gone.

Gasping, I twisted on the floor and kicked her wrist, breaking her hold. I crab-walked back a few steps, before regaining my feet.

She faltered, trying to get up, but she wouldn’t be able to. Not with the way her knee was bent, sticking out to the side.

I slammed my foot into her face, and she slumped to the ground, less than an inch from the electric bars.

My hands were shaking from the adrenalin rush as I sat on the edge of the cot, but after a second of staring at the Roja’s prone body, I realized I’d made a mistake. I should’ve let her win.

Fighting in a cell looked bad. If I lost, maybe I would’ve gotten some pity points. Fighting and winning? That was so shortsighted. On the off chance that I somehow didn’t get found out as a halfer and made it to an actual trial, I’d have another mark for the judge to hold against me.

I bent to check her pulse. It was strong. At least I hadn’t killed her.

I leaned back on my heels. Ice it to hell. I should’ve taken the beating.

Footsteps echoed again, and I glanced up to see Officer Perez sprinting down the narrow hallway. “You were supposed to be alone in there. Shit. I’m going to have to move you to solitary because of this.” Her shoulders slouched as she waved her finger through the air. She gave clipped instructions and then ended her call.

“You okay in there?” she said when she was done.

No. I wasn’t remotely okay, but she was talking physically. Pretending to be hurt was an option, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. I rubbed the ache in my stomach. The she-beast had hit me hard, and I was going to have a giant bruise. Other than that, my shoulder ached a bit from where I hit the floor, but that was nothing major. I was way better off than the Roja, who was still unconscious on the floor.

“I’m all good.”

“She’s twice your size. You some sort of ninja expert or something?”

I huffed a laugh. If she only knew… “Or something.”

Officer Perez entered the cell and inspected the Roja before she pushed the round, black button on her com again. “Medic needed in cell six.” She scanned me head to toe. “Well, you seem fine to me, but I have to ask. You need any nanos?”

“No.” A hurt shoulder was way better than the feeling of little bugs under my skin, pinching and poking me where I should never feel anything pinched or poked. Nanos and I didn’t mix. I’d learned that the hard way.