Kasto and Theo Kane, who was also present in the arena, helped Luke out of the arena floor while the noise of the underground stadium continued to rise around them.
Luke's feet dragged a little at first, and even though he was trying to keep his head high, the exhaustion from the fight was obvious in the slump of his shoulders and the stiffness in his breathing.
He had given everything he could give and then some, and though he was still burning with the humiliation of losing, there was a kind of grim dignity in the way he let himself be led away instead of collapsing outright.
For a moment, as he passed the edge of the battlefield, he lifted his head.
His eyes found Lancet.
Lancet had just stepped down into the center of the arena, the broken stone floor cool beneath his boots, and the look Luke gave him was sharp enough to cut even through the crowd noise.
