“Ahh, like a king’s knight. I get it. You Nmen have the most peculiar names, but I’m happy to hear that at least you don’t submit young children to watching public killings.”
Tyton rolled his eyes. “No, typically, we wait until they’re twelve years old.”
A large man came out in the fight arena and was received with cheers. A presenter introduced him, but I didn’t catch his name. From Wilma’s reaction to his opponent as that one stepped up in the arena and raised his hands to the audience, I knew the large man had to be Emmerson.
“Didn’t you say he was young?”
“He’s twenty-six.”
From our seats back in the arena, he looked older with his enormous size, beard, and all those tattoos on his bare suntanned torso. His shoulder-length hair was braided close to his head and he stood with such confidence that I already felt sorry for his opponent, who looked to be at least ten years older.
“I can see why she likes Emmerson better,” I whispered.
“Yeah? And why is that?” Tyton squared his shoulders and straightened up in his seat.
“He’s younger and better-looking.”
Despite Tyton’s being quiet, I sensed his displeasure, so I turned my head. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why do you look like I dunked your head down one of those disgusting toilets that they have here?”
“I don’t.”
“You’re angry about something. Did I say something that upset you?”
“I just don’t appreciate you pointing out your attraction to other men when I’m around.”
I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “I’ve never been attracted to a man in my life.” Somewhere in the back of my mind a little voice began questioning that, because there had been that erotic dream the other night.
“Okay, but then be honest. If you were to choose between me and Emmerson, who would you pick?”
I laughed and shook my head.
“Who would you choose?”
Since it was clear as glass that this meant a lot to Tyton, I went with the polite answer. “I would choose you of course.”
“You would?” There was such relief in his almost boyish smile that it made me laugh, and people turned around in their seats to see what was going on.
Tyton and I had been so engulfed in our bubble that we hadn’t noticed people coming close enough to hear us.
The moment we realized that several were watching us, I closed my mouth and shrank in my seat.
“Hey, boy, what’s so funny?” one of them called out.
I ignored him and kept my eyes on Emmerson and his opponent, who were preparing for the game by riling each other and the audience up.
“Aren’t you hot with that thick sweater on?” the same man asked. “Who wears a hoodie when it’s this hot?”
Tyton leaned forward, blocking the man’s view of me. “The boy has a condition. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“What kind of condition?”
“His skin reacts to sun, so he has to cover up at all times.”
“That sucks. How old is he?”
