“If you guys want to get to know one another I suggest a date instead,” Zane called out from the opposite side of the ring. Until he saw Kelevra’s angry look. He cleared his throat. “Never mind. You, uh, ready?”
No referee was standing in the ring with them or off to the side, but Madden hung close, ready to play intermediate at any given moment.
“You sure about this?” Baikal stepped up on Kelevra’s other side. He’d brought his drink with him, staring into the ring as he swirled the dark blue contents in the glass. “You can’t go flying off the handles when Flix inevitably hurts him.”
Sila snorted, but when they both turned to look at him, his expression was as empty as Rin’s.
Zane called the start, a bell clanging, and then everyone went quiet. It was obvious that Baikal wasn’t the only one who expected this to go a certain way, some of the others sending Kelevra nervous glances.
He’d already promised himself he wouldn’t retaliate. Flix was a Brumal member who stood on the mafia prince’s Satellite. He was heavily trained and a fierce fighter who was quick on his feet. Kelevra didn’t expect a sophomore Academy agent, someone who had only just barely started combat training, to beat a man like Flix.
This wasn’t about winning anyway. It was about getting Rin to that sweet spot. That mental place where the body was too damn exhausted to care about anything other than feeling good. Physical satisfaction. Craving and need. He wanted his flower stripped down to his basic instincts.
Flix tested the waters at first, jabbing forward lightly to see how quickly Rin could evade before picking it up a notch. As soon as he started firing punches, Rin began getting pummeled.
Kelevra watched, growing more and more uneasy with each passing hit. Watching as Flix’s fists connected with Rin’s jaw, his sides, over his eyebrow. He split his lip and a growl rumbled up Kel’s throat at the sight of the blood.
He loved blood. He thought it was sexy watching someone bleed. But this? Knowing the blood was there because of someone else? That just infuriated him. Not to mention, sure, he hadn’t expected Rin to win, but he also hadn’t anticipated this.
Rin was barely able to get in hits himself, too busy playing defense. He wasn’t the worst fighter, the fact he was still standing after a few minutes a testament to that fact, but at this rate, if he didn’t tap out, he’d surely get knocked out.
“You can’t see it, can you,” Sila’s voice, light and low, cut through Kelevra’s agitation and he frowned over at the twin. He still didn’t look concerned. Not even a little bit. “He made it sound like you were interesting,” Sila continued, clearly knowing he had Kel’s attention. “I’m not involving myself because he asked. Because I got the impression you made him feel seen. But you don’t,” he finally turned and caught Kelevra’s gaze with a bored one of his own, “see. Do you?”
Kelevra frowned, torn between being pissed off at the obvious insult and curious over the cryptic comments.
“He’s faking,” Baikal was the one who replied, drink held low, forgotten. His eyes followed the fight closely, a sparkle of intrigue there that Kel didn’t like.
“Always.” Sila grinned, the smile cutting across his face in a way that was somehow the opposite of everything it should be. It wasn’t friendly or open or kind. It was cold and twisted, with an edge to it that up until this point, Kelevra had only seen staring back at himself in the mirror.
Rin was getting beat to a pulpon purpose?
“My brother is all about control. He lives it. Breathes it. Caged and confined. He’ll suffocate himself like that, but he doesn’t seem to care enough to stop.”
What the hell?
“Would you like to?” Sila suddenly asked. “See, I mean?”
Without waiting for a reply, Sila stepped a little closer to the ring, lifting his voice so it would carry and be heard over the rough sounds of the fight. “The damage to the face has become noticeable, brother.”
It made no sense. Coded words spoken seemingly at random.
But it was like a switch flicked for Rin. His whole body tightened and then went easy all at once, the look in his gaze shifting. When Flix swung, Rin dipped and evaded, twisting on his heels in a move far more graceful than any he’d shown prior.
Sila clearly wasn’t satisfied. “Should I take over for you?”
“Shut,” Rin exploded, switching from defense to offense so fast Flix couldn’t keep up, “the fuck,” he feinted a right hook then delivered a left, “up!”
The blow was hard enough that it took Flix down, and while he worked on getting back to his feet, Rin stormed over to the edge where Kelevra and they were standing and spat a mixture of blood and saliva down between his brother’s feet.
Sila gave his face a pointed once over. “Forget three days. That’s going to take at least a week to heal. Well done.”
“You’re the one who told me to get in here, asshole.”
“I don’t recall suggesting you forget about the rules,” Sila replied.
“I pulled back enough and you know it, so don’t give me any lip.”
Flix had risen and was coming up behind him, but Rin didn’t seem to notice, still glowering down at his twin.
