One by one the contenders reach into the hat and pull out a name. The blond woman picks Frederick, and I watch as her hands tighten on her knife. Fear or anticipation, I can’t tell. Halfway done. The hat passes to Mathias, and I hold my breath, but before he even calls out the name, I know who it’s going to be…and I’m right. It’s the biggest vampire I’ve ever seen. I swallow hard. This is going to be brutal.
The contenders begin stripping off various pieces of clothing. The woman removes hers, revealing utilitarian black spandex shorts and a sports top. She begins bouncing up and down and swiping the air with that wicked knife of hers.
Mathias strips down to a pair of fighting shorts, and if I weren’t terrified, I’d appreciate all those hard-packed muscles on display. He looks into the stands, and when his eyes land on me, I blow him a kiss. His slow smile makes goosebumps appear on my arms.
“You’re a lucky bitch,” the vampire beside me drawls in a smoky voice.
I ignore her, my eyes glued to Mathias. The floor of the arena lights up, showcasing the massive ring in the center, and the crowd goes wild.
“First up, Mathias and Gregori,” the announcer shouts into the mic, and the crowd screams and whistles. Money begins changing hands so fast it’s like a river of paper flowing across the crowd. A gong sounds, and it all stops.
I watch as the two enter the ring and shake hands. Everything blurs but the sound of sword clashing against sword. They’re moving so fast it’s hard for me to see who’s winning, only bits and pieces of their vicious battle. Mathias’ sword swings, and blood arcs across the room, hitting the spectators on the other side. They erupt in cheers, licking their lips and fingers.
A second later, time slows as I watch Mathias’ right sword go flying as Gregori’s sword slices up his arm, splaying it open. Gripping my hands together, my knuckles turn completely white. Somehow I manage not to scream, but it’s close.
Gregori presses forward fast as lightning, trying to take advantage of Mathias’ one sword and good arm. In a surprise move, Mathias knocks him back using a roundhouse kick, then leaps for his other sword.
On and on it goes for at least two more hours. Blood flows like a river, and the tang of copper floods the air. Every time you think they’ve dealt a significant blow to the other, their vampire healing kicks in, preventing death. It’s excruciating and brutal. My jaw aches from biting back the screams.
The crowd inhales, and Mathias drops to his knees. Gregori’s sword arcs high behind him, and my heart drops. It swings down, and I scream, unable to hold it back. At the last minute, Mathias leaps to his feet, then jumps up and over the mammoth vampire, his sword swiftly following. Gregori’s arm is still swinging when his head drops to the ground. Another vampire moves in and burns the body. And just like that, it’s over.
Breathing hard, Mathias looks up at me. I try to smile through the tears, but I can’t. The brutality of it all, and the crowd treating it like it’s a game…I just can’t. One wrong move, and he could have died. And Gregori. Losing his life because Frederick decided death matches would prove what? That vampires are superior because of their brutal nature and might.
The crowd, on the other hand, loses their minds in a roar of excitement.
“Never seen that before,” the announcer remarks softly before he recovers. “Next up…”
I don’t hear anything else he says. Two more contenders take the floor, and like the first fight, it’s a bloodbath. By the time thefifth match rolls around, I’m desperately wishing I could leave. Unfortunately, we’re stuck here until it’s finished.
Jamison: I wish I could take you out of here.
Phaedra: Me too.
Jamison: …
Jamison: We’re close. Hang in there.
I stare at the words, knowing he doesn’t mean physically. We’re working so many angles right now, it would be easy to lose faith, but it’s working. The enemy is clever but so are we. The hard part is patiently waiting for the pieces to fall into place.
The gong sounds, and I close my eyes in gratitude. The matches are over. Frederick strides to the stage, covered in blood, and takes the mic from the announcer.
“Wow, wasn’t that exhilarating?”
The crowd responds with cheers and screams.
“Give a round of applause for our winners.”
Stomping feet and clapping hands join the cheering.
He turns and calls out each remaining contender. “Mathias Blackwell. Vidal Ohma. Marissa Seela. And of course, myself. Frederick Raul.”
For a solid minute, he basks in the crowd’s admiration. So do the others. Except Mathias, whose arms are crossed and face is blank.
“Tomorrow, we begin to take what is rightfully ours. A place in this world that will make even the gods sit up and notice. Power and wealth will be ours. Nolan was old-school. Happy to rule with his iron fist and inflexible rules, but all that did was keep us under the heel of his boot!” he shouts, excitement glittering in his eyes.
He did it. Killed Nolan. I know it as sure as I’m sitting here. Maybe Bennett helped, or maybe he was just a distraction. Frederick is the one who eliminated Nolan. He’s also the one who’s after me and the rest of the panels.
“Recently, we had the chance to work with the humans and strike a blow against the council,” he begins, and my brow furrows. He’s talking about Greece. Angry, I stare at him. Because of him, Jamison almost died. Would have if Mathias hadn’t given him his blood.
