Linda shakes her head and turns to the right before racing through the ocean.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“There’s only one interesting place you can go at this time of night.”
“Which is?”
“You’ll see.” With that declaration, we ride for a turn before a structure comes into view. Initially, I believe it is Atlantis, until the circular stone building becomes clearer, and the roar of the crowd reaches me. I meet Genie’s eyes, and he shakes his head, as clueless as myself.
Linda darts through a small doorway, and we emerge into a crowded arena. A large clearing dominates the center with layers of ascending seating surrounding it. All manner of creatures fill the seats—mermen, mermaids, seahorses, turtles, lobsters, fish,squids, plus numerous other curious creatures I have no name for watch the arena floor with rapt attention.
Linda guides us into an empty spot on the lowest level. Probably for the best. I climb off her and settle onto the stone bench. Genie hovers next to me, while Linda flanks my other side.
The crowd quiets as something emerges from the shadows. An enormous crocodile moves sluggishly into the center, and everyone holds their breath as he eyeballs the crowd.
“The next challengers fight for the honor of becoming Felicia’s mate,” he snarls. “They have until the clock stops to end their opponent. Bets will close in one tempo.”
To end? Like fight to the death? There’s a flurry of movement as folks make their predictions. Gold passes hands.
“What is this?” I whisper.
Linda nods her head at the crocodile. “Mr. Tick is the owner of the ocean’s biggest underground fighting ring.”
“Why would they do this?”
“For riches and status.” She gives me a steely glare. “And to break their boredom.”
I deserved that. I’m only here because I got bored.
The crocodile’s beady eyes settle on me, and he grins. Wow, that’s terrifying. No one needs that many sharp and pointy teeth. Six or seven would do the job; the rest are for show.
“Don’t look him in the eyes,” Linda hisses.
“Too late,” I grumble. The crocodile winks at me. Oh, Idols.
She sighs. “Frank is going to kill me.”
Two mermen with spears in their hands block the doors nearest us. I swallow the knot of worry in my chest. “Why are they there?”
Linda glances toward the exit. “It’s standard. The fight is about to start, and they don’t want the deal makers escaping with people’s winnings.”
“Oh good. For a tempo, I thought it was a me thing.”
“It’s also a you thing.” Dammit.
Two tiny fish swim out of opposite ends of the arena. They circle the edge, causing the crowd to go wild. When they said a fight to the death, I wasn’t expecting cute little creatures. What were they going to do? Blow bubbles at each other? Slap their opponent with their small fins?
They sweep past us twice, and tension ripples through the crowd, nearly palpable in its intensity. This is what they consider entertainment? Huh. Compared to what I endure every diurnal, it’s quite bland.
Mr. Tick gives me one last look before a loud clicking noise echoes in the water. It’s so powerful that the ocean vibrates. A clock, I realize. My gaze narrows on the crocodile. His body jerks in time with it, and I realize the sound comes from within him. Now his name makes sense.
“How is he doing that?”
“Legend says a pirate forced him to swallow a clock, so he could have an early warning system when the crocodile was nearby,” Linda tells me.
“But he can turn it off and on at will?”
“Yes.”
