“That’s it,” he encouraged as I punched the air with my fists. “Work up that anger. You’ve got this. Deuce is going down.”
“No fucking kidding,” I said. Deuce was a freaking asshole, on par with Mad Dog. He’d messed with the Villain’s Club one too many times. I’d take pride in knocking him out and sending him to the medical tent.
So why was I so nervous about this fight?
“You’re gonna have to swing faster than that, Bandit,” Chancey said. “You’re going up against a vampire.”
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “You don’t have to remind me.”
I’d won all of my fights so far, but I hadn’t been up against a vampire yet. The one time I’d kicked a vampire’s ass, I’d used my Air magic— when I’d sent Mad Dog flying into the lake my first week here. But I wasn’t allowed to use my powers in the ring. It was more entertaining for the guards to witness the hand-to-hand brawls that drew blood.
But I’d never been paired with a vampire. The bet was too easy to make. With supernatural strength and speed, I’d easily be crushed. I had no doubt all bets were on Deuce.
No. I couldn’t think that way. Captain pit me against Deuce for a reason. He must’ve believed I had at least achanceat beating him. Otherwise, the show wasn’t worth it.
“Bandit!” Captain called into the locker room. “You’re up!”
“You’ve got this,” Chancey encouraged. “I’ve seen you take down every other supernatural out there. You can beat a vampire.”
I swallowed. Ihadbeat shifters, who also had enhanced strength, and were just as strong as vampires. I could beat Deuce, but I had to be smart about it.
I cracked my knuckles. “You’re right. He’s going down. I hope you bet on me.”
Chancey laughed loudly. “Oh, I bet all right.”
I let Chancey’s comment slide as I followed Captain out of the locker room. The sound of the roaring crowd filled my ears as I walked toward the ring. I lifted my hands in the air and joined in on their cheers.
“Blind Bandit!Blind Bandit!” a section of the crowd chanted.
I yanked a blindfold from where I’d tucked it into my waistband. I lifted it above my head and waved it around. The crowd loved it. They went fucking nuts, until my ears rang.
Captain stopped me next to the ring, and I spun around, showing off the blindfold to the crowd. I put on a show about tying it over my eyes. It made no difference to me, but they loved the act.
“Ladies and gentlemen, shifters and sorceresses, witches and warlocks, mermaids and mermen…” an announcer called over the speaker. “The event you’ve all been waiting for. The fight of the night! Welcome to the ring your favorite resident vampire— Deuce!”
The crowd cheered loudly, and I heard Deuce’s heavy footsteps as he climbed into the ring.
“Does this vampire have what it takes to defeat our undefeated champion? Well, tonight you’ll find out. Give it up for the Blind Bandit!”
Screams filled the room and echoed off the walls as I stepped into the ring. I bounced on my toes and did my best to block out the noise. I honed in my senses on Deuce— using the sound of his footsteps to determine his position in the ring, and my Air magic to sense the quick movement of his fists.
A bell sounded, and the fight was on. Deuce came at me instantly, not wasting a second. I was prepared for a quick attack and threw my fist out before he started moving. He was moving so fast that his chest slammed into my knuckles. Pain radiated up my arm. It hurt like hell, but I didn’t even wince. I was so pumped for this fight that it almost feltgood.
Deuce stumbled back a step, obviously startled by my quick reaction. He coughed a few times, then snarled, “If you think you can beat me, you’re delusional, Wahkin.”
I chuckled. “The name’s Blind Bandit. Stop talking and fight.”
Air swept by Deuce, and I knew instantly that a fist was coming my way. I threw up an arm to block him, but he moved faster than me. Before I could block him, his fist slammed into my cheek. I stumbled sideways and was very alert to the fact that the crowd was booing. It took me a second to right myself, and I wondered why Deuce wasn’t initiating a second attack. His footsteps moved around the ring deliberately as we began to circle one another. He was making a show of it.
“You’re weak, Wahkin,” Deuce taunted. “I’m going to rip you apart.”
“What are you waiting for?”
I was sick of the trash talk. I wanted to fight. I wanted tobeat him.
Deuce came at me, and I spun out of the way. My plan was to use his speed and strength against him. As he swept past me, I thrust my hands into his back and sent him stumbling forward into the ropes surrounding the ring. Theytwangedas his body ricocheted back at me. I went to grab him, but he recovered quickly and ducked out of my reach.
His footsteps moved quicker as he circled me, and his breathing rate increased. It was obvious I’d embarrassed him by dodging his attack. Good. If I could throw him off his game, I had a chance at winning.
