Deuce jumped for me. I wasn’t fast enough, and his foot sank into my gut. I gasped for breath, but I didn’t get another inhale before his foot connected with my abdomen again. On the third kick, I grabbed for his foot, but he was so fast that I couldn’t get my hands around it.
I quickly calculated in my head that I had two options. I could run away, or engage. There was a reason I was undefeated, and that was because I never ran away.
I reached for Deuce again and caught his leg before it could sink into my gut. A wild rage surged through me as I struggled for breath. Deuce paused for a second, like he was shocked I managed to catch him. I yanked downward. The force would’ve sent anyone else spiraling to their ass, but Deuce didn’t move an inch.
He let out a deep belly laugh. At this point, he found it humorous. He was humiliating me in front of everyone. I wasn’t about to lose to this jerk.
Rage built up inside of me, and a sensation that felt like Ava’s Fire swept through my hands and up my arms. I thought it might be magic swelling with my anger, so I quickly pushed it aside before I could be disqualified.
As Deuce continued laughing, I drew my hand back. Gathering up all the strength I could muster, I thrust my palm straight into his chest. Air swept by me so fast, I could only assume I’d knocked him off his feet. Athudsounded from the other end of the ring as he landed hard on his back. The crowd gasped.
Holy fuck. I didn’t know how I’d done that. It was like I’d had supernatural strengthmyself.I must’ve accidentally accelerated the blow with my Air magic without realizing it.
… But if that was true, why hadn’t it felt like it always did?
“Blind Bandit!Blind Bandit!” the crowd cheered.
Holy hell. They wantedme. I could actually win this thing.
Deuce jumped to his feet so fast the ring shook beneath my feet. “I’m done playing,” he growled. It was clear he waspissedthe crowd had taken my side. “You’re dead, Wahkin.”
I threw my hands upward to block the blow that I knew was coming, but I wasn’t fast enough. Deuce jumped on top of me, and we crashed to the ground. Once he was on top of me, I put my fists up to block, but there was no hope. I was exhausted from getting out of the cave-in earlier, and so, he had the advantage.
His heavy fists landed on my face, and pain shot out through my cheek. Blow after blow came, until I heard the crunch of bone and my ears rang. His vampire speed was too much for me to deal with. It was like I was fighting in slow motion, and he was on fast-forward. One hit landed as soon as another left my cheek.
I slipped into unconsciousness for a moment. When I came back, I was barely hanging on. I thought I heard a whistle blow, but I couldn’t be sure. All I was certain of was the fists landing harshly on my face, and the spittle flying from his mouth as Deuce spat offensive names at me.
“Stop!” Captain screamed from somewhere in the distance. I was so disoriented that I couldn’t tell where his voice was coming from. “Cut it out! You’ve already won!”
The words sent an icy chill over my entire form as the crowd groaned in disappointment. I almost didn’t even care that I was getting the shit kicked out of me. All I knew was that I’d lost.
Deuce was dragged off of me. Captain raised his fist into the air, and my mouth poured blood. I was barely aware of Chancey dragging me out of the ring, my body leaving a bloody smear on the ground, but it hardly mattered.
I’d gotten my ass kicked. If I couldn’t stand up to a vampire, I couldn’t fight the Warden— because even if we got away, he’d find us.
The horrifying reality hit me. If I lost a fight in the ring, then I could lose a fight in the real world, where it counted.
I could lose Ava.
Whether we stayed at the Institute or not didn’t matter, because we were totally fucked.
Chapter Sixteen
Ava-Marie
Ifelt something was wrong with Charlie the minute I awoke on Tuesday morning.
I was asleep-in-until-noonkind of person, but once the lock on my cell clicked open at six a.m., I was up. Oberi lay at the edge of my bed, quivering. The husky whimpered, indicating something was very wrong.
“Fuck.” I started throwing clothes on. Oberi scratched at the door, letting out loud whines. I tried mentally checking in with Charlie, but he didn’t give any response, and ancestors, it scared me.
“Charlie?” I bolted to his cell and flung open the door, but he wasn’t in there. It didn’t look like he’d been here all night.
My heart dropped. The fight club. Oberi barked and began leading the way down the hall. I wasn’t sure where he was going, but I trusted that he would lead me to Charlie.
I couldn’t stop thinking about all the horrible possibilities. He wasn’t dead— that much I was almost certain of— but he was badly hurt.
Oberi led me to the angel cellblock. I started shoving people aside who got in my way. Cries ofsavagerang out, but I didn’t even hear them. Oberi put his paw on a cell door. Outside of it was a thin trail of blood.
