The man terrified me, though in a different way than the Warden. I’d met people like him on the street before. His tone held authority, but he also sounded friendly... like he was the kind of guy to have your back until you stepped out of line. And if you did, so help your soul.
“Mm…” he mused. “A very interesting choice, Chancey. Why Charlie?”
Chancey chuckled. “He likes money.”
“Always a good motivator,” the man replied, sounding amused.
“Excuse me,” I said. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are you? What is this?”
“Call me Captain,” he replied.
Yep, definitely ex-military.
“I’m the head of security here at the Institute,” he explained. “Chancey here is one of my best recruiters.”
“Recruiters?” I questioned. “For the fight club?”
It was obvious by the training sounds going on around me that’s what we’d just walked into. I knew there was an underground fight club here at the prison, and it was rumored Chancey was involved, but I’d never experienced it myself… until now.
“Exactly,” Captain said proudly. “And I’d like to bring you on board.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why? Because I started a fight in the mines? What’s going to happen to Edwin?”
Captain laughed. “I think a few hours in solitary will do it for him. I’m offering you this opportunity because you intrigue me, Charlie. Will you fight for us?”
I crossed my arms. This sounded sketchy as hell. An underground fight ring all for… what? The guards’ amusement?
Profit, I realized immediately. Chancey wasn’t just recruiting for Captain. He was taking bets for him, and I bet Captain walked away with one hell of a payday.
“What’s in it for me?” I asked.
“Money, status, girls, you name it,” Captain said.
“It’s great,” Chancey raved. “Every time you win a fight, you get money deposited into your account that you can spend on campus or take with you when you graduate. The referral money is amazing, too, if you’re asked to recruit.”
“Does the Warden know about this?” I asked.
Captain scoffed. “He doesn’t take an interest in the club itself, but he lets us have our fun, provided we keep things quiet and under control.”
I turned to Chancey. “What makes you think I’d want to do this?”
Chancey laughed. “Whywouldn’tyou? I like you, Charlie. I thought you’d appreciate being a part of something bigger at the Institute. And don’t forget about the privileges.”
I tilted my head. I admit I was intrigued by the money, but my curiosity piqued even more at the mention of privileges. “Whatkindof privileges?”
“There’s a lot you can get away with when the guards are betting on you,” Chancey explained. “Get into a brawl? Forget about punishment. Failing your classes? Expect extra accommodations. We even get to go on extra field trips every now and then— get some fresh air outside of the Institute. You can do whatever you want when you’re a fighter, and the guards will just look the other way.”
I barely heard what Chancey had said about the field trips, because I was so focused on the extra privileges and accommodations. I could really use accommodations for my disability. And earning a place at the Institute where the guards ceased to target you could prove useful— especially with the way Ava attracted trouble like a magnet. I could use my new position to protect her and Oberi.
It almost sounded too good to be true.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
“No catch,” Captain replied. “Though there are rules. Rule number one, no attacking with magic. Everything else is free game.”
They wanted better bets. It was too easy to bet one supernatural power against another. They just wanted to watch us beat the shit out of each other.
“Rule number two, you don’t go snitching,” Captain growled, like the thought made him bitter. “The only people who know about the fight ring are those putting in bets. You tell someone else, and your ass gets booted. And I don’t have to tell you what my security team is like when they’ve got a grudge against you.”
