I punched the side of his face a couple of times, but he didn’t let up on my ear. The fucking bastard was going to bite it off!
Hell no. If I was going to lose an ear, this asshole was going to lose an eye.
I hated to playthatdirty, but I had to defend myself, and there were no rules here in the underground fight club. I felt around his face until I felt his eyes, and I shoved my fingers into the sockets.
Damien reared backward and cried out. His hands left my body, and I thrust an elbow into his upper thigh so hard his legs loosened around me, too. I jumped to my feet and hurried to the other side of the ring, where I could calculate my next move. It was hard to make out what Damien was doing, because the crowd was so freaking loud I could hardly hear myself think.
I have to win this fight. I have to win this fight.
The words echoed in my mind. Every moment I let this go on was another chance for Damien to win. We’d already given the audience a good show. It was time to end this and earn my place.
Chancey’s words came back to me.Remember that mermen have enhanced strength and senses. Find a way to use it against him.
Perfect. How’d I do that?
“What are you standing around for?!” Chancey’s voice came from outside the ring. “You’ve blinded him! Finish him off!”
A moment of shock hit. I’dblindedhim? Not for good, obviously, but I must’ve done enough to swell his eyes shut. Victory surged through me, and I hadn’t even won the fight yet. No one navigated this Institute without sight better than I did.
I’d found my chance to win. I wasn’t about to waste it.
I stepped toward the center of the ring and focused my attention on my Air power to get a feel for Damien’s location. I quickly realized he was still on the ground, but he must’ve heard me coming, because he jumped to his feet. He shook out his hands, and sweat and blood splattered all over my chest.
“Come at me!” Damien yelled.
I chuckled. “Gladly.”
I lunged at Damien, intent on delivering one last blow. But he was ready for me. I’d underestimated just how well his other senses would make up for his temporary blindness. Damien caught my arm as it was headed toward him, and he used my momentum against me. He yanked downward and spun around, twisting my arm behind my back so hard something popped. A sharp, ungodly pain twisted through my shoulder as the joint dislocated. I cried out in pain but barely heard my own scream as the crowd went fucking nuts. They loved it.
Hell, I’m done for, I thought. There was no way I was fighting back with a dislocated shoulder.
But then I felther. Ava’s fear flashed through our bond as she recognized my pain. She could feel that something was wrong with me, and she was worried.
I hated when Ava worried. All I wanted was to keep her safe and happy. If I gave up now, I gave up everything I could possibly give Ava inside the Institute.
My Air magic sensed Damien’s arm drawing backward. He was going in for the final blow— the one that could end this all for me.
It simply wasn’t an option.
Damien’s fist flew forward, and I reacted as fast as I possibly could. I ducked and grabbed his arm with my good hand. I pulled him forward, accelerating his momentum toward me. At the last second, I rolled onto my back and shoved my feet up into his abdomen. His momentum kept him tumbling forward over top of me. I thrust my feet upward, flinging him into a flip. The sound of the ropes twanged as Damien flipped over them, then came the loudthudof his body as he landed outside the ring.
The crowd went freaking insane.
“You did it!” Chancey shrieked. “You knocked him out!”
A whistle sounded, and the ref hurried over to me to grab my good hand. He shot it into the air and announced, “Winner!”
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Captain’s voice boomed over the room. “The Blind Bandit!”
That was all I heard as the shock of victory swept through me. Despite the pain, the blood, and the bruises— not to mention the dislocated shoulder— I’d won. It didn’t quite seem real.
“Way to go, man!” Chancey screamed as he rushed into the ring to congratulate me. He clapped me on the shoulder, and I winced.
“Whoops. Sorry,” he said sheepishly, before quickly adding, “It’s so going to be worth it. That fight was incredible.”
I couldn’t help but beam as I soaked in the cheers from the crowd. “Totally worth it,” I agreed as I tried to catch my breath.
“You looked so badass out there,” Chancey continued. “You were so strong and fast. I honestly wasn’t sure you’d make it against an Atlantean, but you proved me wrong. You proved usallwrong.”
