We stepped through an arched entry and I gasped. The entire Court was assembled around a large silver cage. It couldn’t have been much more than a twelve by twelve space, barely enough room to maneuver. The bars were ten feet high. The only break was a door on the right side, a set of three steps leading to it. The cage was raised up on a platform of some kind, making it easy for anyone in the room to see every heart-stopping moment of the fights.
A frantic energy pulsed through the room. People were smiling and talking in excited tones as they gestured at the cage. Some opportunistic soul was wandering through the crowd selling vials of what was probably spiked blood.
As if there wasn’t going to be enough of it.
My stomach churned. I couldn’t watch this. Not a moment. But especially not Matthias.
“Father, please, I’m begging you to put a stop to this,” I hissed out of the corner of my mouth.
“Enough!” he snapped back. “We have an agreement, Lacey.”
“That was before—”
A sudden hush fell over the crowd and my mouth hung open, the rest of my sentence vanished into the silence. The door that led to the cells opened and the first suitor emerged.
Jerrod burst through the door wearing a wide grin. He pumped his fists as he followed closely behind his opponent, the second Falcon twin, taunting him with words I couldn’t hear.
If he won, I would personally take off my heels and stab him with the stiletto.
A third vampire entered the arena and when the procession reached the platform, Rayn and Jerrod stopped short to let him pass. He wore heavy leather gloves that protected his hands from the silver bars. As soon as the door opened, Jerrod shoved Rayn forward and they climbed the stairs.
Beside me, my father rose. With a single clap of his hands, he drew every set of eyeballs in the room to our dais. “What do you think of the new ring?” he boomed, pausing to let the crowd go bananas. “As a reminder, these preliminary rounds have no rules. The winner will be determined by the surrender of their opponent either voluntarily or after a full minute on the ground.”
My eyes darted to Rayn Falcon. His expression remained stoic but he rolled his shoulders back and the twinge of a vein showed in his neck. Signs of a fight. Jerrod, in the opposite corner, looked like a junkyard dog ready to break its chain.
What is wrong with that guy?
The sick possibility of him facing Matthias in the final match up made me want to throw up.
Oh, yeah, father would love that.
“Let the fight commence!” my father declared, giving a booming clap.
The gloved vampire shut the door on the two fighters. From the pained look on his face, I realized it must weigh a ton. Once closed, he looped a silver chain around it and secured a massive lock.
There was no way out.
My heart jumped into my throat as I watched the two vampires in the cage. If either of them got backed up against the bars, the silver would cut and burn their skin.
“This is disgusting,” I said, not bothering to keep my voice quiet.
My father grabbed my hand and squeezed so hard I thought my bones would snap.
Tears welled in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Blinking quickly to clear the blur, I stared ahead as the two vampires began circling one another. My father released my hand when the vampires lunged at each other. He bent forward, watching with twisted excitement as Jerrod slammed Rayn back against the bars. Rayn screamed as the silver bit into his skin and shoved Jerrod off him. Jerrod danced back, light on the balls of his feet. Rayn took a swing and Jerrod moved, only to find it was a fake-out. Rayn’s real strike hit him hard in the gut and Jerrod winced.
Minutes stretched, each one feeling like an hour, as the fighting went on and on. Each punch was met with a retaliation. The two vampires were evenly matched, and while it was evident they were giving the fight their full effort, neither was able to get the upper hand and end it. The floor beneath them was slick with blood and sweat. The stench of it swirled with those of fear and adrenaline, making the room stifling. I would have given away my favorite necklace just for a gulp of fresh air.
Rayn slipped on the canvas floor and in the split second, Jerrod lunged, his fangs flashing like a piranha that got a whiff of chum. Jerrod yanked Rayn into a rear hold, twisting his arms back at a strange angle. A bone snapped. Rayn screamed. The crowd gasped.
My stomach turned inside out. Silently, I pleaded with Rayn to tap out of the fight, to surrender. As much as I despised Jerrod, I no longer cared what the outcome was. I simply wanted it to be over. Though, looking at the entranced faces in the crowd, I was the only one who felt that way.
Rayn cried out as Jerrod gave another violent twist and I looked down at my shoes. A rush of excitement roared and I lifted my gaze to see Jerrod standing above the fallen vampire. He was kicking Rayn repeatedly. No one was stopping it. I bit the insides of my cheeks, drawing blood.
Slowly, Rayn lifted his hand.
Jerrod continued his assault.
“Do something,” I snapped at my father.
He held up his spindly hands and grinned.
Rage drove me to my feet. “Stop it, now!”
The gloved man barked something but Jerrod refused to stop. He fumbled with the lock and keys, the thick gloves hindering him. Finally, he got into the cage and restrained Jerrod.
My father cut me a dark look and then rose to his feet. He clapped to gather everyone’s attention. “My little lotus blossom appears to be eager for the next match,” my father proclaimed to the crowd.
A ripple of laughter rolled through the room. I glared at them all.
“Jerrod is the winner of this round. He will progress to the final match.” He clapped appreciatively as Jerrod bowed low before him. “Please, take a short intermission while we clear the ring and await our next contenders.”
The crowd dispersed and my father gripped my arm. “You will not pull another stunt like that,” he hissed, bringing his face level with mine.
“You’re puppy was off the leash!” I growled back. “Someone needed to put him in check before he killed Rayn. How would that have looked to the North?”
His eyes flashed. “Why would I care what the North thinks?”
My stomach caved in, feeling empty and hollow. It was true. All of it. Of course he wouldn’t care if he offended the Northern Court by letting one of their men get pummeled to death. He was planning to overthrow their baron. Their opinion wouldn’t matter.
“They knew what they were signing up for when they entered this competition.”
“I said I would play by the rules,” I said, my fists clenched. “Jerrod was breaking those rules. I had every right to step in.”
He released my arm and stalked off without another word. Moments later, he approached a group of young women, smiling as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Snake,” I spat at his back, my teeth clenched together tight enough to make my jaw ache.
The intermission was all too brief. Within minutes, the canvas floor of the cage was cleared and the next two suitors were brought forth. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not to see that Matthias wasn’t one of them.
The second fight was shorter and less brutal. Terron managed to land a powerful kick to Reece’s temple and knocked him to his back. After a minute, the referee called the match in Terron’s favor. The crowd wasn’t as impressed with the fight as the first and my father became increasingly edgy.
The break between the second and third fight was short. Barely enough time to gather myself before the door opened again.
Leo Parrish entered first, stripped to a pair of shorts with wraps surrounding his knuckles. The crowd cheered at his cocky smile. He walked past the dais and threw me a kiss. I hardly noticed. My eyes were glued on the doorway, each second ticking by in slow motion.
Matthias stepped into the room and all of the oxygen was sucked away.
The fight began.
Chapter 20