Two large bouncers control the influx of people. They’re Idols who are packing some serious power. Both are level thirteen, plus they’re built like mountains.
It doesn’t take long to understand why such a high level of security is needed. Most of the patrons here are Idols, and judging by their expensive clothes and bling, they’re powerful ones. I glance at my faded jeans and old sneakers. I thought that by dressing casual, I’d blend in. Oh well. I adjust my baseball cap and stride forward like I belong.
Getting in cost me two hundred dollars, a steep price to watch a bunch of morons try to kill one another. But judging by the number of people jammed in the place, I’m the only one who thinks so. I push my way through the throng of people, trying to get as close to the ring as possible. There are barely any seats available at the back, but when I finally reach the bottom of the stairs, I spot a couple of free ones right on the front row.
I veer toward it, only to be blocked by another bouncer. “This is VIP.”
Oh for fuck’s sake. I glance over my shoulder and scan the rest of the arena. All the seats left are nosebleeds. I won’t see a thing.
“How much to become a VIP?” I ask.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
“A thousand,” he replies with a straight face. “In cash.”
What a fucking rip-off. I came prepared, but damn it hurts to pay so much money to watch people fight. I do plenty of that in my line of work.
I press the wad of cash in the bouncer’s waiting hand and head to the nearest chair.
For the next two hours, I suffer through several fights that all turn out bloody. The same guy keeps winning them, a level fourteen Idol named The Boulder. In the last fight, his opponent didn’t survive.
I begin to feel antsy. Where the hell is Andy? Leroy said she was the champion, and so far, no one has mentioned her. Did that little prick tell her I was coming tonight?
“Fucker,” I mutter under my breath.
“What did you say?” a man next to me asks.
“Nothing. Hey, I was told the champion was a blind girl. Is she not fighting tonight?”
“Oh, Blind Fury? Yeah, she’s still the champion. She’ll fight The Boulder next.”
Shit. Andy will fight that psychopath? The man is vicious. He takes pleasure in torturing his opponents. I don’t think I’ll be able to just sit here and watch.
“A blind girl against that guy?” I say.
“Yeah, it’s going to be awesome. Everyone underestimated her when she first stepped into the pit. She annihilated the previous champion in less than five minutes, and she hasn’t lost a single fight ever since.”
Despite the situation, a sense of pride takes hold of me.
“But tonight, I’m betting against her. No way she can win against The Boulder. No way, man.”
He sprays a handkerchief with Silver-voltage and brings it to his nose, missing my glower. It’s a good thing he did. Getting into an altercation with the man would be beyond stupid.
The Idol who’s been presenting all the fights steps into the arena, commanding my attention.
“Have you been having a good time tonight, folks?”
Everyone shouts in agreement, including my neighbor. I stay put, hoping he’s right and Andy’s fight is coming up next. I can’t put up with this shit anymore. The problem is I still have no clue what I’m going to do when I see her in that arena.
“The Boulder is something else, huh?” the presenter continues.
Someone in the crowd shouts “Blind Fury,” and I immediately turn to see who spoke. I’ll be damned, it’s Leroy and his friend Ezekiel Zimmerman. They’re sitting far up; I wouldn’t have spotted the duo if one of them hadn’t yelled.
“Yes, yes. She’s coming, folks. In ten minutes, she’ll be facing The Boulder. So place your bets now.”
The idiot next to me pulls his phone out and begins to type rapidly. I lean closer, totally snooping.
“You’d better get on, newbie. The bet room will close soon.”
“What are you using?”
“Oh, this is the arena’s app. You can place all your bets through it. It’s totally secure. No one will be able to trace it back to you. Not that it’s something we have to worry about. Dick Santos has the cops in the bag.”
Just like I suspected.
“Dick Santos? Who is that?”
My new friend points at the middle-aged presenter.
Exactly ten minutes later, Dick—what an appropriate name—returns to the pit. He first calls The Boulder back. Now that I know Andy is supposed to fight him, I’m even edgier. My power curls around my body like an entity apart from me.
When Andy walks into the ring, the crowd goes wild, chanting her name. My spine is more rigid than before, and my hands are fists resting on my lap. It takes every ounce of self-control to remain seated and not draw attention to myself. I don’t want her to see me here. In hindsight, I should have taken a seat at the far back. I pull my cap lower and dip my chin, trying my best to keep my features obscured.
Besides fear and anger, yearning for her makes my heart soar. I don’t know when simple admiration turned into this all-consuming feeling that won’t let me sleep, won’t let me think clearly. Andy, with her cockiness, no-filter mouth, and zero-bullshit attitude conquered me irrevocably. Falling in love wasn’t something I wanted or needed, but the moment I met her, it became inevitable. She came out of nowhere, awaking something primal in me.
The Boulder looks at Andy like she’s a small insect he’s about to crush. He then makes the mistake of underestimating her, like most people do when they meet her for the first time. She pinches her eyebrows together, narrowing her eyes to slits.
Here it comes.
I’m at the edge of my seat.
She doesn’t let him finish his tirade before she attacks. Her glorious chains become visible, glowing bright gold for everyone to see. A halo forms around her, and it’s a sight to behold.
In a blur, one of her chains flies across the ring, wrapping around his neck. The crowd gasps as The Boulder begins to suffocate. My neighbor curses loudly at the turn of events. I suppress a laugh.
You shouldn’t have bet against my girl.
My girl. If only that were true.
With a hard yank, Andy brings the man to his knees. He’s turning more purple by the second. If she doesn’t let him go, he’ll suffocate to death. Finally, she releases her hold on him and retracts her chains. The Boulder remains on the floor, wheezing. It’s obvious the fight is over. Andy lifts her chin and turns around as the crowd chants her name. Her expression doesn’t say “Thank you,” it says “I know I’m the best.”
She’s turned away from The Boulder when he slowly staggers back to his feet and creates a massive rock from the material in the ring floor. He’s going to attack while she’s distracted. I open my mouth to shout a warning, but she turns beforehand and ends The Boulder’s pitiful sneak attack.
One of her chains pierces his thigh while the other goes around him, trapping the fool. You shouldn’t have tried to cheat, buddy. You’ve awakened the beast, and there’s nothing holding her back. One look at her face and I know she’s beyond angry; she’s wrath personified.
When he’s writhing on the floor, she tells him to forfeit the fight. He won’t.
Damn it. Give up already, asshole.
I see the dilemma on her face. There are no rules in the arena. If a fighter doesn’t want to yield, then he’s choosing death. Andy has no choice but to kill him. If she doesn’t, the crowd will rebel against her. Their thirst for blood has to be quenched; they want a fighter dead no matter what.
I can’t let Andy become a murderer to appease ruthless strangers. Risking exposure, I jump from my chair and move closer to the ring.
“Dude, get back here. Can’t you see the barrier of energy surrounding the arena?”
I do see it, but that’s not why I stepped closer. I don’t intend to cross it. I’m staring straight at Andy, but she’s s
o focused on The Boulder that she doesn’t turn. Her face is harsh, cold as stone, but I also see the conflict in her eyes.
I have to help her. Forcing my attention to the man on the floor, I apply pressure to his temples using concentrated balls of air. In the next second, the man passes out. Andy’s chains slacken, and after a moment, she pulls them back, keeping them near her body and completely visible. She cocks her head as if she’s trying to figure something out. Then her stance relaxes, and she returns to her side of the pit.
Dick enters the ring once more, giving a signal to his goons to come collect the trash, aka The Boulder. He begins to talk, but I’m not really paying attention. All my focus is on Andy. Standing perfectly still, she doesn’t smile or greet the people who are shouting her name. In fact, she seems quite bored.
In an instant, her demeanor changes. She turns toward Dick, twisting her face into a scowl.
Fuck, what did I miss?
He repeats his question, making me livid. I want to punch the guy in the throat. He wants Andy to fight some random challenger from the crowd. Is he fucking mad?
I glance around, looking for the unfortunate soul who will rise to the challenge. No one volunteers. Then a thought occurs to me. I know how I’m going to make Andy quit this bullshit game.
Raising my hand, I say as loud as I can, “I’ll do it. I challenge Blind Fury.”
28
Andromeda
My jaw drops to the floor. Stephan is here, in the pit, and the jackass just challenged me. What does he think he’s doing? As angry as I am at the jerkface, I can’t fight him. Is that his plan? Force me to forfeit the fight and hand over my championship to him just like that? Over my dead body. I’m not going to let him humiliate me like that. I earned my title fair and square.
“I’m ready,” I say. “Let’s get this over with.”
My chains rise from the floor, hovering in front of me in a position of offence. I will them to attack, but they remain frozen. What the hell! I try again and nothing. They’re ignoring my command.
I can’t believe this. They’re refusing to fight Stephan.
He doesn’t have any reservations though. A strong gust of wind sweeps me off my feet, and I find myself staring at the high ceiling. The booing starts. I can’t tell who the crowd is upset with.
Flexing my legs, I jump back to my feet. My body is crackling with energy, ready to be unleashed. Now I just need to get my chains on board with the program.
“Nice move, Stephan. But don’t get too cocky.”
“I’m not the one who suffers from that condition.”
He begins to move in a circle, forcing me to mimic his movements. I’m still trying to make my chains obey my command. The arena is quiet for once, allowing me to hear Stephan’s calm breathing clearly. He isn’t one bit fazed by this. If he could listen to my heartbeat, he would find something completely different. The damn muscle is thumping hard against my rib cage, almost as if it wants to break free.
“So, that’s your master plan? Make me lose so I won’t return?” I ask.
“Precisely.”
“It’s not going to work.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m not going to lose.” I throw my right arm forward, and finally my chain does what I intended.
I’m not fast enough though, and Stephan flies out of my reach. For a split second, I lose track of him in the pit. He’s moving too fast for me to pinpoint his exact location. Fuck. Not this shit again. Finally, I sense him behind my back. He’s flying in circles above my head, taunting me like he did on the evening we met.
I scream in frustration as I try to strike him several times, but getting my damn weapons to do anything is taking twice the effort tonight. My muscles are beginning to shake from the strain, and I can’t catch my breath.
He laughs. “What’s the matter, Blind Fury? Getting tired?”
“Fuck you!”
I give my all in the next attack, sending both chains in his direction. He doesn’t fly out of the way; instead, he deflects them. They bounce off his barrier in different directions, hitting the wire wall that surrounds the ring. Before I can recover, I’m inside a vortex, trapped. The wind howls violently and so loudly that I can’t hear a thing beyond my prison. I try to use my chains to get out and fail. Worse, they dim to the point that I can’t sense the vibrations around me anymore. I’m utterly and completely blind. For real. Without sound or visual aid, I’m totally lost.
Panic sets in, and my legs fold from underneath me. I drop to the floor like a useless doll. Hugging my middle, I curl into myself, trying to appear smaller. I’m back to when I was four years old and my eyes stopped working. Those first few months were terrifying. My powers didn’t develop until I was older, so I had to learn how to cope with my loss of sight like everyone else.
There’s something wet on my cheeks. Tears. I’m fucking crying.
The vortex begins to lose velocity, and as the wind dies down, the sounds from outside become louder. My chains flare to life, allowing me to sense my surroundings again. Stephan steps closer, making me tense.
“Are you done?” he asks.
I hang my head in shame. “Yeah. I’m done.”
I could have struck him then, but the thrill of the fight has left me. He succeeded in his mission. I’m done with the pit.
But I’m not done with him.
I get back on my feet and stride out of the arena before Dick has the chance to announce Stephan as the new champion. The crowd is so stunned, they don’t even boo as I exit. I stop by the locker room to get my shit, then sneak out through the side door. I’m sure Leroy and Ezekiel are on their way to find me.
My only goal is to disappear into the night so no one can follow me. I run as fast as I can, but the damn arena is in the middle of an industrial area, and there aren’t any busy streets nearby where I can get a cab. I sense a vehicle approaching from behind and get ready to bolt, thinking Stephan has found me, but the quick warning of a siren keeps me in place. The cops are behind me, not Stephan.
I turn slowly so they don’t mistake me for a criminal. Who would be running in the middle of the night like a crazy person besides someone up to no good?
“Good evening, officers.” I force a smile. These are Idol cops, so I have to be extra nice. I don’t want to repeat my stint at the jailhouse.
“Holy crap. It’s Blind Fury,” the cop at the wheel exclaims.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“What are you doing roaming the streets all alone?”
“Looking for a cab.”
He chuckles. “You can’t find a cab here. Come on, we’ll give you a ride home.”
Oh no. I don’t want to get into the back of that car. Bad memories.
“What? No, I couldn’t possibly bother you.”
“It’s no bother. We insist.”
Shit. I don’t think I can get out of this pickle.
“Oh, okay.”
I slide in and am immediately reminded of the evening I want to forget. The coldness of the leather seat, the smell of stale coffee and junk food, and the constant low chatter of the police radio bring me back to the aftermath of the Soho incident.
“So, how was the fight tonight?” the second cop asks.
“I lost. I hope you didn’t bet on me.”
“You lost? What did I tell you, Rick? The Boulder was on fire tonight.”
“Were you at the arena?” I ask.
“Yeah, but we only caught the first three fights,” the cop driving replies.
“Boy, I wonder how much I made,” his colleague says.
“You bet against me?” I can’t hide my indignation.
“Uh, sorry, kid. Nothing against you, but come on. Did you see the size of The Boulder? Oh, sorry. My bad.”
I choose to ignore his slip of the tongue. Everyone does it around me.
“I didn’t lose to The Boulder.” I cross my arms, clutching at my invisible chains.
“What? You didn’t?�
�� he whines, and his companion laughs.
“Ha, I told you she wouldn’t lose to him.”
“Well, at least someone here is loyal,” I mumble.
“I thought your fight with The Boulder was the last one of the evening,” traitor cop says.
“Dick got someone from the crowd to challenge me.”
“I’m sorry. That’s the brutal reality of the pit though. You can’t stay on top forever.”
“No offense, but can we please not talk about it anymore? Do you need my address?”
“No need. We know where you live.”
The small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “How? Do you know who I am?”
“Andromeda Belfor. We know the true identities of everyone who fights for Dick. Don’t worry though. We’re very discreet.”
I bite back the angry retort that’s on the tip of my tongue. I’m not concerned they’ll talk. I’m pissed about the invasion of privacy. Dick is lucky that I don’t plan to ever step foot in his arena again, or he would have a taste of my chains.
STEPHAN
I waste precious moments trying to get out of the pit and go after Andy. By the time I get rid of Dick, she’s already left the premises. She can’t have gone far on foot, and I know she didn’t get a ride with Leroy and Ezekiel because they’re still inside.
Knowing I’ll have better chances of finding her if I’m airborne, I take flight. I hope my car is still there when I get back.
I cover the immediate area surrounding the arena with a small loop. Without success, I prepare to widen my search range when the siren of a cop car catches my attention. I head in its direction, getting closer to it just in time to see Andy slide in the back of the car.
She entered of her own free will. I’d never think she would want to get into a police car again after her arrest, which proves she’ll do anything to get away from me. Not wanting to lose them, I continue to follow them by air.
They take her to the dorms, which is a relief. I wait until she gets into the building to dash to the rooftop. Thanks to my job here, I have the key that opens the access door. Literally flying down the stairs, I reach her hallway at the same time she does.
Reckless Times: A Paranormal Romance (Paragon Society Book 1) Page 16
