At a minute to midnight, Arsenio pulled away and hurried to grab a microphone from the DJ. I set my glass down on a table. When I looked back up, Desi had disappeared.
Arsenio’s voice boomed throughout the room, and lights began flashing.
“Hello, all of my invited guests, to another evening of blood. Have you placed your bets?” The partygoers moved to let him take the center of the room. He motioned to the bar, in which you could guess who was going to come out on top for each fight.
“We have a rather interesting group of people ready to entertain you all tonight. Bloodborns, Bloodsheds, and of course, some humans ready to see if they were meant to join us.”
I closed my eyes. Flashes of the first time I had attended went through my mind.
A human had gone hand to hand with a Bloodshed vampire. He fought until he was on the brink of death, and then as his prize, he was given a knife. That was how Bloodshed vampires turned, after all. Their lives had to end by their own hands. They placed him in the second room after stabbing himself in his stomach. He didn’t turn.
I shook the memories of that human’s death away just in time to feel someone beside me. I looked up to see Desi leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. “So, this is what you didn’t want me to see? Illegal blood-fighting?”
I crossed my arms and looked back at Arsenio talking to the first two fighters. They were taking off their suit jackets as he explained the rules. There weren’t many.
“It’s horrible.” I spat.
Arsenio split the vampire and the human apart and waved his arm between them before running to the outside of the circle. When the bell went off, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch. The noises above the cheering were enough to make me sick. Crunching bones, skin being ripped open, and screams. Pure adrenaline, fear, and anger.
The first fight ended in less than two minutes. The ones with humans were always quick. Human bodies couldn’t handle too much. I opened my eyes in time to see Arsenio patting the man who looked like he’d been mauled by a grizzly bear on the back. Two vampires carried him toward the bar to let him decide his fate, and two new players stepped into the ring. This time it was a Bloodborn versus a Bloodshed. Two immortal beings who enjoyed the pain. This fight would last much longer.
I watched this one for a bit before I had to turn away. The human fights were the worst. Vampire fights were much more tolerable.
I wavered a bit and was immediately caught by Desi. I had almost forgotten he was standing nearby. He had been so quiet. His hands went under my arms and lifted me up. “Are you alright?”
I licked my lips and blinked rapidly. I felt dizzy. “Yeah, thanks,” I straightened my spine and dress. “This is why I don’t come.” I tried to joke, but he shook his head. His eyes were dark, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Was that—concern?
He stood closer after that. His hands were firm in his pockets, but every time I shifted, I saw his body jerk as if ready to catch me again.
We stood in the back of the room, watching the fights go on and on. Two hours passed, and we saw six more pairs of men fight. Four of which involved humans. We wouldn’t know who survived until morning. Since DNA testing was illegal, no one could know for sure if they’d turn. You just had to pray to your Gods that you had the gene that could make you immortal.
Finally, Arsenio stepped back into the center. His dark suit had dark lines splashed across it.Blood. He wiped some off his face, and the entire room let out a collective chuckle.
“What a show, am I right? Can we give applause for all of our players tonight? They fought valiantly.” He paused to let the crowd cheer. I recalled the speech from before. This was where he invited everyone to dance the rest of the night or take off—but he didn’t say that.
It wasn’t until Desi, standing beside me, tensed, and kicked off the wall that time suddenly slowed. My head turned to watch Arsenio.
He waited until the noise died down to speak. The smile on his face made my stomach turn inside out. My mouth fell open, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Now, we have one final show for you. We’ll give you five minutes to get your bets in. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone worth my time. Someone who wasactuallya challenge. Let’s all welcome my old friend, Desiderio, to our world.” He waved his hand and began looking for Desi.
I reached out and grabbed his forearm tightly. He turned, shook his head, and pulled away. “Don’t. Please, you don’t get it.” I pleaded with him.
“This isn’t your choice.”
“It’s not yours either. He’s not telling you everything.” I said quickly.
“Yeah? And what’s that?” He smirked.
“He’s Wrath. If you go in there, he’s going to kill you.” My breathing was labored as I revealed the truth. I had seen what my boyfriend could and would do. This was why he didn’t play.
Desi stared at me, eyes hard, for what felt like an eternity before he turned away and joined Arsenio.
Time sped back up then. Everyone clamored to the bar to place their bets. The giant man they had seen fight in the past, or the new vampire with the much slimmer build. Arsenio was going to snap him in half.
I pushed to the front of the crowd. I’d throw myself in between them if Arsenio goes for the final blow. Vampire or not, he didn’t care.
Arsenio rolled up his sleeves. Desi looked around, finding me. He nodded but turned away quickly. Both men moved six feet apart, and then the bell went off.
