Cheers erupted as Captain entered the room. He must’ve been encouraging the crowd, because the cheers only grew louder. I followed Captain down an aisle toward the ring.
“Give usbloood!” someone shouted as I passed them.
“A blind fighter?!” someone else balked. “I’vegotto see this!”
“He’s savage!” another student added. “Didn’t you see him during the Darke Games?”
The voices grew so loud they began to blend together. Then I heard it— the sound of my name being chanted across the room.
“Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!”
People were cheering… forme. I didn’t know who the voices belonged to, but I didn’t have to. A wide smile spread across my face. I shouldn’t have been thrilled by this, but I was. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating, and I hadn’t even stepped into the ring yet. I was addicted to the sound of them cheering my name, and I wanted more.
On the other side of the room, the chanting became louder, though they cheered another name. “Damien! Damien! Damien!”
I’d heard of Damien before, but never met him formally. I quickly leaned over to Chancey. “He’s Atlantean, right?”
“Yeah,” Chancey confirmed under his breath. “The rules say he can’t use his sonic scream against you, but remember that mermen have enhanced strength and senses. Find a way to use it against him.”
“How many fights has he won?” I asked.
“Two,” Chancey said. “This is his third. Make sure he loses.”
I nodded firmly. “Got it.”
“Oh, and don’t hold back with this asshole,” Chancey added. “He’s one hell of a jerk.”
I smirked. “Perfect.”
Captain’s heavy footsteps sounded as he climbed a set of stairs onto a platform. “Let’s hear some noise!” he shouted with the voice of a showman. His deep voice filled the entire room like he was speaking into a microphone, but there was no buzz of speakers to accompany it. He must’ve been using fae magic to project his voice.
The crowd roared even louder.
“Are you ready for a fight?” Captain shouted. The crowd screamed in exhilaration, and I bounced on my toes, ready for whatever came my way.
“Are you ready forblood?” Captain continued. My ears rang from the loud cheers, but I welcomed it with the adrenaline.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for— the main event of the night,” Captain announced. “You’ve seen him fight. You’ve seen him dominate. Give it up for the Barracuda, Damien Lee!”
I could barely hear Damien step into the boxing ring over the sound of the crowd cheering his name. But Damien himself was into the attention, obviously absorbing every last drop he could get.
“I can’t hear you!” Damien screamed from the center of the ring. People cheered even louder as he encouraged them.
After the crowd settled a bit, Captain continued in his confident announcer voice. “You saw him fight monsters during the Darke Games— a balur, a malumuto, and a deceptem. But is he a match for the Barracuda? Well, folks, you’re about to find out. Welcome to the ring for the first time—”
Captain cut off abruptly and leaned down, his tone soft enough that it didn’t ring over the crowd. “Shit. What’s your stage name, kid?”
I gaped a moment. Hell, I hadn’t come up with a stage name.
Before I could answer, Chancey spat out something for me. “The Blind Bandit.”
“What?” I balked. “Are you fucking kidding me? That’s offensive as hell.”
“You gotta give me something,” Captain pressed.
“It’s good marketing,” Chancey insisted. “He’s the Blind Bandit. Just go with it, Charlie.”
“The Blind Bandit it is,” Captain agreed.
