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This Hunting Grounds will see us compete against other leaders of criminal organisations for a chance at the top spot which cannot be contested. Some families have always taken part and done well, and as such, any winning family can put forward an ancestor as a champion to compete as a legacy.
We’re legacies too but for Axel, it’s about power, yes, and being the best because he’s a chronic overachiever. But it’s also about upholding that legacy. Our fathers all competed in the last Hunting Grounds – and won as an alliance – so Axel’s feeling the pressure to not only win, but to out-perform his father too.
Their clever manipulation of the alliance system gave them control over the criminal underworld, large sectors of the financial business world and the nation’s politics, and I’m sure Axel is plotting something similar.
Me? I couldn’t care either way. I’d want nothing to do with this bullshit if it wasn’t for Odile.
So where does The Doe come into all of this?
A relatively new addition to the games, The Doe was introduced around a hundred and fifty years back – give or take – as an additional incentive for people to compete. As if absolute power and control wasn’t enough, the introduction of The Doe promised the ultimate prize – the perfect trophy on the winner’s arm.
Up until now, I thought that The Doe’s participation was voluntary. Who wouldn’t want the status and perks that come with being married or aligned to some of the most powerful men in the country? Our mothers certainly reaped the benefits from the last contest, though my mother possibly got a raw deal in the end.
But Odi didn’t ask to play, nor can she back out. I’m not sure what Axel’s thinking but when we win – which is such a given it almost makes a joke out of the whole process – Odi will flip when she learns what it really means to be The Doe.
“Non-negotiables? Obviously The Gods,” Axel replies with a derisive snort. He always dismisses them but I think it’s unwise to underestimate anyone in this game. They've already shown an interest in Odile, with their leader, fucking Zeus, making himself known to Odi already at the gym.
It stands to reason that the legacies will be our biggest competition. They’re the sons of the disgruntled parents our fathers beat last time, and they’ll be looking to even out the score and rebalance the scales in their favour.
As if that would ever happen.
“So that’s four spaces taken up, we’re three more. How many slots need filling?” Zie asks with more enthusiasm and interest than I can manage.
“At least thirty but I think we’ll have the fight night round pretty early on to weed out the wheat from the chaff.”
“Whatever that means,” I mumble.
“It means, I’m not having the unworthy anywhere near Odi. Round two will see the numbers halved down to fifteen or twenty, depending on the final count, because I’m not having her in a situation later down the line where she can’t be protected.”
“Okay. Any other legacies?”
“Another eight, all working independently.” He flips open the files, and I stare at the range of faceless strangers. They could be anyone. I’ve never seen them before, and I doubt I’ll memorise their faces anytime soon. “Low on the criminal rung and not really interested in taking part, but forced to because of their family name.”
“Like me,” I grumble deliberately low under my breath.
“So we have fifteen legacies this year? That’s not a lot.” Zie frowns.
“There was a wave of daughters born this generation,” Axel explains with a dismissive wave of his hand.
More fool him, it’s only a matter of time before girls are allowed to compete too, and he could have really made the history books by allowing it this year.
But what Axel wants, Axel gets. Maybe he’s not quite as au fait with killing females as he makes out.
“So we pick another fifteen?” I check.
“Fifteen to thirty. It doesn’t matter so long as we have an even number for some of the challenges.”
“Are we setting the challenges too?” I ask, amused. I mean, this whole thing feels rigged in our favour, so I really don’t see the point in taking it too seriously.
“No. Harry is in charge of everything.”
“Except who takes part.”
“Obviously,” Axel snaps. He hates being questioned almost as much as he hates relinquishing control.
Everyone involved in the game knows that Axel is heading it up, but he has to be careful to ensure that there aren’t any accusations of cheating or rigging once we win. Hence handing power over to Harry when the games begin. I shake my head. Axel’s up to something, and he has no intention of clueing the rest of us in until he deems it necessary, so I let it go. But I suspect that Harry will be less actually in charge and more Axel’s puppet on a string.
“Pass us a stack of files then, may as well get this over and done with.”
