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Of course, Ryrik would know about that. As the entertainment director, nothing gets past his nose in that department. Still, his lack of concern, all of their lack of concern, irked me ever so slightly.
But I couldn’t think of a way to explain it to them without it being a little bit silly. So I tried to let it go and agree with them.
“You’re right,” I said, waving it off like it was nothing. “You know me, though. I just have to be sure everything is done correctly.”
“I do know you,” Ryrik said, and though he smiled, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“So, how much are they betting on me, Laux?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.
Laux grinned. “Quite a few heavy bets on you, but they’re not counting out your opponent yet. Apparently, Massinef has made a name for himself as a boxer in The Under.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Has he now?”
“Come on, Jalik,” Thelev said, sliding another drink towards me. “You didn’t think we’d just put you in the ring with some nobody. How else are we going to make any money off of you?”
Everyone laughed at that, including me. The conversations went from there, all of us calling it quits after a couple of drinks. We still had a big night ahead of us after all.
As we made our way out of the bar, I sent a quick message to Koda asking for a status report. When he didn’t answer almost immediately, I frowned.
“Something wrong?” Draven asked carefully.
I cursed myself a little for not noticing he was right behind me.
“Just waiting for an update from one of my men.” I made sure to keep my voice even and a little bored.
Draven wasn’t fooled. “From Koda?” he ventured.
My jaw ticked. “Yes.”
He gave me an unimpressed look. “You know, that singer of yours will be all right.”
“She’s not my singer.” The words came out automatically. I grimaced a little. She may not be my singer, nor even really my friend. But I sure was putting a lot of effort and worry into someone who supposedly didn’t matter too much to me. I knew Draven could see that, too.
“She’s one of our biggest assets right now. Any threat to her is a threat to us, and I do not take threats lightly,” I corrected, trying to convince myself that really was my reasoning.
Draven considered me for a minute more before clapping me on the back. “I trust your judgment. Just keep your focus where it needs to be and there won’t be any problems.”
I nodded stiffly. “Of course.”
As soon as I was back at the casino, I went into one of the back rooms and prepared for the night’s match. I stretched and went through a bit of my workout, hoping to push back any thoughts of Serena into the depths of my mind.
I needed to be focused on winning the match. On holding up the unwavering trust my friends had in me. I could not allow myself to be distracted by anyone. I did everything I could for her and that was the end of it.
An hour later, someone came back to let me know I’d be going out in five.
Dressed and with my mind mostly focused on the fight, I stepped into the wings and waited for my cue.
“Good evening, all folks of all kinds!” the announcer called out. “Are you ready for a match unlike any other?”
The crowd roared, and I noticed that we had a full house. Laux wasn’t kidding about the bets.
“Then let’s not waste any more time. Our first challenger of the night is the Zequinid, Massinef!”
A massive Zequinid came out into the ring, showing off his vaguely insectoid-like body. His multi-faceted eyes glittered with excitement, and he pumped his arms in the air, clacking the mandibles at the end of each arm.
There was a lot of booing from the crowd, but there was an equal amount of cheers. Which meant he really earned a reputation. I saw why, too.
He was bigger than any Zequinid I’d ever seen. And with those extra legs and that thick skin, taking him down wouldn’t be easy. A small smirk made its way onto my face. He’d be a fun one to bring down.
