Groom Wars

44. More Risky Plays

Elimination number 'I have stopped counting'; Cadmus and I waited in the bleachers. I wore a warm winter hat resembling a bunny; it had everything, including the rabbit's cute pink button nose, furry tail, and huge fuzzy ears that stood up, alert.

Thought it was fall, and only about twelve degrees Celsius, which most Canadians considered good weather, and though some of the boys only wore shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, I was more sensitive to the cold since I was sick, so I had tucked myself into my warm winter coat. Leandro, wearing the frown he had been wearing for the past few weeks, stood far from Cadmus and me. Actually, everyone was standing quite far from us.

It turned out that portraying myself as a gross, sneezing, coughing monster inspired people to give me a wide berth. My cold had allowed me to regain my private bubble as people spent less time around me.

The only person that remained by my side was Cadmus. I was starting to like him, like how a wild pup cautiously befriends a new owner with little nudges and licks. The fresh-faced owner and pup played a shy game of getting to know each other before the pup allowed the human to pet it affectionately. While I wouldn't roll onto my back for Cadmus, I respect his unwavering loyalty. He wasn't a bad fellow once you got to know him.

Sure, we had hated each other for most of our short lives, but he had grown on me. I might even forgive him for kissing me when our fifth-grade teacher had forced us to play Romeo and Juliet in the school play as a punishment for our rude behaviour, and the public outcry that followed when the audience had learned that we were both boys.

I watched Cadmus fidget as he studied the pit. His arms folded across his chest, then lingered by his sides; he paused, frowned, then folded them again. He nodded to himself, unaware that he was being watched, and settled on keeping his arms crossed over his breasts. I laughed softly. He glanced sidelong at me, blushed, and cleared his throat.

The sky was slate grey, as it often was during fall, with dark rolling clouds. The sand in Nirvana was no longer as loose as it was in the summer and was more like dry, coarse mud. In the centre of the arena was a transparent hall. At either end of the hall was a metal sphere and in front of the sphere was a glass wall. Always late, Van descended the stairs and met the crew on the arena floor.

There were rumours that a pair from a lesser-known fraction called the Sons of Zeus would be going in tonight. Vivian, one of the young men, had pecan-coloured skin and dark, almond-shaped eyes. The other guy had pale blonde hair and tan skin; his purple eyes watched those that surrounded him. He grinned sardonically. His name was Elias. They hadn't been voted in by us, as we had once again tried to go after Lord Quebec, and once again, we had failed.

We had been promised support in voting in Lord Quebec by some smaller fractions, but apparently, they had switched sides. Scowling, Steven walked over to Cadmus. He said, "How are you feeling?"

Cadmus said, "Alright."

Under the illumination of the stage lights, Steven's copper hair became brighter, having a healthy, lustrous yellowish-red tone. He said, "We stick to plan. I'm a bit uneasy that they are sending players that have mostly average performances. But, if necessary, we'll keep killing the pawns till we get to the centre. They can only hide Lord Quebec behind so many individuals and no more." Steven glanced at me, conflicting expressions of worry and annoyance crossing his face. "Get well soon."

I nodded.

Cadmus said, "We'll see what happens."

Lord Columbia watched me with a warm smile and waved. He honestly didn't seem like someone contemplating assault.

Van, ready for the shoot, chuckled and said, "We all had fun, yesterday."

The players stared at him. They made no sound, but their eyes showed their hatred.