Wings of Fire High

Chapter 10

I sit in the stands, staring out at the people who are currently wrestling. Deathbringer is sitting beside me, trying to get me to pay attention to him by buying me snacks and being extra loud.

Peril lunges at the man in the ring with her. He seems genuinely terrified. Looking around, I spot Scarlet grinning as she watches not the fight, but the betting pool. I sneer at her greed and turn back to the fight.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pick it up.

Kink sent one (1) photo, my phone reads.

Another buzz, bringing with it another message: Kink sent one (1) photo.

And another: Kink sent two (2) photos.

I tap on the notifications and type in my phone pin. The photos are of Sunny and Peril's brother sitting in a cafe owned by a family friend, a German shepherd sitting by their booth. Kinkajou has scribbled little hearts around them. I smirk and barely contain a giggle.

Deathbringer leans towards me and whispers, "So... wha'cha lookin' at?"

My smirk becomes a grin as I angle my phone towards him in reply. He grins back.

I share the photo with the rest of our friends and go back to watching the fight.

Peril has the man in a headlock and he's struggling to break free. He thrashes and scratches at her arm and once, he even bites at her. The fiery redhead just stands there, ever so slightly tightening her grip until the man pats her arm one, two, three times. And then he's on his hands and knees, rubbing his throat as he gasps for air. Sweat drips is from his blond hair and rolls down his face.

My eyes flicker to Scarlet when she saunters into the arena. She wears a smug look that is easy to see in the spotlight that follows her into the center of the floor, where Peril meets her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the woman calls in a voice that demands attention, "give a round of applause for our reigning champion, PERIL PYRE!!!"

Peril grins like a wolf. Like the girl Scarlet wants her to be. Because this is her arena, and she is untouchable.

But that's not who she is. The girl who grew up like my sister is a fighter, sure, but not a sadist.

Deathbringer shoves a pack of Chips Ahoy! into my hands and grins stupidly when I look at him, confused. He leans close and whispers, "Cookies for my queen."

I whisper back, "You're an imbecile."

He just smirks and turns back to the arena, where Peril is walking into the locker rooms and Scarlet is sauntering back to the betting pool. To a woman who stands a head above her and whose broad shoulders are pure muscle.

Scarlet picks up a microphone and calls out, "Next up, Tsunami Deep versus..." She scans the stands, since there evidently isn't someone on the roster to fight Tsunami. Her eyes land on me with an expression I don't trust in the lightest. "You! With that lovely orange hair!"

Deathbringer bristles and leans closer to me. "I'll go for you, if you want," He whispers in my ear.

I consider it—and I mean really consider it—but some part of me gets too cocky, so, before I can stop myself, I'm leaning towards him and whispering back, "I'll be fine, Deathbringer."

He nods but looks uncertain as I squeeze past him and into the aisle to make my way down to the arena floor. Scarlet watches me like a predator and gestures towards the door to the locker room. "Go ahead. I'm sure we have some proper fighting clothes in your size. I nod mutely and go through the door.