Voltage

Chapter 31

I'd slept like a freaking rock after Kenan left. Trip ended up dragging me out of bed and half way to the door before I'd even stirred-he'd spared the bloody floor a long, hated look. For days, Dyne had been cramming more information into my head than I'd received well...all my life.

He'd warned me every day; "It's not like the other fights you've been in, Kaz. It's not a one on one; this is every man for themselves...and now woman."

Today, I woke hours before Trip came to find me. I expected to find myself nervous. Today is the first competition-for me anyway. Yesterday, I'd seen two battles, two bloody, gruesome, more gore-than-you-can-poke-a-stick-at, and already I can feel the number of contestants dropping dramatically. Out of the 64 contestants in those matches, 41 are dead. Another 13 have major injuries that were in need of doctoring-and that says something. Dragon Bloods heal insanely fast.

I am proof of that. By the time Trip had found me the night after Kenan and I had our I-want-to-kill-you-now-fuck-you session, I was healed all expect a few broken bones which only ached when I moved the wrong way. I'd nearly healed completely in 8 hours. Not a doctor in sight.

And 13 need a doctor?

I'd heard 2 were beyond repair. One will never fly again, and the other one was 'put-down', which is just a nice way of saying his owner no longer desired a Dragon who's blind, deaf in one ear and is missing a leg.

I'd stayed up most of the night last night, staring at the dark roof wondering how today will go. Eventually I realized sleep was not my friend. So I got up and watched one show after another on the TV.

Nervousness, also hadn't accompanied me. Right now, there is no heart pounding fear, or sweaty palms. No dark thoughts of death. It's like my emotions have been shut down, locking up so tight I can't even feel embarrassed when Jack scolds me for not seeing him. And I don't feel bad when Daniel gives me puppy eyes and says he doesn't want me to go out there. When he's says he's worried I'll die.

Now, for the first time, some semblance of emotion claws its way into me.

The girl in front of me can be no older then 14, her hair in one long golden brain down her back, with eyes a startling white. Spooky kind of white. If not for the purple ring around them, and a dark purple iris, I wouldn't even know where she was looking. It makes me feel slightly nervous.

"This way," she ushers, leading me past the two dozen other contestants. We'd been packed in here, ever Dragon Blood who is competing in this round. It's weird, that considering when I looking around I'm seeing dead people. Over half of us won't leave that ring with a heartbeat.

Yet, some pretty little Dragon Blood girl wants to pamper me? It's almost enough for me to feel pissed off and confused. I should be getting ready to fight, not walk along a runway.

Never the less, I follow the girl down a thin hallway and though a door. It's a simple, bare room with only one clothes rack of white bags hanging from it which is shoved against the far wall-not that the far walls really far from the door.

"I've never seen a female enter The Ring before," she tells me, already at the rack. The hangers skid across the metal noisily.

I close the door behind me, still feeling numb. Am I supposed to be honoured? Or scared? "I'll be the first." I confirm, turning to look at a mirror taking up one tiny wall. Good thing it's only us two, half a dozen more bodies and we'd be walking on top of each other.

"I've always wanted to compete in The Ring...I'd probably die, though. I really hope you win." She returns, a white bag held up for viewing. "Anyway, that doesn't matter right now. Are you nervous?" Without looking at me, she unzips the bag and pulls out the shiny material. Is that a bath robe?