The Amethyst Queen

One

I spat blood onto the ground and prodded my busted bottom lip with my tongue. Narrowly avoiding the young lad's flailing fists, I lurched to the side and winced. He grinned.

In the cobbled alley surrounding us, a crowd had formed. The majority were egging the lad on while coins swapped with bets placed. Behind me, my cousin Arthur was calling for bets.

The boy, a good foot taller than myself, flew forward and clasped his hands around my throat. My knees buckled. With him sitting on my chest he used his knees to pin my shoulders to the ground.

The shouting intensified. Black spots burst across my vision, my eyelids drooped as I started to lose consciousness. My head felt like it was about to explode.

No.

With the very last embers of energy, I flung my legs up and hooked my ankles around the boy's neck. The look of astonishment that fell across his face was almost comical as I threw him backwards. Immediately I rolled onto my side coughing and gagging for air.

He was first to his knees but I was quicker on my feet. No time to hesitate. I slammed my fists into his face, my teeth gritted as I desperately fought passed the waves of dizziness. I hit the sweet spot by his right eye and it visibly grew engorged.

The bystanders were screaming. The lad was stood sort of dumbfounded and unsteady, he barely even raised his arms as I elbowed him hard in the gut. With a strange sound he collapsed onto his knees where I delivered the final kick to his chin. He was out before he'd hit the ground.

Arthur grabbed me from behind and twirled us around. He set me down and slung his enormous arm around my shoulders to keep me from falling. He kept squeezing me against him excitedly as he shoved his free hand in people's faces and collected our winnings.

"Shit." I rasped and squirmed free, hands on my knees so I could spit blood between the pavings. My eyes streamed and a cold sweat stuck my hair across my forehead and to the back of my neck.

Arthur was as big as he was obnoxious, he took an absolute pleasure in flaunting his winnings, fanning his face with notes and jangling his pockets heavy with coins. If he wasn't built like a brick house, I was sure he'd receive more than the idle threats he usually got.

My cousin bounced over and coarsely ruffled my hair. I grunted and slapped his hand, swallowing down the nausea. "That's my girl!" He laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Beat a boy twice her size and made me a lovely bit of money."

I straightened up feeling slightly better. I couldn't help but grin, Arthur's happiness was infectious. "Don't call me iron jaw for nowt!" I playfully tapped my fist to my chin.

Arthur laughed and went to ruffle my hair again but I ducked out of the way.

"Oi." I held my hand out. "And the rest, where's my share then?"

"Give us your purse." I handed him the drawstring pouch that I kept tied to my belt.

A gentle tap on my shoulder turned my attention to a fairly short man with thick spectacles and a fat cigar hanging from his mouth. His hand already outstretched toward me, I shook it reluctantly. His brown suit was immaculate and very fitted like his tight smile.

"Gregory Green."

"Saoirse Delaney."

He unstuck the cigar from his lips. "It's a real shame women's boxing is illegal, Miss Delaney. I own a club a couple miles north, Wattley, the fishing town, you heard of it?" My brain was still pretty rattled from the fight, I couldn't remember so I shook my head slowly. "Yes, well, I'd come to scout the up and coming lads but I must say that you have certainly caught my eye. Perhaps you would be interested in dropping by my club? You have great potential to be quite the little earner." He purposefully assessed my attire before smiling and taking a puff from his cigar.