ChaPter 2 - Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Carnival of souls
tale-tellers working in the stalls throughout the carnival. The
fights were a chance to watch a display of the strengths that had
protected The City, and Aya suspected that the fights were, in
some way, Marchosias’ method of encouraging his people to
keep in top shape for any altercations that could come in the
future. They stayed strong to enter the competition, but that
also meant that he had ready fighters he could utilize if he
needed to swell the ranks of his troops.
When Aya reached the entrance gates for the fight yard
where she’d stand against Belias, she stopped to look at the line
snaking past the pleasure stalls. It was probably meant to be an
insult—or extra titillation—to set her fight here at the pleasure
field, where coin typically only bought chemical or physical
decadence, but perhaps it was a gift of sorts. She’d fought here
once already, so she had field familiarity that Belias wouldn’t
have. She smiled at the customers lined up waiting to get into
the pit seats, and she walked to the front of the line.
“I’m here to kill Belias,” she told the gatekeeper.
Gasps and barks of laughter erupted down the line as her
words were repeated and passed around.
“Smart money’s on the boy,” the gatekeeper said in a
loud voice.
“Belias will lose—or if it’s before fifth blood, he can forfeit.”
Aya turned to face the line. “Tell him for me: I’ll accept his
forfeit if it’s before fifth blood.”
Nervous laughter and bloodthirsty cheers mixed in the
growing cacophony.
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