ChaPter 2 - Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Carnival of souls
Belias had been posted, so Kaleb’s was the only match left
undeclared. As with all matches, the public odds were listed
for betting purposes. Kaleb wasn’t favored to win, but he
hadn’t been discounted, either. It was a compliment to Nic’s
and his standings that this fight was the final match in this
round—or perhaps it was a challenge. Either way, theirs was
the only nonticketed fight of the round, so the crowd would
be overwhelming and unruly. A few fights, those expected to
be particularly exciting, were left unticketed so anyone and
everyone could enjoy the spectacle. In such cases, the fight
circle would be as much for keeping the bystanders out as for
ensuring that the fighters stayed in play. Neither crowd nor
fighters could cross the circle without debilitating pain.
Kaleb tucked himself behind one of the pennants that
fluttered in the slight breeze. The vibrant swath of material
hid him from the sight of almost all of the daimons below
him, as he took a moment to study the betting that had
begun on the ground.
“Ten to one Kaleb is maimed,” one of the hawkers called.
“Bets on mercy deaths,” another beckoned.
“Death by claws,” suggested a cur. It was a popular bet
for any of the cur fights; death by claws was a likely outcome,
but the odds on claws were always better when Kaleb fought.
He didn’t like using teeth, but claws were comfortable—and
a crowd-pleaser. Audiences liked to see the sort of fights that
invited foot-stomping, guttural-growling bloodthirst. Kaleb’s
fights delivered what they wanted.
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