By the time I'm taken out of my cage again and led around to the seating areas, the abandoned factory is swarming with people.
The main work floor had long been stripped of any equipment it might have had when in use, and had been turned into what looked like a dirty and highly unregulated wrestling ring. Thick sheet metal walls had been erected to create a large circle, and the stone floor inside had covered in at least three inches of sand.
The entire thing looks like a terrarium that had been lowered into the ground, but what should have been the glass dome was turned into chain net, held up in four different places on the ceiling and bolted to metal walls in front of the first row of seats. Who ever gets locked in there, isn't getting out unless they're allowed to do so.
"His scent has definitely worn off your clothes in these last few days," Orgon says, tsking sadly as he forces me to sit in the first row. We're up in the bleachers surrounding the ring, tucked behind the announcers booth and in the reserved area left for idle conductors. Builders are still working on setting up final details, like the one that glares down at me as he puts up the neon light strips around the ceiling corners.
"That must have been why those other fighters were trying to snag you." Orgon taps his chin, glancing down at my tired eyes and bruised face. One of those other fighters did manage to grab me while Z stuffed me back in the kennel, and he didn't seem too eager to help me get out of the attack. I'm pretty sure I heard a gunshot after Orgon heard about the damage it did.
The conductor shrugs, reaching down and brushing something out of my hair. I flinch, but he doesn't react to my motion. "It'll just get a little more adrenaline pumping in your veins. I guess I should warn you that that does make the blood taste a hell of a lot better, though." He grins as my heart skips. "Don't think about that too much," he says with a wink, "I'll be right back."
I shrink down slightly as he disappears, leaving me to the shadows of the announcer booth. I don't know if they are, but I wouldn't doubt that the few other people behind me are staring. I bet they can hear my pounding heart from here.
I'm a human, bait, I shouldn't be up here. I shouldn't be in the conductor's section, or in the front row. Is he trying to get me killed before the fights even begin?
I jump as a heavy foot lands beside me on the bleacher, rattling the metal below me and making my heart skip a beat. Here we go.
Someone sits beside me, but I don't dare look until they grab my chin and force me to. I know my eyes are wide and terrified, but confusion still settles in my chest.
This girl looks like she's in her twenties, and that she should be just as scared as I am about all the old creepy men that surround her. It's clear she doesn't believe that.
The woman grins, blinking and flashing fiery yellow irises. At least she's not a vampire; werewolves don't feed until they've turned for the month.
"Well aren't you a pretty thing," she says, taking her time to look me up and down. My stomach flips and threatens me with nausea as she releases my jaw and puts her hand on my thigh. "You were left here all alone?"
"Hey Jay," someone calls behind us, "that's one of Orgon's prizes- sure you wanna be messin' with him?"
Jay just looks me up and down again, reaching up with her other hand and touching my throat. I want to raise my hands to defend myself, but my wrists are tied together behind my back.
Her hand trails from my throat and to my chest, opening her palm as it rests over my heart. She grins at the wild rhythm. "Nervous. I can handle that," she says, running her tongue over her teeth. She looks mostly human, but with the approaching full moon I bet she's losing control of that form; her teeth are already changing into jagged shapes.
I open my mouth, but don't get a noise out before her fingers curl into my shirt. "Such a young heart like yours," she says, whistling to herself before leaning closer, "I bet that'd taste so good. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a traditional meal? A full ritual? I bet you'd be perfect."
Jay slips off the seat, sliding her hand all the way down my leg as she crouches on the floor in front of me. Her clothes are already torn and dirty, as if she expects to ruin them soon.
She grips my ankle, forcing a noise from my throat as she squeezes and lifts my leg into the air. I yelp as I slide back, unable to support myself as I fall in the space between the metal seats. I can already feel a bruise forming on my spine as she picks at the bandage wrapped around my right foot.
"I can just feel the blood rushing through your veins," she murmurs, running a finger down the arch of my foot. I can't feel it, but that doesn't make the situation any better.
"I'm just so, hungry." She grins widely. "Maybe I can just get one bite?"
"Jay, what did I tell you about touching my property?"
The woman looks up, tilting her head as she smiles. "I'm not doing any harm," she says innocently, releasing my foot and letting it fall, "just getting him a little wound up."
Orgon tips his hat, nudging Jay away with his shoe. "I appreciate the contribution, but if you touch him one more time I'll have no choice but to put a silver bullet straight through your heart. He's more valuable to me than you are."
I hesitate as he sits down beside me, gripping my bicep and effortlessly pulling me back up into my seat. Both his strength and his tone terrify me.
Jay only pouts her lip, finally pushing back up to her feet. "It's just a little fun, Orgon," she says, climbing the bleachers like stairs so she can return to her buddies. I shift my right foot anxiously as she disappears from my view.
"So, kid," Orgon says as he tips back a brown bottle, taking a few sips before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, "I know you're tech savvy, so how much of these fights have you seen online?"
I flex my fists behind my back, trying to keep blood flowing so my fingers won't go numb. "I've just seen advertisements," I say, gathering the mental strength to talk to the man. If I spent the rest of my life with him I don't think I'd ever get used to the vibes he gives off.
"Yeah, I guess videos would defeat the purpose," he says, looking through the chain net and down to the floor. The spectator seats are almost completely filled, and the lights had been turned on for the arena. The ring of bleachers are dark and shadowed.
"The opening acts are going to start soon," Orgon says, glancing down at his watch. In the reflection of the glass I can see his glowing irises, shining clear in the dark.
I look up, scanning the swarming seats behind the rope separating them and the reserved area. Countless red and yellow eyes shimmer in the shadows, blinking and bouncing with the restlessness of the crowd. It's getting hot and stuffy with the rising number of spectators.
"Have you ever been to a strip club, kid?" Orgon asks, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. The chattering of the audience rolls excitedly for a second as a few buff looking men carry out five different round platforms. The heavy wood settles into the sand with little puffs of dust as the workers let them drop, returning back into the large doors they came from. The metal closes with a rattle.
"Well," I say shakily, staring down at the ring of half-foot tall platforms. They're all no more than four feet in diameter, but look strong and heavy. "Once, but not for the dancers."
Orgon nods, sloshing his bottle. "Your mother," he says, making me stifle, "down in the basement? Such a shame it ended that way.
"Well," he tips his head in my direction, "you get to see the show tonight. Maybe you'll pick up a girl your age, huh? I can buy her for you."
I furrow my eyebrows, staring at the side of his face in confusion. "I'm seventeen," I say.
"Your point?"
I force myself to look back down into the arena, suddenly sick to my stomach. Of course they wouldn't care if the performers are underage, they're human traffickers. If they have anyone younger than me, though, I might actually get sick.
"Relax, son." Orgon nudges my arm with his elbow, tone casual and confident as he smiles. "They're not that young. We're business men, not pedophiles. Those freaks don't get much money even in this career."
"How young do they go?" I ask quietly.
Orgon taps his chin, looking at the ceiling to think. "The youngest I've seen is about, sixteen? Even for vampires. Don't get worked up about that; it's not what you're here for."
"Why am I here?" I ask, finally tilting my chin up to look at his face. "Why aren't I locked up with the rest of the bait, waiting until my time to go? Why am I up here with you in the front row?"
Orgon stares down at me, and for a second I worry he's going to hit me for being ungrateful. He just smiles. "Don't you want to see it all in action?" he asks, gesturing down to the arena as five smiling girls in flashy clothing step out of the doors. They each carry their own shiny pole, fitting them into their respective platforms as my stomach flips with nausea once again. I can't watch this.
"You're about to play a major part in this community," he says, excitement and pride lacing through his words, "don't you want to see what it's made of?"
I watch my feet, flexing my toes so I have something to focus on other than my aching chest. Even if I do get out of this alive, I'll never forget it. This will be seared into my brain for the rest of my life, and I'll never sleep right again. Even if I'm still alive and kicking by tomorrow morning, I'll never look at this city the same way. How does nobody on the surface know about this?
I jump as music suddenly starts playing through the speakers, vibrating my bones and making pain suddenly flare behind my eyes. The spotlight, the cheering, the sickness, it's all too much.
The performers begin their routine, glitter flashing in the corners of my vision even if I don't look. The crowd roars.
"My fighter, Ezra," Orgon says, taking another swig from his bottle. At least he doesn't seem too interested in the dancers, mostly just watching since I won't talk and keep him busy. "Are you two a thing or are you just his claim?"
I hesitate, looking up out of the corner of my eye. "Is it important?" I ask over the music.
He shrugs, blowing over the neck of his bottle. I can smell the alcohol over the scent of dust and metal. "I think so," he says, "he hasn't been human in a long time. He adapted surprisingly well to the outside world."
I run my tongue over my teeth, rolling my shoulders. Someone must have really felt the strippers needed more than just fancy clothing, since multicolored lights flash and strobe in the four corners of the large room. It has to be dark outside now, as the seats have filled up so much there's hardly any room left for new arrivals.
"He wanted to die for a really long time," Orgon says, humming to himself. The music rattles in my ears, but I can still hear his powerful voice. "But when I got him back, he was different. He's just like he was the day I bought him; hopeful. You people really renewed that emotion he cut off years ago, and it makes his skill plummet like nothing I've ever seen. It makes him a shitty fighter, but really does make a show. I made sure I didn't beat too much of that out of him, I still want him to recognize your face."
Once again I feel like I'm going to be sick. I don't want to face him here, I just want to take him home and pretend this never happened. I want to pretend none of this exists under the eyes of the city.
"I don't know what we are," I say, quiet enough to make Orgon look at me. I know he heard what I said- a vampire's hearing is exceptional. "The last thing I said to him was that it'd probably be better if we never met."
Orgon winces dramatically, looking down into the pit of an arena as the audience cheers. The girls are doing tricks. Colorful lights swing over their figures, making their glittery skin pop more than the spotlights already do. Their outfits would barely allow them to sneak into the public swimming pool.
"That's rough," Orgon says, tipping his bottle towards me in offering. I shake my head. "Don't worry, I'll give you a chance to say some things to him tonight. That won't be all he has to remember you by."
I take a deep breath, unable to stop his words from drilling into my head. I shouldn't be bothered by his promises anymore, but they still unsettle me every time.
"You've seen him fight, correct?" Orgon asks, seemingly not wanted to end the one sided conversation. I nod.
"Ooh, you should really enjoy this then," he says with a grin, patting my shoulder and making my bones ache. "You think you've seen him really go at it, but you've never seen the beast he can be."
-:*:-
After the preshow ended, the announcer started talking over the speakers from inside his protective booth.
The fighting is to begin soon, with the lowest ranking fighters first in queue. There's only a short break between each fight, just enough time for people to enter, leave, or place bets. Orgon said he's expecting to gain at least a few million dollars with all the fighters he has participating tonight. Ezra alone is supposed to bring in about a million.
At first I didn't believe that, but then I remembered exactly where I am. I'm at the Hidden Powers ring, which is one of the biggest, if not the biggest fighting ring in the city. In a smaller ring with an average fighter, he could expect around twenty thousand for a single match. Money is of no shortage here. No wonder they managed to get the workers to set it all up so fast.
All the other rooms of the factory are fixed up too, so I know that even though it's packed in here, there are still more people wandering outside. There are auctions going on in the basement, and sex work on the floor above me. Some rooms deal drugs, and some firearms. The amount of illegal activity on this one night alone is enough to shroud the rest of the city for an entire year.
Like the announcer said, it doesn't take long for the first round to begin. The fighting kicks off with two werewolves, the cheapest of the supernatural to buy and dispose of. Orgon told me I didn't have to bother watching these fights, and to save my energy for the bigger bets. These are the newbies, he said, and the real entertainment will start after a few rounds.
It took three rounds for me to throw up.
And it wasn't watching the hysterical creatures literally tear each others skin apart, but the noise. The bloodcurdling screams, the rattling of chains, and the cheering of the crowd when something dramatically gruesome happened. Luckily Orgon had predicted this, and had snagged an abandoned food bucket to put by my feet. The screaming of the audience drowned out my gagging.
By the time Orgon forces me to look up again they're cleaning the bloody sand clumps out with wire rakes. I guess it's efficient, but still disgusting. They've already caged the winner and disposed of the losers body. Luckily I didn't have to see either.
"Now I know you haven't seen this before," Orgon says, patting me on the back enthusiastically. He's acting like my father when he took me to that circus when I was five. I pretty much bawled my eyes out the entire second half, which is about how well I'm handling my situation currently.
"See, we're getting to the vampires now, which really tends to rile up the crowd," he says, watching the arena as the cleaners leave and the doors are closed. It gets as quiet as the packed crowd can manage as the speakers crackle and warn the front row to stay back from the chain, revealing the sound of screaming and banging metal.
Two heavy chains pull the doors open again, keeping the workers safe and out of the way as a howling creature throws itself from the cage it had just been released from.
It's a woman, maybe in her twenties, but it's hard to tell under all the bruises and hysteria. She looks around, darting to the far wall and jumping up to the chain. She grips onto the net, reaching through before drawing back and jumping a few feet away to another section and doing the same thing.
"Isn't it beautiful training?" Orgon asks, watching as the girl darts around the drooping dome and peers through every little opening with vengeful screams. "A very clever way to show off the strength and speed of a vampire. She'll come over here, don't worry!"
The crowd roars and cheers as the vampire makes her way around, all the way to the reserved area. She reaches an arm through the chain over on the other side of the reservation rope, sniffing the air as the spectators blow at her. She draws back, looking around before darting away and appearing in front of us.
I lean back as she reaches through, bloody fingers clasping tight and struggling to reach me. Orgon just laughs as she snarls and jumps back down to the floor, allowing me to take a breath and further entertain the conductors around me.
Orgon nudges my arm, looking down at my pale face. He grins as I grind my teeth.
"Oh, don't be so tight," he says, flashing his fangs, "I think she liked you."