Seven

GABRIELLE POV.

Breathe deeply... think about death and gore. Imagine yourself as the conqueror. You've won this war already.

Grunts registered from a faraway place, my opponent's heavy breathing sounding faint in my ears. It was drowned out by the thumping of his pulse, I imagined the beatings of his heart. Was it steady? With the way he was breathing so loud, I doubt it was. He was afraid, and that would be his undoing.

Grandfather's hand tapped against his metal chair, the ring he wore making a clang as it connected. I broke out of my trance, blinking to adjust my gaze, at the same time pushing all the thoughts that plagued my day out of my head.

My opponent studied me, his beady eyes raking over my form before a taunting snare touched his lips.

I looked around the fighting arena. Everything was just as I remembered. I hated this place.

Focusing back on my opponent, I readied myself, while my eyes scanned his physique carefully. He was a bulk of a man but still managed to look grac