Chapter 4

Lee walked up onto the platform. Her dark, almond eyes jumped to Dannie. Instinct kicked in. Her eyes widened then narrowed as her body tensed. She took a breath through her nose, let it out, relaxing. Dannie gave her a grimaced half-smile in apology. Lee dipped her chin in a nod before focusing on Dannie’s dad. “Praetor, everything is ready to begin.”

Her dad leaned back in his chair, nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Then proceed. Thank you, Lee.”

The chief enforcer nodded once more, giving Dannie a furtive look, before retreating down the steps. Lee walked out into the center of the rectangle, causing the spectators to raise their voices in cheerful cheers. Dannie grimaced as the wave of emotions washed over her, overwhelming her senses for a moment. Once she was back in control Dannie looked for her twin.

Cass stood among the few women who were willing to try to win a spot on the predominantly male comprised enforcers. Though Cass stood out among them. She was like a proud Amazonian queen preparing for battle. Like Dannie, she had dark hair and brown eyes, but she was curvy, bronzed, and athletic. Quite the contrast to Dannie’s pale Addams Family look. Cass bounced on her feet as she twirled twin daggers in circles. As their mother, she was a knife fighter, but Dannie knew the knives were simply for intimidation. Only blunt weapons were allowed.

Cass noticed her watching and grinned. She threw up a knife, freeing her hand to wave, then caught it. -Show off- Dannie mouthed to her with an eye roll but returned the grin. Another cheer rose through the crowd. Lee was holding up the wrist of the victor, a wiry looking man. He was practically caked head to toe with dirt. The two contenders left the makeshift arena.

“Cassandra Mason and Alex McCaddin,” Lee called out next.

Dannie’s mother bumped the arm of the chair with her fist a couple of times in a discreet show of support and a proud smile on her face. Jealousy stabbed through Dannie, burning a bitter path to her stomach. Just once she would like her mother to do that for her. Dannie took a breath, clenching her jaw then swallowed down the emotion. She swallowed again and focused on Cass and her opponent. McCaddin wasn’t very tall but his overly muscular build made him very broad. He had the look of a man who spent a lot of time in the gym, kissing his bicep as he lifted weights.

They walked up to face each other. The knives were gone, replaced by two escrima sticks. The wood a blondish-yellow color. McCaddin had a heavy-looking wooden club. He hit his open hand with the club in true thug style as he lifted his chin trying to stare Cass down which couldn’t be easy seeing as she was a hair taller than him. A sneer spread across his lips as he said something to her that Dannie had no doubt was something nasty.

In true Cass fashion, she smiled and said something back. His sneer turned into a scowl. Lee stepped back from them and once she was several feet away threw up her hands starting the fight. McCaddin swung the club at Cass like a pro baseball player, but she dropped low to the ground, letting the chunk of wood pass over her head. She hit the back of his knees with one of the sticks as the force of his swing pulled him around. He buckled some and she hit him in the back of the neck and when he stumbled forward kneed him in the gut, bouncing back several steps when done.

McCaddin bellowed at her like a belligerent bull, bringing back his club to swing at her again. Cass ran at him, dropping and let the club swing over her, and once again when the force pulled his back to her she jumped and slammed both feet into the middle of his back. She rolled backward, coming to her feet and backing back once again. He got up from the ground slowly, his face flushed under the dirt that stuck to it.

He shouted something at Cass but it was lost to Dannie through the cheers of the crowd. He charged her again, swinging the club, but each time she danced around him, hitting him in his kidneys, back of the knees, or anywhere she could get it a good ‘thwack.’ It wasn’t long before McCaddin’s chest was heaving with heavy breaths, his face a deep red.

He swung at her a couple more times, but on the last swing when she ducked, McCaddin hit her with an uppercut right on the chin. The crowd gasped. “Dios,” Dannie’s mom swore covering her mouth with her hand. Cass shot up in the air, flying back. If she’d been human she would’ve been out for the count and maybe dead considering the way her head jerked back. Dannie’s heart gave a heavy thud as she hit the ground hard.

Everyone seemed to lean in as Cass didn’t move and McCaddin walked up to her, his club hitting his open hand. However, as soon as he lifted it to bring it down on Cass, in a burst of movement she kicked him in the sweet spot then rolled back to her feet. She spat out blood, blew him a kiss as he fell to his knees. She picked up his discarded club and hit him with it. When he landed on his back she fell on top of him, knees on his shoulders and the club pressed to his neck.

After way too much time had passed, McCaddin finally tapped out, making Cass the winner. She threw the club to the side and helped him stand. She lifted her arms urging the already cheering crowd to cheer louder, giving everyone a bloody smile as Lee took her wrist, lifting her arm, announcing her the winner.

“Well that was exciting,” Dannie said, trying to sound sarcastic, but in truth, the abundance of emotions was wearing on her already. “Don’t tell me Cass was actually worried about the tryouts.”

Her father laughed, keeping it low for her ears only. “She did very well. A little cocky and still likes to play to the crowd.”

“Blame Mom. We get our showman’s ship from her,” she told him.

Her mom tilted her head and gave Dannie a look. “Really now?”

“She does have a point. You do love to show off,” her father said, taking her mom’s hand in his.

“It’s not showing off if you’re naturally good,” Dannie’s mother replied as Lee announced another fight.

“Uh-huh. Proving my point. So, do I have to sit here through all of this?”

“It won’t be too much longer,” her mom replied.

“Yeah, that’s still too long for me.”

Understanding lit her father’s face. He nodded. “But go see your sister first,” he said then tossed her the keys to the BMW he drove over here.

“You big ole softy,” her mother complained lightheartedly and leaned over and kissed him on the jaw. He grinned, even more, all his attention now on her mother.

Dannie got up from the lawn chair and walked down the steps of the platform over to where all the hopefuls stood. Just like the people at the festival had for her dad, they stepped back, clearing a path for Dannie. Distrust and anger washed over Dannie as she walked. She did her best to ignore them all as she joined Cass. “Way to go, butt-kicker. You kicked ass as expected.”

“I know right?” Cass said with a fake posh accent and flipping her ponytail back then crushed Dannie to her in a sticky, sweaty hug. “I’ve missed you. It’s been ages!”

“You saw me two months ago at Easter.”

“So yeah, like I said - ages.” Cass gave her one final squeeze before letting her go.

“So now you’re going to be the big bad enforcer, huh?”

She gave Dannie a sharp look. “We don’t know if I’m in yet.”

“Oh please, you’re the golden child. The star pupil of Caius and Desi Mason. There is no way you’re not getting in.”

She rolled her eyes. “Right. Well, thanks for the vote of confidence!”

Dannie took a breath to reply when someone elbowed her. “Freak!”

Cass’s eyes blazed as she glared at the people behind Dannie. “What the hell did you just say? Come on, say it again but this time to my face asshole!” She pulled out an escrima stick pointing it at the people, everyone pulling back away from her.

“Cass, deep breaths. Don’t flip out. You know how it is.”

She lowered the stick and took a breath, but still looked ready for murder. “It shouldn’t be. They need to get the hell over themselves.”

“Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath. I should get out of here. I’ll see you at the house.” Dannie waved to her and again walked through the crowd, feeling their stares and emotions burn into her skin. It took everything she had to keep her chin high. All she had to do was get the injections later then go back to her real home.