Page 128 of The Echo of Forever

The lights dimmed as my eyes met Forever’s. She lifted and dropped her eyebrows in acknowledgment, and I blew her a kiss in return.

“Make way for our first set of fighters of the night.”

I leaned against the bar and faced the middle ring as both fighters entered from different sides, one in all black shorts with two red stripes and the other in blue with white. Red meant society, black rejector.

The society initiate couldn’t have been more than a buck twenty, soaking wet. He had way too much nervous energy coming off him as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

His opponent, a face I recognized from roaming around Cannon towers lately, was much stockier and more in control of his emotions.

“That’s a mismatch,” someone nearby muttered.

I smiled; it was a mismatch, but not in the way they were probably thinking.

“That’s the point,” another replied with a laugh. “Gotta humble these society kids early.”

Put your money on red stripes.

Solei replied to my text almost immediately.

Already did. He’s hella nervous.

I taught my sister well.

In these settings, nervous energy almost always turned into pure violence. Once the kid got started, he wouldn’t be stopped.

The bell rang, and the fighters circled each other.

Unfortunately, we were about to lose a rejector tonight. I could tell the moment white stripes decided to make his move, barely stepping back when red stripes hit him with a mean three-piece.

It happened so fucking fast, even I found myself entertained.

The crowd’s mixed reactions made it even more worthwhile. Forever had once stood in that ring, proving herself to both worlds. So had I, three years before her; the only time I’d stepped into his building before today.

I caught Forever’s eye across the room again and tipped my head, smiling as she did the same. We hadn’t said shit about keeping our distance tonight, but she was still following my lead beautifully.

Three more fights passed in rapid succession before they began filling all three rings at once, giving the crowd something to grow rowdier about. I pretended to be invested in the spectacle while watching the room closely.

Millicent, to be specific.

And when she slid from her seat, checked her phone, and started making her way toward the back tunnel, I knew Jayden was about to make his secret appearance.

Still meeting after spotting me and Forever in the building was a choice on Millicent’s part. Felt a lot like she was pulling both our cards, testing the limits of something that was never in her control to begin with.

I gave it a count of thirty before shifting my gaze to where Solei stood by the betting table. She nodded after I tipped my head where Violet and Gaia were sitting.

This place was covered in cameras, and Gaia had hacked the feed an hour ago just for this.

I waited a beat, and then the text came through from Solei.

Left where it splits. Office on the very end to your right.

I moved through the crowd, weaving between bodies until I reached the support beam where Forever stood, eyes on a specific fight.

“Your boy needs a little more training,” I said, nodding toward the ring where someone from her side was indeed taking a beating.

Forever didn’t look at me directly, but her lips curved into a small smile.

“His footwork is sloppy…” Her heavily lined eyes met mine. “But footwork doesn’t matter when you can shoot from a mile away.”