Round two began at sunset the next day.
I arrived early for watching the pre-match preparations from the competitor section. The underground arena had grown even more crowded as word of last night's fights had spread, and now easily three hundred students packed the stone seats. Some had probably skipped classes to be here.
The betting pools had gotten serious too. I'd overheard someone placing five thousand gold on Seraphina to win the whole tournament. Different bets were flying around.
My odds against Kaeel were listed at 3-to-2. Almost even. The bookmakers gave me a slight edge based on advantage, but Kaeel reputation as Shadowgrove's captain made it close.
"Nervous?" Isabella sat down beside me, dressed in practical traveling clothes rather than her usual elegant attire. She'd brought a notebook and was sketching the arena layout.
"Why would I be nervous?"
