"Welcome everyone." A silvery feminine voice announces. From our booth, we have the perfect view of a fairy perched delicately on what looks to be a trapeze suspended just on the other side of the cage. "My name is April, and I will be your host for tonight." She pauses for the crowd to cheer. "For those of you who have been here been here before, you know how this works. But if this is anyone's first visit to The Rivalry's Cage, I'll give you a quick rundown.

"Our members sign up in advance to guarantee their spot inside the cage. Tonight, we only have one pair signed up." Another pause while the crowd boos. "But once we've seen them fight, that's when we'll open the cage up to you. Anyone who wants to take their turn to fight will let me know, and once I've chosen an eager fighter from amongst all of you, that fighter will either name the person they would like to challenge, or allow me to pick their opponent.

"But that's not all. There are prizes on offer for everyone who wins their fight. All you have to do is either knock your opponent unconscious or force them to surrender. It's simple, really." April giggles. "Are you ready?" The crowd cheers in response. "Then let's open the Cage."

A trap door opens beneath the cage. Although it's too dark to see inside, two metal rods rise out a short distance.

"Fighting tonight, we have a seasoned member celebrating his 300th match in the Cage tonight. He's ruthless. He's relentless. Everyone show your appreciation for Toby Dalin."

Toby emerges from the trapdoor as if climbing a ladder. Now the metal rods make sense. He appears naked at first. I'm about to berate Selene for leaving this detail out of her warnings for tonight when his trousers become visible. The angel is shirtless and barefoot, but thankfully not naked.

He waves to the crowd, smiling and blowing kisses and egging on their roaring cheers. When he spots our booth, he laughs in delight, although the sound can't be heard over the crowd. He uses his hands to make a heart shape in our direction. Finally, he stops near the bars of the left side of the cage.

April resumes her speech. "And challenging Toby, you all know him. You all love him. He's our cold, calculating, but wildly brutal idol. Make some noise for Lord Ayden Tuscoy."

It's Ayden's turn to climb the ladder. I drink in the sight of his bare torso, seeing it properly for the first time. My mouth dries, forcing me to lick my lips.

Instead of playing up for the crowd, he scans their faces with an arrogant smirk on his face. His rotation of the room makes its way to the VIP area.

Our eyes lock. Impressively, his smirk doesn't falter. But his stare burns as cold as ice. A fervent promise to deal with me later. When he breaks the stare to take his place opposite Toby, I elbow Selene in the ribs, glaring at her.

"What?" She asks innocently. But the ghost of a smile betrays her sins.

"Toby. Lord Ayden. Luck to you." April continues as the trap door closes. "Audience. Are. You. Ready?" The crowd screams. "I can't hear you. You can be louder than that." Another pause. "The fight will commence in three. Two. One."

A bell rings.

Both men charge at once, ramming into each other like bulls. Fists clash. They meet each blow for blow. At an impasse, they retreat, circling each other round the cage.

The crowd yells encouragement in an inaudible cacophony.

I scrunch my hands into fists. I bite my lips. Knowing what I was going to witness tonight isn't the same thing as viewing it with my own eyes. I know this is just sport. They're trying to win a match, not kill each other. And yet...

"Is this necessary?" I ask Selene.

"Think of it as another version of boxing. Try to enjoy the show and don't think too deep about it."

I sigh. My hands remain clenched.

Ayden lifts his hands to summon a violent hailstorm, directing the tough pellets of ice in Toby's direction, who in turn raises a magical shield. Whilst holding onto the shield with one hand, he creates an energy ball in the other. He flings the ball towards Ayden, who leaps out of the way. The hailstorm stops in his distraction.

Toby leads the next attack; a gust of wind that knocks Ayden off his feet. The angel soars upwards before diving down suddenly, aiming to land directly on top of his opponent. Ayden rolls out of the way at the last moment. Toby tries to pull back, but it's too late to stop himself skidding across the floor.

Ayden doesn't miss a beat, scrambling onto Toby's back and giving him a punch between the wings. I wince. The angel cries out, pushing up off the floor and seamlessly flipping them round so that he's the one above. Ayden receives a punch right in the jaw.

I clench my eyes shut. When I sneak another peek, the men are rolling around on the floor. Limbs fly. Tiny, dark droplets appear on the floor, and it takes me a moment to realise it's blood. Whose blood is impossible to tell due to the rapid pace of their movements, but I suspect they're both bleeding at this point. My eyes remain locked on the fight, trying to discern how bad the injuries are. Hoping I'm wrong and neither is hurt.

I try to track Ayden's movements. I scan his body head to toe and back again to reassure myself he's all in one piece. I don't have time to consider why I'm concerned.

Neither man holds back. Ayden gets Toby pinned beneath him for a battering of successive punches. The angel gathers his strength into a blast of magic that sends Ayden flailing into the bars of the cage. Ayden snarls. Toby gets to his feet, spitting blood and wiping more from his nose.

My mouth gapes, gaze flicking between the two men I know to be good friends.

Toby swaggers towards Ayden. The men share a feral grin.

The angel pounces, grabbing Ayden's throat and punching him in the gut in the same swift movement. Ayden's hands wrap around his opponent's wrists. He knees Toby in the balls. He recoils, but he doesn't get a chance to nurse his wound before Ayden spins them, slamming the angel into the metal bars. Over and over again. Toby gets in another few punches, but they're not strong enough to stop Ayden's assault.

After what feels like far too long, Ayden flings Toby to the floor. He places a foot on the angel's throat, arching an eyebrow.

"I surrender." Toby croaks.

Ayden removes his foot, allowing Toby to cough yet more blood onto the floor. His eyes find me in the crowd for the first time since the fight began. Despite his victory, and the pain he must be in, his face is impassive. Blood and sweat mingle, dripping down his forehead. Against my better judgement, my eyes travel downwards. Smears of blood paint his gleaming torso. I swallow.

"And we have a winner." April announces to the crowd's delight. "Lord Ayden Tuscoy is tonight's victor." Two security guards open a gate into the cage beneath April's platform. She floats down from her trapeze, collecting a box from a third security guard before entering the cage.

Ayden turns the moment she lands. She opens the box, pulling out a gold medal on a crimson ribbon. "Congratulations, Lord Ayden." She places the medal over his head. It lays to rest on his chest, drawing my attention there once more. "We'll get our valiant members all cleaned up backstage, but don't worry, they'll return later."

The security guard who previously held the box enters the cage to escort Ayden away. One of the other guards leaves their gate to help Toby to his feet. The fighters are swallowed up by the crowd and spat out again near a door I hadn't yet noticed. Ayden's head twists round, giving me one last look before he disappears.