Beludona's uncle understood. "You want to place a bet without paying?"
"You have to pay for that. I'm not paying, so how can you call it that?" Black Pearl earnestly argued.
But Beludona's uncle had a better answer. He cited the rules: "Bets are cash transactions. You can't place one until you pay."
Black Pearl fixed her imposing vertical pupils on the Abyss Demon for several seconds. Without a word, she turned and left.
Annan watched her go, then came over. "She gave up?"
Beludona's uncle said knowingly, "The Black Dragon left with her greed. She'll be back."
Annan nodded thoughtfully and took out a bag of coins. Perfect. In a little while, he could prove his innocence right in front of Black Pearl.
Back outside, Annan waited for Black Pearl to appear.
Meanwhile, Rus, who had said he wouldn't return but couldn't resist coming back for a look, eyed the tavern's sudden bustle and wondered whether to go over.
With so many demons around, dozens of them would see him climb through the window...
As he hesitated, he spotted Olmedo Just Right pushing out of the tavern doorway, holding up a bag of coins and shouting.
"I'm betting a hundred Gold Narls on the Incubus to win!"
Most of the demons had bet on the Rat King, Black Pearl, Skullcrusher, or the other favored contestants Annan and Beludona had assassinated. As contestants on Philos's younger siblings' assassination list, their strength was widely acknowledged.
But an Incubus? Was this the Bloody Battle or a contest of bedroom skills?
Laughter erupted at the entrance. One loudmouthed demon sneered, "An Incubus? Your battles happen in bed, on balconies, and on the floor."
"That just shows how ignorant you are," Annan argued. "Incubi are born fighters. Every muscle, every nerve they have was