The Inheritance Games, #4
The Brothers Hawthorne
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 40: JAMESON
Overview
Jameson defeats the Devil’s Mercy house fighter by using provocation, evasion, and a single decisive strike, proving that his appearance hides real skill and pain tolerance. His victory draws the Proprietor out of concealment and escalates the challenge instead of ending it.
The Proprietor orders Rohan into the ring, turning Jameson’s bid for Vantage into a more personal and dangerous trial. Jameson recognizes the pattern from Tobias Hawthorne: apparent approval from a powerful figure may be only another lesson or trap.
Summary
Jameson enters the Devil’s Mercy ring aware that his lean build and privileged appearance make him seem like an unlikely fighter. He strips down to bare feet and bare knuckles while the floor is cleaned, and only Rohan appears to reassess him when noticing signs that Jameson may be tougher than he looks.
The house fighter dismisses Jameson as an easy opponent, but Jameson treats the match as a game to be won. Rather than circling, Jameson mirrors the fighter’s movements to provoke him, then shifts into dodging. As the fighter grows angrier and overcommits, Jameson exploits the man’s weak side.
Remembering Tobias Hawthorne’s lesson to seize the moment, Jameson launches a decisive airborne kick to the side of the fighter’s head. The house fighter falls and does not get back up, making Jameson the winner.
Jameson immediately takes control of the spectacle by climbing onto a ring post, announcing his own victory, and asking whether anyone will challenge him. In the crowd, Jameson spots Avery and then recognizes the Proprietor, now without his beard but still carrying his cane.
The Proprietor stops hiding, signals with three strikes of his cane, and applauds Jameson before pointing the cane toward the ring. The Proprietor calls on Rohan to fight next. As Rohan begins undressing for the match, Jameson realizes that what looks like approval from powerful men may actually be the beginning of another test, just as it often was with Jameson’s grandfather.
Who Appears
- Jameson HawthorneDefeats the house fighter, provokes the crowd, and faces a new challenge from Rohan.
- RohanDevil’s Mercy number two; reassesses Jameson and is ordered into the ring by the Proprietor.
- The ProprietorReveals himself in the crowd and escalates Jameson’s trial by calling on Rohan.
- House fighterUnderestimates Jameson, attacks aggressively, and is knocked down by a decisive kick.
- AveryWatches from the crowd as Jameson wins and draws the Proprietor’s attention.
- Tobias HawthorneRemembered by Jameson through lessons about seizing moments and dangerous approval.