“You can spar with me anytime, Riggs,” she said. “That was the best workout I’ve had in ages.”
“Mind if I cut in?” a deep voice rumbled.
I turned to see Talakai. He grinned at me and drew his sword. It was lighter than mine, and slightly curved, but just as long.
Useless jeers about males and compensation flitted through my brain. There, and gone. I didn’t know him well enough to spew any at him, especially when my weapon was larger…
He saluted me, and once again, I stood awkwardly, unsure. But when he came at me, my sword was always between me and him.
Aria had been aggressive with her moves, but Talakai was all about the dance. And as I spun and leaped to match him, I knew he had me. He was infernally fast. But I wasn’t going to give up—I was having far too much fun. My life had been filled with so much uncertainty, but I now knew one thing for sure.
I loved the fight.
For just an instant, Talakai swirled to a halt. I swung my sword in a vicious overhead strike, and the blue Dragon raised his own to block—but my weapon was no longer there. I’d shifted the sword in mid-swing from a two-handed strike to one. I grabbed his sword arm with my free hand and sliced the sword horizontally.
It only sparked against his scales, but it would have gutted him if I’d put my weight behind it, and he knew it.
Talakai laughed.
I looked into eyes, sparking blue, and met a kindred spirit. He loved this, too.
“Well done, Ra-Riggs.”
It was the barest of stutters, but it made me wonder—how well had Razir known these people? How hard was it for them to pretend that they didn’t?
As we pulled back from each other and sheathed our weapons, the clapping started slow, but then built. The students then expanded to hooting and hollering, and Talakai ducked his head, as if uncomfortable with it.
My heart pounded, but I wasn’t as upset by it as I should be. Did a part of me like performing for an audience? As I turned, my gaze met Breana. And I found the answer.
It wasn’t for the audience. It was for her. I wanted her to see who I was and what I could do.
The ironic thing was that I really had no idea of either.
But one thing was for sure—I knew how to swing a blasted sword.
My dramatic fight class was a hot topic at lunch.
Nar’s eyes were alight as he described it blow-by-blow, although it became increasingly embellished with each telling.
“I came nowhere near to unmanning him,” I finally protested. “If I hadn’t done that sneaky move, he would have had me. He’s the better fighter.”
“In my books, sneaky counts,” Nar stated.
“We know that,” Adilyn snarked. “Sneaky is your thing.”
“Not all of us can shrink to two inches and zip off on wings,” the Sea Krayt complained. “You’d rather run than fight.”
“Those who run live to fight another day,” Sid said easily. “Fighting is not always the answer.” But the glance he gave Nar was filled with warning.
The message was clear—lay off Adilyn. Nar wisely backed off. “Anyway, watching you guys go at it was inspiring. Almost makes me want to learn how to bash with a sword.”
“You have other strengths,” Leah purred.
“Yeah, anytime the team needs a sex fiend or dust picked up, he’s our effing man.” Adilyn’s tone had bite.
Nar glared at her, but glanced to Sid, and then away.
Leah reached to take his hand, and Breana’s gaze dropped to that, before she said, “We all have strengths that we bring to the team. Nar’s ability to blend with any surface will be extremely useful.”
