Page 36 of Valkyrie Unknown

“After this conversation is over, there will be no warnings. Sometimes we may square off and spar in a more official manner, but you’ll expect an attack at any time.”

“No.” Azzie’s answer came firmly and without hesitation.

I was willing to hear her reasons, but they needed to be good. “Why?”

“It feels fun to ask, doesn’t it?” She smirked. “Public places, especially crowded ones, are off limits. I understand the potential for someone else to come after me in the middle of a diner at lunchtime, but I won’t let you risk the people around us or draw unwanted attention to us in the name of training.”

Her logic was sound. Excellent. “Is that it?” I asked.

“And either one of us has the option to tap out. Once again, I understand the idea ofyour enemies won’t stop because you’re having a bad day, but we’re not enemies. If either one of us is stretched beyond a breaking point, isn’t allowed to rest or heal, is pissed at the other becausesparringhappened when we weren’t in the mood—that’s far more dangerous in the long run.” She spoke with confidence .

The confirmation that I was right to stay with her was both reassuring and unsettling. “I agree,” I said.

A whisper of a smirk flitted across her face. Her teasing wouldn’t be subject to the same rules, and I had to be prepared for that. “Do I get a safe word, sir?”

There it was.Sirwas better thanDaddy Davyn. Something to be grateful for. “Pick one that you’re not going to say otherwise.”

“I yield.That’s my phrase.”

I raised an eyebrow. Hard to argue with that. “Anything else?”

“No. That’s it.”

“Great. Let’s go back to town.” I turned away, to hide my smirk.

“What?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “You heard me. The element of surprise doesn’t always mean being attacked when you least expect it.”

“But we came out here to stretch. To work out.” She stood her ground.

I was looking forward to doing exactly that. I spun and charged without warning.

Though she wasn’t armed, and her eyes grew wide, she bounced out of my way without hesitation, twisted around me, and came up from behind to tap me on the small of the back.

I dropped the aggressive stance as I turned to face her. “What was that?” I asked.

“I draw first blood?” What started as a confident response ended in a question.

“This isn’t a dojo, and you don’t get points for taps.” As I talked, I slid into aReadyposture and circled her.

She kept her arms up in front of her, hands loose but fingers curled, and held my gaze, following the same path I did. “We’re actually going to hit each other?” Her left arm twitched, as if she was going to strike, but she pulled back when I tensed.

We continued to circle. I wasn’t going to full-on hit her. Not because she was a girl, but because my punches could shatter bone. On the other hand— “You’re not going to hurt me.”

I threw a right cross at her head, making sure not to move too quickly.

Azzie ducked under the punch and lightly slapped the inside of my bicep before straightening and gliding back a step. “Sorude. Both the telegraphed hit and the assumption.”

“You think you can hurt me with your fists?” I couldn’t hide my disbelief.

“You watched me fight a magicaldoppelgängerthat was trying to kill me, less than two days ago.” She feigned, and instead of striking, ducked and slid.

I turned, and was facing her as she hopped to her feet with a flying kick. “Adoppelgängerthat had your strength, not mine.” I knocked her leg aside with my arm, using enough force to throw her off balance but not do damage.

She landed smoothly on both feet. “A soulless golem with a cheating master. Neither of us knows what it was capable of. And unlike it, you’re not trying to kill me.” There was no jerk or pause in her movement, as she pivoted into a spinning jump-kick aimed for my head.

I grabbed her foot and tossed her back. “You’re right. We’re practicing,nottrying to kill each other.”

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