Indra whirled on Shea, drawing her blade inthe process. It was no longer then her forearm but looked more thansharp enough. The way she held it said she’d spent many an hourpracticing.
“You?! I should have known,” Indra spat.
Shea watched Indra and her body language verycarefully. She had her own blade out as they circled eachother.
“You and your damn interference are thereason nothing has gone according to plan.”
Shea couldn’t argue with that and didn’t eventry, concentrating instead on catching her breath. She’d need itfor the upcoming fight.
Indra gave her a cruel smile. “It’s to myfortune that you stopped me. I can finally dispose of thehindrance. Once you’re dead, Fallon should be easy enough tokill.”
Shea snorted inwardly at that. She doubtedit. The lady was mad if she thought so.
“Thank you for making it so easy to get ridof you,” Indra continued. “It’ll spare me the trouble of having todo so later.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you talk toomuch?” Shea asked.
Indra gave her another smile that didn’ttouch her eyes and then feinted towards her. Shea leapt back andwatched carefully.
Indra closed in, her blade moving almost toofast to follow. It was mostly luck that Shea parried at the lastmoment. The more experienced woman forced Shea back as she executeda series of complicated maneuvers, scoring a strike on Shea’sforearm and left leg.
Shea sidestepped and circled quickly in theopposite direction, feeling the sting on both her arm and leg andthen the cold slide of blood. The one on her arm wasn’t bad,striking close to bone but still shallow and being no longer than afinger length. It was the wound on her leg that worried her more.That one had bitten deep and bled profusely from a slice longerthan her hand.
She needed to finish this quickly, beforeblood loss weakened her.
“Why do this?” she asked.
Indra liked to talk. Shea hoped to indulgethat need.
“Why? Why?” the woman’s voice rose higher oneach word. “Why not? That man had everything I ever wanted, and hewouldn’t even look twice at me. When I proposed our union, helaughed at me. Me! He should have been licking my feet in gratitudefor even offering to mate with one from such poor familylines.”
Anger suffused Indra’s face, turning herbeauty into a thing of ugliness. She swung at Shea, her movementlacking the same grace and pinpoint accuracy of moments before.
Shea evaded and then reversed her swing,missing but only because the other woman stumbled, falling and thenrolling out of the way.
“I though Fallon’s grandfather was thewarlord before him?”
“But his mother was a common Lowlandstrumpet,” Indra spat. “He’s not even full Trateri. His father usedthe Trateri’s venom to bring her into the clan. The same ritual heused to make you one of us. I guess he and his father share similartastes. All the more reason to get him out of the way so he can’ttaint our bloodlines any further.”
Shea gave her a wicked grin. “Sounds to melike you have more in common with a strumpet. Trying to bargainyour way into power with what’s between your legs and all.”
Her words had the effect she intended,driving Indra into a rage. She attacked without hesitation,hammering at Shea’s defense.
Shea waited for her moment. Numbness wasspreading from the cuts on her legs and arms, making her slow. Sheblocked Indra’s attacks over and over again, her arm growing wearyand heavy.
Anticipating victory, Indra fell into arepetitive pattern, her blows becoming predictable as she committedall of her strength behind them.
Shea smoothly stepped to the side of onestrike, letting Indra’s forward momentum carry her as Shea twistedand drove the point of her blade into Indra’s shoulder.
Indra made a peculiar gasp as she bent andflailed with one arm, trying to knock Shea back.
Shea ducked and then hooked one leg behindIndra’s, grabbing the flailing arm and bringing it down over herwaist to force the other woman off balance.
She felt it as the woman’s weight reached thepoint of no return, following up smoothly as Indra fell to theground with Shea on top of her. She trapped Indra’s sword hand withher knee and then brought her blade up to her neck.
“Shea!”
“What was that you were saying?” Shea asked,panting slightly “Something about removing the hindrance. How aboutI help you with that?”
