Caius’s gaze was fixated on Jin. “How about a match? I’m interested in seeing your capabilities.”
Kira started, looking between the two as Jin bobbed like a boxer preparing to get in the ring.
“It’s been a while since anyone’s invited me to play,” Jin gloated.
Caius didn’t know what he was asking for. If Raider was here, Blue even, they could have warned him.
“That’s a really bad idea,” Kira started.
Caius cut her off. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
As if obeying some unseen cue, the Tuann tightened the circle around Kira in a move meant to intimidate.
She wasn’t, but they didn’t need to know that.
Kira held up a hand in surrender. “Alright. You win. I withdraw my objection.”
She was trying to be nice and protect him from himself, but if he wasn’t going to appreciate her good intentions he could deal with the consequences.
She just hoped he didn’t live to regret this.
Actually, scratch that, she was looking forward to seeing the look on his face when he learned how badly he’d miscalculated.
“One final thing,” Caius said as Kira started to withdraw to give them room for the match. “We have a tradition in Roake. For every minute you’re late, you must take a blow from those whose time you wasted.”
Wren leaned forward. “And you’re very late.”
Realization dawned, aided by the look of satisfaction on Wren’s face that she saw too late. She’d been set up.
Finn caught her startled gaze. One of his eyes slid closed in an exaggerated wink.
Son of a—Finn knew about this.
Kira didn’t have any time for surprise as a shift of air warned of an attack. Kira sidestepped, whirling to find a woman completing her attack, blade still extended in front of her.
“That’s one,” the woman shouted with a grin. Her gaze shot to someone standing in the crowd. “Your turn.”
Kira sucked in a breath as an attack came from her right. She evaded, dodging easily.
A man straightened. “Two.”
Jin started for Kira. Ki flashed bringing him to an abrupt halt.
Caius lowered his hand, the air above it still sparking from the outpour of soul’s breath. “Your opponent is me, remember?”
A tense moment passed.
Jin reversed direction, gliding slowly in Caius’s direction. “By all means. We shouldn’t disappoint those who came all this way to see us, should we, Nixxy?”
“No, we cannot.”
“Let’s give them a show, then.”
Kira settled into a defensive crouch. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
No wonder Finn hadn’t objected to Raider and Blue crashing their breakfast. He’d known this was coming.
She wouldn’t be surprised if the breakfast itself was a way of slowing her down.
