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His eyes narrowed. “Did you just hit yourself with your own sword?”
“Not intentionally,” I grumbled.
Of all the reactions to my statement that I could have imagined, I’d never thought he’d laugh. And not in a mocking way, not with an edge of schadenfreude…but with true delight warming his eyes, as if I’d just given him a precious gift.
And, God, that laugh of his did incredible things to my insides. I stared at him with unfettered hunger, wanting to kiss the corners of his mouth, chase that brilliant smile.
His gaze fell to my lips, his pupils dilating. There was a bite to his energy, and his fingers tightened on my shoulders.
I tensed, hoping against hope that he’d lean down just a little, close that distance between us, and claim my mouth.
Slowly, he took one hand off my shoulder and brought it up to my face. I only noticed he’d summoned a cloth when he gently dabbed it against my lower lip, sparking a zing of pain.
“Sorry,” he murmured when I jerked away. “You had a little blood there.”
I touched my mouth, my fingers coming away with a bit of red on them.
“The wound’s already closed.” He handed me the cloth.
“Thank you.” I wiped my mouth with it, disappointment and embarrassment mingling inside me.
“Maybe we should switch to a weapon of closer range,” he said and unsheathed one of the daggers strapped to his thighs. Flipping it so his fingers grasped the black blade, he held it out to me. “I have a feeling you’ll do great with a short sword or a dagger. Your smaller size gives you an edge in terms of speed and agility. You should capitalize on it.”
I put the sword away and took the dagger from him instead, the iridescence of the dark metal catching my eye. I frowned, a throb of pain forming behind my forehead. Had I seen this somewhere before? The color of the blade was uncommon, most of the weapons here in Heaven made from the silver-gleaming titanium that featured in our armor as well.
Aziel watched me with a curious glint in his eyes, then he sheathed his sword, raised his hand, and beckoned me to him. “Come at me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You haven’t drawn a weapon.”
“Do you think I need one?”
Exhaling through my nose, I muttered, “Probably not.” Given what I’d seen from him so far, he could likely crush me in a single move with his bare hands.
And no, that thought should not make my nipples stand at attention. I had a serious problem here.
“All right, here goes.” Grasping the hilt of the dagger tighter, I charged him.
He evaded my attack with a fluidity that should be illegal, and I stumbled past him, not adjusting my movement quickly enough.
“Again,” he said and crooked his finger at me. “But watch me closely while you charge. Notice any change in my stance, any small tells that might indicate which way I’ll move. And then adapt to whatever I’m doing.”
“Easier said than done,” I grumbled, but I did attack him once more.
This time, I got closer to him, almost nicking the side of his armor.
“Keep coming,” he said. “Keep charging me until I tell you to stop.”
And so I did. We fell into an almost dance-like give-and-take of movements as I tried to strike him with the dagger, a graceful sway and flow of our bodies—yes, graceful, even on my part, much to my surprise. He was very much in control of the entire thing, not once even the slightest bit cornered by me. Even though he was on the defense, it didn’t feel like it, but rather as if he was orchestrating our moves, always ten steps ahead of me.
I guessed I should have stuck with that chess club in high school; then I might have had a bit more strategic thinking?—
Wait.
Chess club? High school?
My steps faltered as confusion swept over me, my muscles slackening, my mind overwhelmed by the vaguest inkling about something I shouldn’t know. Slivers of memory sliced through my head, the beginnings of a pounding ache behind my temples making me stumble.
My back met the smooth wall of the cave as Aziel took full advantage of my lapse of attention, having wrenched the dagger from me. I gasped at the juxtaposition of the cool stone at my back and the whirring heat of his body at my front.
