Chapter 27

• He gave me no pause after that, he advanced on me with lightning fast moves. I’d sparred with him a few times in the yard, but mostly to check form and not to try to take him out. It was time to step up and show him what I could do. I ducked his next swing and slid a few paces sideways to come up on his left side. I didn’t have the momentum to take his feet out from him, so I went for the bo instead. I managed to displace it from his grip, but he caught it before it hit the floor.
• Growling inside my head, I blew out a breath and hoped my anxiousness went with it. I needed cool and calculating right now, not haphazard swinging. I ducked his next few attempts, dropping my sword to the side, hoping to find an opening to get under his elbow as he went for another attempt. He knew my favorite move and was keeping his form tight and close to his body. That left no room to even attempt to unbalance him. I rolled away from another swing, making sure it placed my baton within my sight. I had wanted to do this without using my other skill, but this was the Captain of the guard and he knew all my moves.
• When he advanced again, I knocked the bo back with the sword and swooped in for a second move to unhinge his hold with one hand. Ducking down, I got the sword up near his arm and twisted it. It was just strong enough he released it. I backed up quickly and glanced at the baton, and lifting it with great speed, I sent it flying in his direction. It connected with his gut and hit him hard enough that his stance slumped with the force. I moved fast and knocked the bo from his hands, finishing off by holding the wooden tip against his throat.