Sumi gave him a dead stare. “Is there any piece of exercise equipment you don’t own?”

“How you think I stay so sexy?” He winked at her.

She laughed at his teasing tone. Yet he was right. The male was lickably hot. And she could easily imagine him in here with his friends as they trained.

“We’ll be using the Splatterdome,” Fadima said as she began stripping her clothes off to expose the skintight workout suit underneath. “Or ring, as it’s best known.” She grabbed a long staff and headed for the unpadded fighting area.

Sumi stripped down to her League undergarments. Dancer handed her a staff similar to the one his cousin had chosen. As she reached for it, Fain joined them.

“You need fuel to fight.” Fain handed her sausage muffins.

“Thank you.” Smiling, she took the small plate from his hand and ate the muffins while Dancer and his cousin explained the rules of her coming match.

Which basically had no rules other than kill your opponent honorably.

“You can never strike Dariana’s back,” Fadima warned. “Should you do so, the referees will wound you.”

Her eyes widened. “How so?”

“Depends on where and how hard you strike her. It could be a small penalty where they merely tie one of your limbs down or a larger one that would result in your being stabbed.” Fadima used her staff to illustrate the area on the back of her leg where they might cut her.

Yeah, okay. Sumi didn’t like these rules. Andarions really didn’t play.

“An accidental strike,” Fadima continued, “such as she’s turning, doesn’t count.” She hit her on the shoulder. She handed another staff to Dancer. “Let’s show her, cousin.”

Sumi almost choked on her muffin as the two of them went after each other like they were in a League death match or Andarion ring title fight. Fain handed her water while she watched them in awe.

Fadima made a strike at Dancer’s head that would have been lethal had it contacted. Luckily, he caught it and ducked.

“Anything frontal is permitted,” she explained. “The rule is your opponent must see the blow coming either dead on, or peripherally. Those are all legal blows.”

She held her staff up in both hands horizontally. “This is a request for a small time-out, as in you’ve been injured and need the break or sprain set. It only gives you three minutes.”

As she stepped away, Dancer feigned a strike to her shoulder. He looked at Sumi. “If you strike her once she’s requested a break, you will forfeit your weapon.”

He moved to Fadima’s back. “Any hits when she’s faced away from you are the ones you have to avoid.”

Sumi swallowed her food. “I wouldn’t make that strike anyway.”

“Yes, but…”