Maris clapped his hands together then used his hip to bump Darling’s. “I finally get to wear bloodred into battle. And I look so smashing in red. Ooo, we must order those boots tonight. Only Andarions really know how to accessorize for war.”

Darling laughed and shook his head.

Sumi frowned over that comment. “Does it really matter what you wear to fight in?”

“Oh honey, of course it does. When you’re going to fight you have to be dressed to kill.”

They all groaned at the bad pun.

“Speaking of,” Dancer’s grandmother interjected. “I have commissioned Sumi the suit of a War Hauk for her match with Dariana.”

Hauk let out a sinister laugh at his grandmother’s actions. “That’ll piss her off.”

“As was my intent.”

Sumi sucked her breath in sharply as she passed an amused glance to Hauk. “Remind me to never get on your grandmother’s bad side.”

His yaya smiled at her. “You keep that light in Dancer’s eyes and you’ll never see the wrong side of my blade.”

“Okay, then,” Sumi said, stepping back. “Maybe I should go bathe the sweat off. I’ve heard that stralen heightens your senses. How you can stand to be near me right now after the way I’ve been sweating is beyond me.”

He nuzzled her neck playfully. “It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Glad to hear it, but it offends me.”

Laughing, Hauk reluctantly released her, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. However, he didn’t need an audience for the serious hard-on he was developing already. One that would only get worse the closer he stood to her.

He shifted his weight, hoping to disguise it before he glanced over to his cousin. “Does she need to continue?”

Fadima shook her head. “Honestly? No. We don’t want her sore for the match, and she’s amazingly honed for a human. I think it’s safe to say that Dariana will have met her equal for this.” She smiled at Sumi. “I can show her more moves tomorrow that will help. The gods know, she picks them up faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

That made him feel a lot better about it all. “Then have your shower, mia. We’ll have a hearty lunch when you get out.”

“Hearty?”

“Yes,” Maris said with a laugh, “you are correct to shudder whenever an Andarion uses that word with food. And it should be interesting. My husband is a chef who owns the premiere restaurant in Perona. Can’t wait to hear his review of whatever it is Hauk plans for lunch. It’s always fun, as long as you’re not the one who cooked it.”

Shaking her head at them, Sumi left and went to Dancer’s bedroom alone.

She hadn’t been kidding about her stench. Yuck! It was the only thing she hated about working out.