Santiago had time to give me a half-laugh before I kicked his legs out from under him, grabbed his wrist as he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, and wrenched it behind his back. When his face hit the ground, I was on him. My knee sunk into the small of his back. My grip on his arm had him at my mercy. “That’s eight times I’ve beat you.” I eased up on him. “Want to go for nine?”

“Shit.” His voice was muffled by the mat. “I didn’t even see you move.”

I grinned. “I know.” I’d moved fast. Not as fast as I could move, but fast enough to take him down without a real fight.

As soon as I stood up, Santiago flipped onto his back and groaned. “That was embarrassing.”

“Don’t feel bad.” I gave him a little nudge with my foot. “I’ve been practicing.”

“With who? I’m good. I can hold up against Ahiga, and no one else here can.”

I shrugged. “Roan.”

“Bullshit with Roan.” Santiago groaned again as he sat up. “No way Roan is that good.”

“He’s gotten better.” I’d trained him to be my sparring partner. It’d taken me years to get Roan to the point where he could keep up with me, but he couldn’t push me. He wasn’t Aunare. “Fighting with you was more like running drills than pushing myself, but there aren’t many people willing to really try sparring with me.” I held my hand out and helped him to his feet.

“How’d you do it?” Santiago looked me up and down. “I mean—you didn’t even sweat. You didn’t even really move much.”

He might’ve thought he’d been practicing, but his teacher had been total crap. “You give away everything you’re going to do.”

“No.” He rubbed the top of his head. “I do?”

I nodded.

“I didn’t see him telegraphing shit,” someone yelled behind me. “His fighting was legit.”

I slipped into teaching mode. I liked it almost as much as I loved sparring. “We’re going to try this again.”

“We are?” Santiago said, sounding worried.

I raised a brow at him. “Who’s chicken now?”

He rubbed the top of his head again. “Okay. Fine. Shit. I guess we’re doing this then.”

I almost laughed at his nerves. All the cockiness had drained from the man. “This time, watch closely as he tries to hit me,” I said to the crowd. “Watch his shoulder. His feet. Where does he put his weight? What muscles are tensing? You have to pay attention to every part of your opponent, even when you’re just sparring. Otherwise, when you’re in a real fight, you won’t be ready. That’s what training and practice are all about.” I waved Santiago forward. “Try something.”