Without thinking, I glanced in the direction she pointed.

And Faith lunged.

I jerked up, realizing what she was doing at the last second, and the other dragon slammed into me, knocking me off the edge. I tumbled to the floor, hitting the cement on my side, the impact driving the breath from me. Gasping, I struggled upright as Faith hit the ground a few yards away, landing as lightly as a cat. Her grin was cruel as she turned to face me, lashing a slinky tail against her flanks.

“You wanted me out in the open, Viper,” she taunted, as I growled and staggered forward, trying to ignore the dull ache in my side. “You wanted to face me one-on-one. Well, here I am. Are you ready?” She gave a weird little sidestep, her lithe body rippling like ink across the cement. “Here I come.”

And she surged forward, a dark blur over the floor. I barely had time to register she had moved when something hit my shoulder and sent a flare of pain up my leg. I snarled and lashed out with my claws, but Faith was already gone, skipping back out of reach, then darting in again. I managed to dodge the blow to my neck, feeling the tips of her claws rake along my scales, and sprang forward to sink my fangs into her throat. She sidled away, quick as a shadow, and slashed me across the face, rocking my head to the side. I stumbled, disoriented, felt something hook my front leg and yank it sideways. I lost my footing and crashed to the floor again, a breathless grunt escaping me as my chin struck the unforgiving concrete.

Ow. Crap, I’m getting my ass kicked here. Panting, I clawed myself upright, searching for the other dragon. She stood a few yards away, watching me with that amused smile across her narrow face, making my temper spike. She was toying with me, just like Lilith had.

“What’s the matter, Ember?” Faith asked, cocking her head like a curious dog. “I thought this was what you wanted. Are you saying you expected to be able to take on a Viper without finishing your training? If you had only stayed with Lilith, you might actually have had a chance.” She shook her head, narrowing her yellow eyes at me. “Are you ready to stop this, kill the soldier and return to Talon? Or am I going to have to tear you apart bit by bit?”

Dammit, she’s so fast. How do I counter it? Angrily, I thought back to the fight with Lilith, trying to think of anything that I could use. She’s quick, but she’s relying on speed to keep her out of danger. If I could get close, I might have a shot. I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Okay, then. Let’s do it. This is gonna hurt.