BooksBarbecue
Back Seven Devils
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. 41.
  44. 42.
  45. 43.
  46. 44.
  47. 45.
  48. 46.
  49. 47.
  50. 48.
  51. 49.
  52. 50.
  53. 51.
  54. 52.
  55. 53.
  56. 54.
  57. 55.
  58. 56.
  59. 57.
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Eris bared her teeth, a gesture too devious to be called a grin. “Deal.”

Nyx waited for her to finish getting ready. They circled each other, slowly. Eris feinted first, a quick test jab. Too easy. Nyx barely had to move. She blocked the next punch.

“You’re weak at misdirection.” Nyx’s breathing had slowed. She felt tethered in her body again. There was only the fight. Eyeing her opponent, finding their weak point, and hitting it.

“Am I?” Was Eris . . . amused?

What in the seven devils?

Eris tried a few more punches. She was good. Fast, focused. She was someone who fought dirty.

Nyx could fight dirtier. She darted forward, tripping Eris just enough to throw her off balance, then pushed. Eris staggered back, but her face didn’t even register the pain. Did she even feel it? Eris caught herself and moved forward faster than Nyx expected, landing a hard hit on the soldier’s forearm. Nyx’s very bones seemed to shake.

“Not bad,” Nyx said, holding back a wince. “Where did you train?”

Another quick duck, a double jab that Nyx just managed to block. “None of your damn business.”

Eris spun into a high kick. Nyx ducked low, struck out and grazed Eris’s torso. Nyx prided herself on her prowess in hand-to-hand combat, but this woman was putting up a damn good fight.

Their pace increased. Punch after punch. Block after block. Nyx grabbed Eris’s arm but she twisted away, leaving scratches on Nyx’s still-tattooed forearm. Nyx didn’t even feel it. She snarled, landing three good punches in a row. Eris absorbed the blows without a sound. Where in the fucking Avern had this woman trained? Why had Nyx never heard of her?

Didn’t matter. Nyx had to be better. Eris tried to land a few of her own hits, but though she punched well for her size, they didn’t hurt Nyx at all. The Oracle might not be in her mind anymore, but one of the effects of old programming still lingered: dulled nociceptors. Her ability to feel pain was minimized. It was one of the few good things about having an AI mess with her brain.

Then everything changed—it was as if a switch flipped in the other woman. Nyx went in for a hit and missed. Again and again and again. Nyx’s speed had been lauded back on the training base, but Eris moved like smoke. Nyx would be certain she’d land a hit and strike nothing but air. Again. Air. Again. Air. Had Eris been toying with her?

Enough of this.

Nyx dodged another hit and lunged. She got a good hold on Eris and shoved her against the wall, dragging her up until her feet dangled six inches off the ground.

“Enough games,” Nyx growled. “Yield.”