“Your concentration is slipping,” she said, breathing hard as she watched me kneel, gasping, on the floor. “You should have seen that coming.”

I had, but my arm was going numb and slow from having been hit too many times. “I’m all right,” I wheezed. This was the first time I’d seen her break a sweat, and I wasn’t going to stop now. I shakily got to my feet and held up two fingers, then one. My hand went down, and she lunged with a supernatural quickness.

Alarmed, I blocked her vamp-quick blows, retreating off the mats and almost into the foyer. She grabbed my arm as I reached the threshold, flinging me over her and back onto the mats. My back hit with a thump, knocking the wind from me. I felt her feet padding after me. Adrenaline surged. Still not breathing, I rolled until I hit the wall. She was hot after me, landing to pin me there.

Eyes alight, she leaned over me. “Edden is a wise man,” she said between breaths, a strand of hair that had escaped her tie tickling my face. Sweat dampened her brow. “You should listen to him and leave Trent alone.”

“Et tu, brute?” I wheezed. Grunting, I jerked my knee up to her groin.

She sensed it coming and fell back. I had known she was too fast to let it land, but it got her off me—which was what I’d wanted.

Ivy stood her usual eight feet back and waited for me to rise. It was slower this time. I rubbed my shoulder as I took her in, avoiding eye contact to let her know I wasn’t ready.

“Not bad,” she admitted. “But you didn’t follow it up. Mr. Big Bad Ugly isn’t going to stand aside and wait for you to regain your balance, and neither should you.”

I gave her a weary look from around my red frizz of hair. Trying to keep up with her, much less best her, was hard. I’d never had to think about overcoming a vampire before since the I.S. didn’t send witches to tag them. And whatever else, the I.S. took care of its own, on or off the job. Unless they wanted you dead.

“What are you going to do?” she asked as I felt my ribs through my sweatshirt.

“About Trent?” I said, breathless. “Talk to him without Edden or Glenn knowing.”

Ivy’s rocking motion faltered. With a warning shout, she leapt forward.

Instinct and practice saved me as I ducked. She spun in a tight circle, and I jerked out of the way. Ivy followed with a series of blows that backed me to the wall. Her voice echoed against the empty walls of the sanctuary, filling it with sound.

Shocked at her sudden ferocity, I pushed myself from the wall and fought back using every trick that she had taught me. I became angry that she wasn’t even trying. With her vamp speed and strength, I was a moving target dummy.