“I know exactly how you fight. I taught you half of what you know!”

She laughed, returning the sly smile.

She drew her right foot behind her left and lifted her fists.

“Are you stalling?” She arched a brow. “Afraid to hit a girl?”

Odrin started to shout something as the reevers burst into excited applause as if at a sporting match. The cackles and amusement that erupted from the surrounding reevers egged her on. She hoped he could feel the twinkle in her eye as she challenged him. He slowly raised his own hands, curled to throw a punch. He tilted his head to one side.

“Fine. Dance with me,” he tempted.

She unleashed the first blow—a kick to his chest. He caught her foot as it made purchase and twisted her leg, spinning her into the air. She stayed true to form as she swiveled, not fighting the movement. She flowed with the rotation and landed on both of her feet like a cat, one hand to the earth to balance her. Her land was graceful and as feline as every other element of her battle strategy.

Staying low, Amaris made a sweep for his shins that rolled into an uppercut. The red-haired faeling jumped over her sweep, but her fist made contact with his jaw. She felt the impact ripple through her arm, hurting her knuckles slightly as a slip of air escaped her lips against the pain.

She could tell Ash’s vision danced as he stumbled backward, shaking stars from his eyes. Amaris didn’t give him the time he needed to catch his breath. She went in for another swift kick. Ash dropped back and to one knee, opening up his side so her foot found only air. He grabbed her leg from beneath and had her on the ground, facing the wrong direction. She was quick to her feet in the cloud of dust, but from his advantageous position, he was faster.

Amaris attempted to grunt in a twist, voice pitched against impending panic, but he had her in a lock.

It took half a heartbeat for his arms to grip her. Holding her from behind in a split second, he had one arm around her neck in the crease between his bicep and forearm, the hand from his other arm grasping the elbow into the sleeper hold.

Her eyes went wild, and in a frenzied final attempt to free herself, she moved her hips to the side just enough to thrust the heel of her hand into his manhood. Ash gasped and released his grip in pain and shock. The watching male crowd either laughed or barked at the cheap shot as she kneed him again, sending him to the ground. She didn’t waste a second as she crossed to him, kneeling over her kill.

Her knee stayed on his throat as he stared up at her from his place on his back.