apart, revealing yet another hidden stairwell, and she darted up the stone steps.
“Bloody fuck, will you look at that?” Flynn elbowed Tobias in the ribs. “Are these stairwells hidden all throughout the labyrinth? I swear, you learn something new every day.”
Just as quickly as she had left, Leila returned, her arms filled with wooden staffs and parchment scrolls. “All right. Let’s get started.” She plopped her armload onto the floor. “Clear the area.”
Tobias dragged the debris down the tunnel, while Flynn kept his hands in his pockets, lazily kicking the chunks of charcoal. “You know, neither of you have asked about my time with Cosima.”
Leila sighed. “Yes, well, we have far more pressing concerns at the moment, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
“Well, it’s awfully rude. I feel slighted, really.”
“You can tell us all about the feel of Her breasts some other time,” she said.
Flynn froze. “Wait, I never said I felt Her breasts. I mean, I never said I didn’t either. I mean… Wait, what has She told you?”
Tobias groaned. “Will you just shut up?”
“I will not. Didn’t you two explicitly request my assistance?”
“Yes, and I’m regretting that decision,” Leila mumbled.
“And why are you helping him, anyhow?” Flynn crossed his arms. “Not that I’m against it. I’m rather fond of the poor bastard, myself. I’m just confused. Does Cosima not like Antaeus?”
“I don’t like Antaeus. To hell with Cosima.” Leila paused, reconsidering her words. “No disrespect, of course.”
As she sorted through her scrolls, Flynn turned to Tobias. “A bit high-handed, isn’t she?”
“First order of business: the advantage.” Leila plucked a scroll from the pile, unrolling it. “Judging by history, Antaeus will be selecting both his weapon and yours.”
“Fucking hell,” Tobias growled.
“This could certainly make training precarious, but fortunately for us, Antaeus is a predictable shit.” She scanned the scroll. “The man fights for glory. He will choose his weapon based on the roar of the crowd. Of course, the crowd doesn’t know a thing about fighting, so they will roar for whichever weapon appears the largest—the most gruesome.”
Dread lurched in Tobias’s gut. “You say this as if it’s a good thing.”
“Just because a weapon looks fierce doesn’t mean it’s the wisest decision. A gruesome weapon isn’t necessarily swift or maneuverable. But he’ll choose it anyway, because he’s stupid. And proud, but mostly stupid.” Leila situated herself at Tobias’s side, displaying her scroll. “These are his options. Which do you think he’ll choose?”
Tobias eyed renderings of swords and axes, imagining the havoc they could wreak on his body. He stopped at a weapon in the center of the page—a long, wooden staff wielding a massive, curved blade. “Good God…”
“The bardiche,” Leila said. “I thought the same. A Kovahrian weapon, hence the grim appearance. Lethal, but certainly a questionable choice for the arena.” She glanced over the other pictures. “And since he’s picking yours, we should prepare for that as well. Tell me, which weapon looks the most pathetic?”
Tobias stared at the bardiche for a second longer before studying the other weapons—so many sinister pieces, and he wouldn’t be fighting with any of them. A series of standard blades sat in the lower corner, some long and narrow, others hooked, and then there was a simple sword, short and uninspired. With a frown, he pointed its way.
Leila nodded. “The gladius of Northern Thessen. Still a fine weapon, but compared to the others, it’s a flaccid cock.” She waved her wrist. “It’s of no matter. You can kill a man with a gladius all the same.”
Flynn jutted his head between the two of them. “You know a lot about weapons for a woman.”
“How observant you are,” Leila said. “Next you’ll tell me my hair is brown.”
Flynn shrugged. “I thought it was black.”
“It’s brown.” Tobias glowered.
“Second order of business.” Leila tossed the scroll aside. “Assessing our opponent’s weakness. Antaeus is a professional fighter. He’s large, he’s strong—”
“None of these sound like weaknesses,” Tobias said.
“But that’s where it ends. He has build and brute force, and nothing more.”
“I do hate to be the withered tit, but isn’t brute force really all you need in a fight to the death?” Flynn added.
Leila shot him a scowl before focusing on Tobias. “You are smart. Creative. You can use this against him—turn his stupidity into a tactical disadvantage.”
Tobias sighed. “Apologies, but I’m failing to see how my creativity is an asset for tomorrow.”
“You’ll find opportunities. Take the arena, for example. It’ll be adorned in some way. In tournaments past there were glass walls, sinking sand. Once the men