blow and blocked the next.
“Why doesn’t he hit back?” Xavier asked with urgency. “He can hit harder than that. He’s faster!”
“He is adaptive, no?” the Shadow Lord asked from Xavier’s other side. “He’s learning?”
“Yes,” Shanti said to the Shadow Lord, her eyes not leaving the fight. She held her breath as Kallon advanced. She knew the move; he was stabbing with all his power in one tiny spot on his opponent’s shield, hoping to shatter the barrier then rake the mind, while using a circular bodily attack. It was much more effective with a sword, but the opposite style in head and body confused the mind into making mistakes. Shanti used the same move, and she had learned it from Kallon.
“He never charges me; he always waits until I attack him.” Shanti leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her crossed legs. “Annoying.”
Cayan warded off another series of attacks, blocking and moving expertly. Anyone could see that he wasn’t engaging on purpose. Tingles worked through Shanti’s body. She wondered what he planned to do. He’d never done this with her. He’d always fought back. “It’s like I don’t know these men.”
“They each drop their bravado with you, Chulan. They just fight. Here…” Rohnan let his words travel away.
“They are sizing up their dicks,” Mela said, leaning forward. Sayas laughed next to her.
“Do you see how he is slowing his movement, Xavier?” Shanti asked as Cayan warded off another series of attacks. “He is deliberately allowing his opponent to see his moves, just to see how he reacts. I don’t advise this unless you are absolutely certain you have the upper hand. You do that with someone like Cayan, and he’ll use it against you and kill you before you realize he’s playing you.”
“Will Kallon know what he’s doing?” Xavier asked.
“He knows. He is doing the same thing while trying to weaken Cayan’s mental power. He’s playing for time. He doesn’t realize Cayan’s strength.”
“Here we go,” a male voice said behind them.
“The Captain just got serious,” Rohnan murmured. “I do not envy Kallon what is going to come next.”
No one did. In a heartbeat Cayan was done with his learning. He was on the offensive, his movements speeding up to his normal pace, his punches and kicks harder, and his body taking on that liquid grace he was known for. It was now Kallon who was trying to turn defensive measures into attacks.
“He is fast,” someone breathed.
“Yes, for such a big man,” someone else added.
The crowd sucked in a breath as one of Cayan’s punches landed in Kallon’s side. The breath whooshed out of his lungs and his eyes took on a crazed look. He was probably bashing Cayan mentally to buy himself a second. Cayan shook his head, his brow furrowing, trying to push his physical advantage but needing to spend more effort mentally.
“Kallon is at full power. He is no longer taking Captain’s measurements,” Tanna said behind Shanti.
Kallon held back a little, doing with Cayan what he’d always done with Shanti. “There. Now. Let’s see what Cayan does,” she said.
Cayan advanced. He was power and strength, ready for the other man to submit. A pulse of pure thunder ripped from him, blasting the other man with such force that Kallon stepped back. The crowd shriveled together, feeling the blast themselves, trying to block as a group.
Cayan’s body launched at the other man, another pulse shooting out, the crowd groaning right along with Kallon. Everyone reached for each other, wanting to connect and merge power, needing to fortify their shields. Weed was produced quickly, everyone who had it taking a bite to ease the pain—the burning and stomach churning was better than a blast of Cayan’s might.
Cayan started landing punches, hard strikes to meaty areas, bruising tissue and bone, all easily healed with time and Marc’s remedies. Shanti’s power surged and boiled, wanting release, reaching for Cayan, wanting to merge with him and fight together.
Kallon backed across the clearing, unable to fight back, or to retreat from both the physical and mental assault, outmatched in both. He took a knee and put up his hands, trusting Cayan to stop his advance. Cayan did, standing over the other man panting, worn out and worked hard.
“Our Captain is scary, right?” Rachie said from somewhere with pride in his voice. “I’m right to be scared shitless of him!”
Kallon stood slowly and rolled his shoulders. He put a hand to his side. “At least you don’t bite.”
“Don’t drag me into this!” Shanti said as she