"Wonderful! It was really a great sparring match."
Amelia Frost's voice was as cheerful as ever, tinged with that distinct, sing-song tone that always made me suspicious she was plotting something.
I turned my head and spotted her standing just outside the sparring ring, a parasol perched over one shoulder, with her pink, short hair brushed behind her ear, She wore that innocent smile she was famous for, but her eyes—those pale green eyes—were as sharp as any blade.
"Lady Frost," I greeted with a polite nod, wiping sweat from my brow.
"Alice, you were incredible," Amelia continued, walking toward us in delicate strides, as if she weren't wearing heels on gravel. "But Julies…"
Uh-oh.
She stopped right in front of me and tilted her head.
"You surprised me."
"Did I?" I replied cautiously.
