Our blades screamed against each other, a shrill bite of steel on steel that rattled through my bones. The shock of his strength jolted down my arm, threatening to rip Silent Fang from my grip. I clenched harder, teeth grinding, refusing to give him that satisfaction.
Doran leaned in, close enough that I caught the faint musk of leather and smoke clinging to him. His grin was sharp enough to cut. "Better. But you're still fighting like a child throwing stones at a wolf."
I twisted my blade and shoved, trying to break the lock. He let it slip just enough, and I stumbled forward into the space between us—exactly where he wanted me.
His dagger snapped upward, faster than a blink.
I threw my weight back, Silent Fang scraping barely in time to turn the edge away from my throat. The impact sent sparks bursting into the dark, and the reverberation numbed my wrist.
