Master and bodyguard (3)

Erin Starlance

 

Raphael was already beginning to recover from the blow I had delivered to his stomach as I resumed my stance, preparing for another attack. I knew I couldn't afford to let him catch his breath or regain his focus. Any pause, even a fleeting one, could prove fatal for me.

 

In this duel, I had almost no advantages—this much was painfully clear to me.

 

My lord surpassed me in nearly every aspect I could bring to the table. His magic, deviant as it was, was wielded with an elegance and mastery that few could hope to match. Even Lady Aurora herself had called him a genius. His swordsmanship stood leagues above his peers, even among the esteemed members of the Earhart family. His intellect, keen insight, and his recently acquired elements of the Third Patriarch's fencing style made me gulp involuntarily.