Grim’s instincts kicked in before his conscious mind could process the danger. He dove sideways, rolling smoothly across the stone floor as a blast of fire scorched the air where he’d been standing. Heat washed over him, intense enough to singe the edges of his white robes.
"Still as predictable as ever," he said, rising to his feet with Echo still secure at his side. "Twelve years, and you still think setting people on fire is an appropriate greeting you pyromanic bitch."
A figure erged from the shadows, crimson flas dancing between her fingertips. Lianna stood before him, tall and athletic in a fitted tunic and breeches that emphasized her lean build. Her red hair was pulled back in a practical braid, freckles stark against her pale skin. The thin-frad glasses she wore did nothing to diminish the intensity of her green eyes.
"And you’re still a smug little nuisance," she replied, extinguishing the flas with a flick of her wrist. "Though not so little anymore, I suppose."
Grim eyed her up and down, his expression deliberately unimpressed. "You, on the other hand, are still as flat-chested as the day I left. So things never change."
A flicker of genuine annoyance crossed her face before her lips curved into a dangerous smile. "At least I didn’t spend twelve years hiding like a scared rabbit, Water Boy."
"Miss , did you?" Grim asked, leaning casually against the tunnel wall.
"Like a persistent rash," Lianna replied, but there was a hint of sothing almost fond beneath the sarcasm. "The palace was certainly quieter without your constant whining."
"And yet here you are, seeking out before my match." Grim’s tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "Why the dramatic entrance? The finger snap was a bit much, even for you."
"Old habits," she said with a shrug. "I needed to make sure you were paying attention."
"To what? Your continued inability to properly ambush soone?"
"To the fact that you’ve stepped into a nest of vipers, you absolute idiot." There was genuine concern beneath the insult. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done by returning so publicly? The noble houses are in uproar. And Terras is calling for your head on a spike."
"So, business as usual then."
"This isn’t a joke, Grim." Lianna stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Things have changed since you left. Alliances have shifted. The balance of power is more precarious than you realize."
"I’ve been gone, not blind," Grim replied. "Yongrun made sure I was kept inford."
Lianna’s eyebrows rose. "Yongrun? The Colere master?" She looked him up and down with newfound interest. "So that’s where you’ve been all this ti."
"You were watching?"
"Everyone was watching. You made quite the spectacle." She tilted her head, studying him. "The Celestial Mist techniques. Your grandfather’s style."
"You did pay attention during our lessons," Grim remarked, a hint of approval in his voice.
"More than you did," she shot back.
The tournant official who had been waiting nearby cleared his throat nervously. "Lord Ambrose? Your match begins in five minutes."
Grim nodded acknowledgnt, then turned back to Lianna. "As delightful as this reunion has been, I have a match to win."
Lianna reached out, grabbing his arm with surprising strength. "Be careful with how much you show today," she said, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "There are eyes on you that see far more than most."
"Concerned for my welfare? How touching."
"Concerned that you’ll get yourself killed before I have the chance to kick your behind in the finals," she corrected, releasing his arm. "I’ve been training for twelve years too, you know."
"You’re competing?" Grim asked, genuine surprise breaking through his carefully maintained attitude.
"And you’re good enough to make it to the finals?" Grim couldn’t quite keep the skepticism out of his voice.
Fire flared in Lianna’s palm again, hotter and more controlled than the blast she’d greeted him with. "I’m ranked in the top 10 in the Empire! Unlike you, I didn’t waste my childhood playing pranks and getting into trouble."
"Boring childhood, got it," Grim replied, but there was a new respect in his eyes as he studied the fla in her hand. The control was impressive, the heat precisely maintained without wasted energy.
[She’s not exaggerating,] the voice in his head comnted. [That level of fire control requires exceptional skill. She’s been busy while you were away.]
"The match in Arena Three is about to begin!" a herald’s voice rang out, echoing down the corridor. "Lord Grim Van Ambrose versus Master Jin Tao of the Eastern Provinces!"
"That’s my cue," Grim said, stepping away from the wall. "Try not to get eliminated before I have a chance to humiliate you properly in the arena."
"Typical Water Boy," Lianna said, rolling her eyes. "Still thinking you’re the center of the universe."
"Because I am," Grim replied with a wink.
"Just watch yourself out there," Lianna said, suddenly serious again. "Jin Tao’s techniques are unusual. He manipulates the weight and density of his weapons in combat."
"Scouting my opponents for ? I’m touched."
"Making sure you live long enough for to beat you myself," she corrected, but there was sothing almost like concern in her eyes. "Don’t underestimate him."
Grim touched the wrapped sword at his side. "I never underestimate an opponent. One of the few useful things Yongrun taught ."
"Lord Ambrose!" the tournant official called, more insistent now. "We must proceed imdiately!"
"Go," Lianna said, stepping back into the shadows. "Show them what the great Grim Van Ambrose can do." Despite the sarcasm in her words, there was a hint of expectation there too.... Almost as if she genuinely wanted to see him succeed.
"Try not to burn down the stands while you’re watching," Grim replied. "Your control always was garbage when you got excited."
"How charming," she said pleasantly, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
As he walked toward the bright sunlight of the arena, Grim couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of familiarity. Twelve years gone, and within minutes, he and Lianna had fallen right back into their old patterns. The insults, the competition, the grudging respect beneath it all.
So things did change, he reflected. Lianna was clearly no longer the gangly, temperantal girl he’d known. She’d grown into her power, and developed her skills.
But so things stayed the sa.
As he approached the arena entrance, Grim unwrapped Echo, the blade gleaming in the shaft of sunlight that penetrated the tunnel. The familiar weight in his hand centered him, reminding him of everything he’d learned, everything he’d lost, everything he’d co back to reclaim.
[Your opponent awaits,] the voice reminded him. [Focus now. Reunions later.]
"I’m always focused," Grim replied silently, rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension Lianna’s surprise appearance had created.
He stepped into the sunlight, squinting slightly as the roar of the crowd washed over him. His na was announced, echoing across the massive space. Thousands of eyes fixed on him.
Across the arena, his opponent waited. Jin Tao was a slender man, with a shaved head and a serene expression that belied the half-dozen strange, curved blades hovering in the air around him. "Earth manipulation," Grim noted to himself.
As Grim took his position, Echo held loosely at his side, he allowed himself a small smile. Lianna had been right about one thing. This wouldn’t be as easy as yesterday’s match against Verin.
Good. He was tired of easy.
The tournant official raised his hand, the crowd’s roar intensifying in anticipation.
"Begin!"
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