25
Meet-Up
Raedrick spun as quickly as he could, dropping his torch to the ground and withdrawing the longsword from his belt in one smooth draw as he rose to his full height. In that half-second he forced himself to calm and focused. He could not win, not alone. But he could go down fighting.
His brain fully registered the voice that had spoken at the same instant he completed the turn, and he brought his sword down. He felt the embarrassed scowl growing on his face before he could stop it.
Julian grinned back at him, amused.
“Hi, Rae,” he said, eyes flicking up and down over Raedrick’s form. “A little jumpy, aren’t you?”
Raedrick let out his breath in a rush, letting the last of his tension flow from his body with it. He let his shoulders sag as he grounded the point of his sword,
