Chapter Three
I felt like Hercules facing off against all twelve labors in the form of one man. Baros was massive, broad and strong. He and I circled each other in the small space. The room was sparse. There were bookshelves on the far wall opposite the window. A desk took up space on the left of us, Loren on the right.
“Guys—” Loren began, but was cut off when I reached for Baros’s right hand.
He blocked me with his left. Our hands did a windshield-wiping motion, making an arc. I cut through the arc, striking my hand in, and reached again for the ring. I got the tip of his index finger. I curled his finger inside my palm, but when I squeezed it back, his finger didn’t bend. In fact, he smiled at my attempt to inflict pain.
That should not have happened. Not if he was human.
We were s
