‘Good work, princess,’ piped Julis. ‘Next time, we will begin to mould your temper from a skewer-that-man-at-all-costs to more of a cold, calculating weapon.’
She admitted to herself he was no slouch and moved with far more speed and dexterity than she had expected. His quips and teasing had slipped seamlessly into serious instruction. Not once had he taken advantage of the close contact, not even when, alone with her in the building, he had demonstrated how easily she could be disarmed and locked helplessly from behind. The dismay at finding herself so vulnerable galvanised her. From then on, she had fought back furiously.
On the way to the kitchens, she detoured to check on Mikey, but the guards were absent and the door locked. He was likely having lunch with the physicians. In the pas
