CHAPTER 72As he had in the Great Hall, Adroyan moved forward not only without warning but very quickly. This time however, Esyal was prepared. She made no wild swings with either of her weapons but simply stepped forwards and sideways, away from the arcing line of the slashing attack and towards her opponent. At the same time she extended the machete straight towards his throat — simple, direct and deadly.
Except that this time it was Adroyan’s wiser reflexes that saved him. His head jerked back violently, but the rest of him was still travelling forward and he crashed backwards heavily on to the floor in a whirling confusion of after-images. Esyal’s intense focus cut clean through them, the machete leaving its own trail, like a silver spear, moving unerringly towards his throat. It was n
