The tension in the arena thickened as Marionette Florence lowered her raised hand, the eerie stillness returning to her posture.
Aiden leaned forward, watching carefully.
Xihir had managed to break free of her control, something no one had ever seen before. But he wasn't celebrating. He wasn't rushing to attack.
He was waiting.
Smart, Aiden thought.
But Marionette was smarter.
Xihir moved first, vanishing in a blink. His speed wasn't supernatural, but his footwork was perfect. He wove through the battlefield with precise, fluid steps, circling Marionette in an erratic, unpredictable pattern.
Marionette didn't react.
Her hands remained delicately clasped in front of her, long lashes lowered as if she found his efforts boring.
But Aiden knew better.
She wasn't underestimating him, but instead, she was calculating.
Xihir leaped forward, testing her reach, and the moment his foot touched the ground...
He stopped.
