Chapter 199: The Dance of Steps
The air between them thickened with quiet challenge. Around the field, the sounds of wooden blades clashing and trainees grunting faded into the background hum of Nightshade's morning rhythm. Snow drifted lazily between shafts of sunlight, and Orion's smirk deepened as the leather ball rolled once more beneath his boot.
Sophia folded her arms and tilted her head. "Are you going to cheat this time?"
Orion's chuckle was low and brief, the kind that carried a spark of amusement and something else—something warm. "No cheating," he said, nudging the ball lightly with his foot.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"I swear," Orion told her. "There will be no cheating this time. This game's going to be a little different."
Her brows lifted, suspicion mingling with curiosity. "Different how?"
He gestured to the wooden sword still clutched in her hand. "Drop the weapon first."
Sophia blinked. "You're telling me to drop my weapon?"
"Yes."
