BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

she expected, Shift called them back to their feet.  "Ok, pair up.  Riblour with Saong, Kinetry with Luxx," he said, "and Zep, if you can run through Luxx and Kinetry?"
    The human nodded, one of his tiny, shoulder length braids blowing across his eyes, but he ignored it. 
    Sal moved to where he gestured, away from the other pair.  In the distance, yet another Black Blade watched their group, leaning against the base of a tree.  Evidently, she'd become a spectacle.
    "Here's the deal," Zep said sternly, demanding her attention.  "You will fight.  If I believe that one of you is about to be irreparably harmed, I will stop you with the command 'hold'.  Full contact is expected.  A blow that should kill you will be declared by myself, otherwise, you will fight until one of you surrenders.  The winner wins.  The loser is the one dead or the quitter.  Understood?"
    Kinetry nodded, but Sal had to know, "Any weapon limitations, sir?"
    Emotion finally found it's way to Zep's face, a glimmer in his eye told her she'd asked the right question.  "None," he said.  "Just like real combat."
    She turned, removed her cap, and lay her weapons out for easy access, keeping an ear on her opponent.  Kinetry, across from her, did the same, glancing up every few steps.  When she approved of her spacing, Sal turned to Zep, waiting for a sign to begin the combat.  His brown eyes studied her briefly before returning to watch Kinetry's broad back. 
    As the recruit turned, Zep said calmly, "Lay on."
    Kinetry sprang into motion.  Dropping to his knees, he grabbed a spear, and thrust at her.  He was slow – strong, but slow.  Without reaching for her own weapons, Sal stepped to the side, watching how he placed his feet, smelling his nervousness, but holding her instincts in check.  Kinetry circled to match her.  His heels crushed the grass as he moved, his knees too tense.  When she made no attempt to attack, he began poking at her with the wooden spear.  Its head was round but solid, and would hurt if it connected. 
    Sal watched how his face changed before the real strike came and shifted casually to the right, grabbing the spear with both hands.  Growling, she pulled in the direction of his thrust.  It sailed harmlessly past her hip and out of his grasp, surprising the man with how easily she'd just disarmed him. 
    Frantic, he hurried back to his stash of weapons for a wooden sword.  Sal kept her attention on him as she returned to her own pile for something her size.  She found a practice knife.  Placing it in her belt, she just waited, still squatting. 
    Kinetry rushed her.  Rolling, she snaked her hand out and grabbed the butt of her spear.  Resting the point on the ground, the shaft served as a shield for the wild blows her opponent threw.  With so little control, it didn't take long for his arms to tire.  That's when she lifted the tip and yanked it sideways, knocking his feet out from under him.  He hit hard, but she had to gain control of the weapon before she could finish him.  Moving up the shaft, she placed her body midway along the length of it.  She found the balance just as the recruit flung himself to his feet. 
    Not daring to waste the chance, she shoved the point at his unprotected chest.  The round, wooden tip struck hard, knocking him back into the dirt.  A true spear would have impaled a man with that force.  Sal waited to hear her victory called.
    "Light.  A wound," Zep said instead.
    Shocked, she missed her chance to point the tip at Kinetry again.  He'd already found his feet, and with unexpected force, he swatted the spear from her hands.  She retreated, dodging the rest of his blows with ease.  Twisting out of his way, she found herself among his weapons.  A staff lay at her feet, begging for her attention, so she took it and countered blow for blow.  Each time he left an opening, she scored a hit: his thigh, a hand, his ribs.  Bruised and winded, Kinetry powered on with sheer