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becausehethoughtithurtthefishtoomuch.Thoughtitwascruel.That’stheboyyourmasterhadyou kill. That is the measure of his cruelty. So how grand do you feel? How brave do you fashion yourself?”
    “Ididnotwanttokillhim.”
    “Oh,butwewanttokillyou,”Karnusrumbles.Henodstohiscousins.TwooftheBellonabreak
    branchesoffthetreesandtossthemtotheirkin.Theyhaverazors,butapparently,theywanttotake theirtime.
    “Ifyoukillme,therewillbeconsequences,”Isay.“Thisisnotasanctionedduel,andIamPeerless.
    I am protected by the Compact. This will be murder. The Olympic Knights will hunt you. Try you.
    Executeyou.”
    “Whosaidanythingofmurder?”Karnusasks.
    “YoubelongtoCassius,”Cagney’sfoxlikefacesplitswithasmile.
    “Today, you are protected by Augustus,” Karnus says. “His chosen boy. To kill you would mean war.Butnoonegoestowaroveralittlebeating.”
    Cagneyfavorsherleftleg.Kneeinjury.Acousinofhersleansonhisheels.Frightenedofme.The bigone,Karnus,squaresup,meaninghedoesn’tgiveapissaboutwhateverdamageIcandeal.Kellan smiles and stands relaxed. I hate those sort of men. Hard to judge. I calculate my chances. Then I remembermybrokenarm,myinjuredribs,andthecontusionovermyeye,andcutthosechancesin half.
    I’m scared. They cannot kill me, I cannot kill them. Not here. Not now. All of us know how this dancewillend.Butdancewedo.
    Karnussnapshisfingersandtheyrushtowardmeallatonce.IthrowthestoneintoCagney’sface.
    She goes down. I rush at Karnus, howling like a mad wolf, slipping past his first blow, and rage a flurry of strikes into his nerve centers, driving my elbow into his right bicep, rupturing tissue. He rocksback,andIpressintohim,usinghisbulktoshieldmefromtheothersandtheirsticks.Istripa stick away from one of the Bellona cousins, leveling her with an elbow to her temple. Then I turn, spinningthesticktowardKarnus’sface.Butit’sblocked.Somethinghitsthebackofmyhead.Wood shatters.Splintersdigintothescalp.Idon’tstumble.NotuntilKarnushitsmesohardinmyfacewith hiselbowthatatoothpopsout.
    Theydon’ttaketurnscomingonebyone.Theysurroundmeandtheypunishmewiththeefficiency oftheirdeadlyart, kravat .Theyaimfornerves,organs.Imanagetostand,hitafewofmyassailants.
    ButI’mnotlongonmyfeet.Someonejamstheirstickintomyskin,impactingthesubcostalnerve.I dripdowntothegroundlikemeltingwaxandKarnuskicksmeinthehead.
    Ibitethroughhalfmytongue.
    Warmthfillsmymouth.
    ThegroundisthesoftestthingIfeel.
    Chokingonsalt.
    Blood and air spray out of my mouth as Karnus puts his foot on my stomach, then throat. He laughs.“InthewordsofLornauArcos,ifyoumustonlywoundtheman,youbetterkillhispride.”
    Igurgleforbreath.
    CagneyreplacesKarnus,sittingonmychest,kneespinningdownmyarms.Isuckdownair.She
    smilesinmyfaceandlooksatmyhairline,lipspartedwithexcitementofdominatinganotherperson.
    Shetwistsmyhairintohergrip.Herhotbreathsmellslikespearmint.“Whathavewehere?”sheasks, pullingmydatapadfromitsplaceonmyarm.“Dammit.HehailedtheAugustans.I’drathernotfight thatJuliibitchwithoutmyarmor.”
    “Thenstopdawdling,”Karnusgrowls.“Doit.”
    “Shh,”shewhispersasItrytospeak,tracingaknifeovermylips,pushingitintomymouthtillthe brittlemetalclacksagainstmyteeth.“That’sagoodlittlebitch.”
    Roughly,shesawsoffmyhair.
    “Niceandquiet.GoodReaper.Good.”
    Blood stings my eyes as Karnus shoves Cagney off my chest, grabs me and hoists me off the groundwithhislefthand.Heflexeshisrightarm,cursingabouthisruinedbicep.Hecan’tpullitback to swing a punch, so instead he grins toothily at me and head-butts me once in the chest just at the sternum.Myworldrocks.There’sacrackle.Thesoundoftwigsoverafire.Iwheezeoutbubbling, inhumansounds.Karnushead-buttsmeagainandtossesmyachingbodytotheground.
    Ifeelwarmthsplashovermeandthesmellofpissclawintomynostrils.TheylaughandKarnus
    breathesintomyear.
    “Mother bid me to tell you: a pauper can never be a prince. Every time you look in the mirror,