Page 54 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Come on, piccola,” Max teased. “I want to see how strong you’ve gotten.”

“I don’t want to spar with you, Max.”

I whispered in her ear. “You should fight him.”

Her eyes flicked up to mine. “He’s injured. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

“Exactly,” I said, smirking.

She paused for a moment before a smile spread across her face. “All right. I’ll spar with you. First one to the ground loses.”

“Agreed.” He hopped back down to the grass and got into his fighting stance.

Before she followed, I put my hands on her shoulders and leaned in close. “You know how Ryuji always feints left, and then goes for a jab on the other side?”

She nodded.

“He does that, too. Once his shoulder drops, don’t fall for it. It’ll be hard for your arms to reach his face because he’s tall, like us, without getting in really close, and then he’ll have the advantage. Sweep his legs, or rush him, and you’ll knock him off guard.”

She cracked her knuckles and narrowed her eyes. “Got it.”

In the open space of the grass, they lined up across from one another. Leona took the stance I taught her, and I had to hold the smile back from my face. She was going to destroy him.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready.”

“Begin,” I said.

She immediately began moving, circling him like she were searching for prey. She kept her head level, her shoulders loose. She wasn’t even warmed up, and she looked like a viper ready to strike.

He lunged first with a quick jab, and she smacked his hand away easily. He frowned, but reset quickly, and then started mirroring her movements around the grass. They got close enough to exchange a few punches, but she always dodged out of the way before he could land anything. After a few minutes, it became crystal clear she was leagues faster than him, and he seemed surprised at her stamina.

Finally, he did exactly as expected. He dropped his shoulder like he was about to throw a cross, and she instantly reacted. Her sidekick caught him in the stomach, and he flailed backwards, which gave her the perfect opportunity to catch a jab across his cheek. It knocked him backward, and he fell flat on his ass. His arms sprawled outward like he was a starfish, and he stared at the sky while trying to catch the breath she had just knocked out of him.

She laughed and looked at me. I gave her my widest smile back. She truly was remarkable. Quick on her feet. Fast-thinking. Max might have been injured and had the disadvantage from the start, but her skills were apparent—especially through her precise control of her body.

“That’s what you get for underestimating me,” she said, looking down at his supine figure. “Idiot.”

She turned on the ball of her foot and hopped up to the deck. After rising on her tiptoes to give me a kiss, she walked inside without looking back.

Max stared at the sky, trying to catch his breath, while I held back my laughs.

“You knew she’d wipe the floor with me,” he finally said with a groan as he sat up.

“Of course she would,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “You are beat to shit. She was trained by the Shadows. Even at your best, she would have knocked you on your ass.”

He braced his elbows on his knees while he looked out at the forest, but said nothing.

“I wonder how much stronger she’d be if someone had taken her seriously earlier in her life,” I mused.

He flinched. “I know.”

I crouched down in front of him. “You don’t know. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Max. You told her how you could have killed her many times, but chose not to. If you wanted her dead, she would be.” His eyes slowly moved to lock on mine. “The opposite is true. She could have killed you dozens of times over, but you’re only alive because she let you live.”

He let out a heavy sigh through his nose. “Guess we’re two peas in a pod, then.”

My eyes narrowed. “Stop underestimating her. And let me make this clear: Ryuji may be the only one threatening you openly, but if you make her cry again, Ciel will strangle you with his garrote until blood spills from your eyes, I will pull your lungs through your back, and we’ll both string you from the ceiling.”