[Lavinia's POV—The Battle with the Iron Wall]
Steel screamed.
Fire burned.
Blood rained.
And General Luke's blade came down on mine like the wrath of a thousand storms.
CLAAAAANG!!!
The impact rattled through my bones, nearly tearing my grip open. Luke did not fight like a man. He fought like a fortress.
Cold.
Immovable.
Merciless.
He pushed me back a single step—but that single step felt like losing a mile. My boots skidded across the blood-soaked ground. I caught myself, spinning, letting the momentum of his strike propel me into a counterattack.
SWISH—!!!
My sword arced toward his ribs—but Luke caught it on the flat of his blade with terrifying ease.
"Is that all, Princess?" he growled. "Is this the Lioness of Eloria I heard of?"
I gritted my teeth, muscles straining.
"I don't roar," I hissed. "I bite."
I twisted, forcing my weight to the side—and slid out from under him. Luke's blade slammed into the ground, blowing dirt into the air.
I cut at his ribs—
