(This was meant for my newest book! Please don't unlock!!)
Morning sunlight streamed through tall windows as steel rang against steel. In Nightshade Manor's training salon, Kieran moved with fluid grace, parrying his father's attack with precise timing.
"Good," Lord Nightshade approved, pressing forward with a series of swift strikes. "Remember—an assassin's best advantage is invisibility. The blade is merely the conclusion."
Kieran sidestepped a thrust, countering with a movement that nearly breached his father's guard. "But when confrontation becomes unavoidable, preparation determines survival."
"Precisely," his father agreed, increasing the tempo of his attacks. "A prolonged fight represents failure of planning, but we must prepare for all contingencies."
