Page 125 of Phoenix Rise

I shot her a look.

“Well, that’s good,” Eli said.

“Very well.” Cass raised his sword. “Then, for today, let’s see if you can manage to get past my guard, and touch me with your free hand.”

Eli stood off to the side, and Cass faced up to me. My brain was way too busy—it was going to trip me up, and I knew it. It wasn’t Cass who came at me, but rather Eli from the side. And I reacted instantly, pivoting to deflect his sword.

Then Cass was in motion, a silver-gray blur, and I didn’t have time to think, only react. Somehow Talakai’s sword was always where I needed it to be.

The two Bellatis’ every move was graceful as well as lethal—I had little doubt they were finely controlled and highly trained killing machines. They used their swords to parry and thrust, but their free hands would dart in to touch the bare skin of my arms.

Every time, it tingled as they manipulated life energy to attack, but they were holding back.

“Stop tickling me,” I growled as Eli sent a pulse into my arm.

His eyes widened as he spun away and halted. Cass did as well. Their eyes flashed.

“We’re not holding back.” Cass advanced. “What are you feeling when we touch you?”

“It just kind of tickles,” I said.

“Sarrding hell,” Eli stated. “It doesn’t hurt at all?”

I stared at him. “No.”

Cass approached me. “Okay. We’ve been going light, but now I’m going to try to do damage. Let me know the moment it starts to hurt?”

I swallowed and nodded. He wrapped his hand around my forearm, and his dark brows drew down.

The tickling grew more pronounced as he pushed the energy into me. But the beast inside me lapped it up like candy. He ramped it up, and it just sucked it away.

His eyes rose to mine and widened. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“I can feel it,” Cara added. “She’s just absorbing it.”

“She’s immune to our power,” Eli said in a breathless voice.

Cass let me go. “That’s—impossible.”

“Apparently, not,” the Watcher pointed out. “You’ll have to find another way to win this bout.”

“Very well.” Cass swept his spiral sword into salute position, Eli mirrored him, and they came at me again. The two swirled around me, and I was kept scrambling, deflecting their blows. I sensed they were holding back, testing my ability, but not by much.

Then Eli bound my sword with his horn, twisted, and tore it from my grasp. Cass got in behind me to hold his weapon at my throat, with his other arm across my chest.

“Here is where your power comes into its own,” he said. “Grab hold, and let her rip.”

“But—”

“We need to know if you can hurt me, Anna. Do it.”

“With their ability to pull from the life essences, what you do should not be permanent,” Cara noted.

“Shouldis not a reassuring qualifier,” I said.

“I am here.” The Watcher leaned forward. “And this is vital for you to know.”

Vital? Then I thought of the Bellatis serving Galeran. I wrapped both hands around Cass’s arm. The beast inside me had liked what it had already tasted, and it wanted more. I set it free.

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