Fahon's gray eyes shot open. He sat straight as an arrow in bed and pushed the blankets off him. Did he have a nightmare? A sense of urgency and fear wracked his mind, and he was breathing heavily.

Divinity was levitating above him, chirping and squawking frantically.

Are you warning me?

After rubbing the grogginess away, Fahon focused on his enhanced senses.

His quarters were large with a tall ceiling. Light fixtures dangled, and fans spun quietly in the dark above. The open floor was lined with polished hardwood, smooth and glassy. Furnishings were sparse, consisting of a comfortable gray rug, a few couches and chairs, and a modest-sized wardrobe. His bed sat close to the far wall, besides sliding glass doors leading out onto the balcony. One door was opened slightly, letting in a soft breeze from outside.

With razor-sharp hearing, he picked out a pattering sound: footsteps on the roof. Eyes widening, Fahon leaped out of bed. He was barefoot, wearing nothing more than gray sweatpants. Hustling, he threw the door and slid the screen open, stepping onto the balcony, awash in Haven's saffron planet light.

How did they get past security and onto the roof? Could this be a test from Vivana?

He probed with his Bond-sense for the vibrations of a Bond-link. Both of his eyes widened the moment he sensed it.

The stranger on the roof was Bonded.

Fahon Phase-jumped, a flash of blue in the dark, landing on the rooftop, bare feet scraping against the rough tiles. Soon as he landed, he reached out mentally, trying to initiate a Bond-sync with the stranger. They repulsed his attempt, throwing the connection back in his face.

Fine.

As they approached, he could finally make out their appearance. A familiar figure in a slim blue suit stood facing him, a red and white striped Caster trailing behind.

"Kormel?" Fahon called out.

The Syndicate enforcer stopped a few meters ahead. He crossed his arms and smirked at Fahon.

This made no sense. Fahon didn't expect ever to see the man again. "How did you get out of prison?"

Kormel cracked his neck, two wicked red crystalline scimitars warping into his hands.

"Are you possessed or something? Look…If you're after Arik, he isn't here."

The enforcer spun his blades in anticipation. "I wouldn't risk my life attacking Drakk Palace for that trash. No, I'm here for your life, Inheritor."

Fahon's fingers twitched. He wanted to summon his katana. Doubtless, it would only escalate things. It didn't make any sense for a Syndicate enforcer to attack him. It was worth trying to talk Kormel down first.

"Is this revenge for what happened in the park? You're after the wrong person. Vivana is the one who beat you. Good luck killing her."

"The witch will get what's coming for her eventually." Kormel held his chin high. "You, unfortunately, have to come first."

Fahon shook his head. "Killing me is another huge mistake. This time you'll rot in prison and never be freed."

"We'll see."

Kormel crossed his blades in front of him. He dashed, engaging Fahon with a slash from both weapons at the same time. While sparring with Vivana, Fahon had seen this type of attack at least a dozen times. He dropped in a low crouch, letting the blades sail over his black hair. His leg lashed out to sweep Kormel off the roof. With surprising grace, the Syndicate enforcer front flipped over it and chopped with both hyper-sharp scimitars in a wide arc.

Fahon summoned a blue katana and thrust it upwards, stopping the curved blades before they flayed him. He strained against Kormel's sudden falling weight, barely getting his feet under him. Using the strength of his legs, he pushed, throwing the scimitars back and causing Kormel to stumble precariously on the roof's edge.

An opening!

Fahon lunged with the katana to plunge it into Kormel's stomach. With the sudden fear of killing the man, he balked at the last second, turning the blade aside and allowing Kormel to slip away unharmed.

Kormel batted the katana aside with one sword and slashed at Fahon's face with the other. Fahon jerked his head back in the nick of time. The hyper-sharp edge sliced open his cheek, leaving behind a crimson line. Wincing, Fahon Phase-jumped and landed at the edge of the roof.

Kormel stalked forward on the roof's peak, twirling his scimitars confidently. "You don't have the guts to kill anyone."

I had him. Blast it. I had him.

As blood trickled down Fahon's cheek, he evaluated his situation. The truth was, he could have been better than Kormel. It stung his pride. He had to be realistic. This wasn't a tourney fight where you gave it your best and could walk away with a lesson learned. Kormel intended to kill him. If Fahon couldn't outfight him right now, perhaps he could outthink him.

He had the terrain as his first advantage. Meaning he knew the palace and its grounds better than Kormel. Also, he had palace security as his second. They could rush to his aid and give him the numbers advantage.

Kormel moved to engage again. He was nearly as fast as Vivana. The reaction time with his Bond-sense is uncanny. Fahon hurled a half dozen blue Phasematter bolts at him, his newest trick, thanks to Vivana's training. Kormel whipped his twin red scimitars in a whirlwind, deflecting the barrage of bolts aside with relative ease.

I need to get him away from the palace. Alert the guards.

The Sovereign's apartments, whose roof he was upon, were in the west wing of Drakk Palace. Below sprawled the meditation garden. The path in its center led out to the recreation building, containing the gymnasium and pool house. Beyond the recreation building was the black iron fence outlining the grounds, the same one he followed on his morning runs.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped backward and dropped off the roof, slowing his fall with bursts of blue Phasematter. He landed in the white marble gravel, between sections of neatly trimmed trees and shrubs, wincing from the pain of rocks on his bare feet. Red spikes shot by Kormel stabbed into the ground behind Fahon as he leaped away onto the tiled path and made a mad dash to the gymnasium.

Below the roof where Kormel stood was the sunroom, a glinting enclosure of tall glass windows. Breaking glass would trigger the security alarm, which would, in turn, rouse the palace guard. Fahon targeted the windows, spraying a blast of tiny blue Phasematter spheres. The entire front of the sunroom shattered. Heavy chunks and shards of glass clattered to the floor in a great racket.

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Motion lamps kicked on, bathing the entire garden in white light. A screeching alarm blared across the palace grounds. Fahon turned and sprinted down the main path toward the recreation building. Kormel slung a dozen red spikes after him, causing Fahon to weave back and forth as he ran to dodge. They thudded into the tiled path behind him.

Kormel landed after falling from the roof, his boots crunching on the field of broken glass. Fahon ripped open the double doors into the gymnasium and threw himself against the inner wall and out of sight. He dismissed his katana, shattering it into sparks of blue.

Fahon dampened the overwhelming noise of the alarm with his enhanced hearing, focusing on other ambient sounds. He could hear Kormel strolling through the garden at a casual pace.

Fahon could use his lack of caution as an advantage. He might drop his guard and grant another opening. Let Kormel believe his quarry was weak and helpless.

What if I wasted my only opportunity, though?

Kormel's voice sounded calm and collected. "Look, you started all this ruckus, the alarm, and now the guards. Other people are going to die because of you."

Footsteps rustled amidst the gardens. The guards inched like silent ghosts. Without his enhanced hearing, he doubted he would have noticed them.

If Fahon exposed himself to shoot bolts, Kormel could tag him first. He wasn't the best shot. What if Fahon could order Divinity to move around the corner and fire bolts for him? Like a flying turret drone.

Casters usually followed their Bonded around without conscious effort. They had their own intelligence. The Bonded didn't have to look after them or worry about them getting lost. And technically, all Bonded abilities originated from the Caster, always within the three-meter radius limit. If he could maneuver Divinity to where he desired, it could paint Phasematter objects and make the attack without exposing him.

Move there.

Divinity glided over, peering around the corner of the doorway. At Fahon's command, it shot multiple blue bolts in rapid succession like a machine gun. Kormel rolled out of the way, diving behind a large obsidian statue for cover.

Kormel fired back, red spikes streaking past the doorway and embedding themselves into the polished wooden gym floor. Casters were a tiny target, after all, so he continued to miss as they had a shootout.

Fahon kept Divinity locked in position. It continued to fire back at Kormel, blue bolt after blue bolt. The obsidian statue he hid behind soon looked like a porcupine with dozens of bolts lodged in its surface.

Plink!

Divinity was struck by a single lucky red spike, startling Fahon. The spike shattered into fragments, deflected by a sudden coat of blue Phasematter armor encasing the Caster. The orb was knocked away by the impact, rolling across the gymnasium. Red spikes trailed after it, thudding into the floor behind as Kormel followed up the shot.

Divinity dismissed its coat of armor in a puff of blue. It levitated into the air and zoomed over to Fahon, settling close to his shoulder once again.

My Caster defended itself. Does this have to do with how it's been protecting me?

Fahon banished the mystery from his mind for now. Kormel was close, and he needed to plan his next move. Should he dart into the pool hall? Or make a mad dash for the exit on the opposite side of the gym?

Kormel rose from cover, stalking towards the open gym entrance with wicked scimitars lowered. "You are a fool for putting your Caster in danger."

The guards were in position now and unleashed a barrage of submachine gun fire.

Got him!

Fahon bounded around the corner only to get a red spike beaming at his face. He dove back around the corner and sucked back a deep breath. That had been too close for comfort.

Kormel had encased himself in a chrysalis of red Phasematter. The bullets from the palace guards bounced off the dense Phasematter fortification without chipping it or cracking the surface. Fahon picked out the muffled laughter of Kormel from inside.

A moment later the chrysalis shattered into twinkling red embers. A volley spike, firing in every direction, zipped straight for the guards. Hot blood sprayed in the cool night air as the guards recoiled from being shot. If they were lucky enough to be alive. Some died before hitting the ground. The remaining guards ducked behind cover to regroup and call for backup.

Curses! They're going to get themselves killed. Should have known getting them involved was a bad idea.

He had to lead Kormel away from where he could harm the guards more. His goal was to get Fahon to engage him. Fahon refused to play the same game. He would turn it into a chase. With a bare forearm, he wiped the blood from his cut face. All he did was smear it all over and growl in frustration.

Fahon sucked a deep breath and sprinted through the gym, opening the pool hall doors. Stepping inside the humid room, he closed the doors and locked them. Hopefully, it would slow Kormel down.

The sharp scent of bleach filled his nostrils. His feet slapped on concrete as he dashed along the length of the pool and burst through the back doors, flinging them open. Skidding on the grass of the lawn, he changed directions. Bounding diagonally, he shot across the property towards the front of the palace. Divinity chased in the air behind, keeping pace easily. The sprinklers oscillated streams of cool water, dousing him as he passed.

The garage was on the other side of the palace complex, and this was the fastest route. Relief washed over Fahon when he noticed a coupe sitting on the driveway. He didn't even need to make it to the garage and could lose Kormel quickly by driving away from the palace.

Reaching the coupe, he threw open the door and slid in on the smooth leather seat. Only to notice Arik, slack-jawed, sitting directly across from him. Arik's mouth looked busted, lips bleeding.

Arik shrieked. "Fahon! He is after you?"

"You know Kormel's here?" Fahon gasped for breath after his sprint.

"He took me hostage. Forced me to bring him here."

"It explains how he slipped past security. We need to get out of here. Make him chase us."

Arik nodded and gave the cybermind the command to drive. The door closed on its own, and the vehicle pulled away from the curb. Fahon detected the vibrations of Kormel's Bond-link close by, too close. He hadn't been fast enough.

Fahon growled. "He's here."

Kormel dropped in front of the coupe in a low crouch. Its safety protocols forced it to a screeching halt, stopping half a meter before the scowling Syndicate enforcer.

Now Arik is in danger. I have no choice but to face Kormel, to beat him.

Fahon steeled himself.

"Stay in here," Fahon whispered to Arik as he threw open the door. "I'm going to have to bring him down. No more running."

"In sweatpants?" Arik said.

Fahon pulled himself out of the car and resummoned his blue Phasematter katana.

"Did you think I'd let you get away?" Kormel asked standing, twin red scimitars at the ready.

Fahon answered by surging forward, stabbing the sharp blade at Kormel's chest. Kormel slipped to the side, avoiding the stab. He swatted the katana downward and slashed at Fahon's neck. Off-balance and unable to move in time, Fahon saw the end coming, a wave of fear flooding his mind.

The red scimitar bounced back, deflected by a small circular shield of condensed Phasematter projected by Divinity. The shield immediately shattered into twinkling blue embers. Fahon recovered, slashing at a surprised Kormel. The blade's tip cut a diagonal line across Kormel's torso, flaying open his jacket and shirt. Howling in pain, Kormel scampered back and raised his weapons defensively.

Crimson spread on Kormel's white shirt. He roared as he pressed the attack, whipping his scimitars in a rapid flurry of strikes.

Fahon remembered his lessons with Vivana. She taught him to watch body language instead of the weapon. It was easier to anticipate the attack and see if it was a feint. As the strikes rained, he kept moving, his feet sliding and shuffling painfully across the harsh blacktop. He blocked some blows and redirected others, hoping Kormel's anger would lead him to make a mistake.

After a deft riposte, Fahon forced both scimitars downwards with his katana, opening Kormel's guard for a free attack. Fahon swung his katana in a powerful two-handed slash. In an unexpected move, Kormel dismissed his scimitars in a bloom of red embers and stepped into the attack, grabbing Fahon's forearms. Fahon struggled in his grip, kicking at his torso. Kormel blocked a kick on his thigh, retaliating with a swift knee to Fahon's gut.

It doubled him over, and he lost leverage, letting Kormel twist his wrists and disarm him. The blue katana clattered onto the driveway.

Fahon blocked a subsequent front kick. The blow pushed him back, exposing his lower body to attack. Encasing a fist in red Phasematter, Kormel launched a heavy uppercut into Fahon's abdomen. The hit folded him over.

Kormel complimented the uppercut with a massive right hook.

Fahon was staggered, the breath knocked from him, unable to recover his defenses in time. Right before the punch hit him, Divinity materialized a round plate of blue Phasematter again. The force collided with it, repulsing Kormel's fist backward. He stumbled back, eyes wide with surprise.

"How!" Kormel roared in frustration. He charged Fahon and slammed him with a shoulder tackle. The blow drove Fahon down to the asphalt. Kormel loomed over him, face twisted in a snarl. He raised the red Phasematter-enshrouded fist and punched Fahon in the middle of the forehead

The blow rocked Fahon, and he wavered. His vision went fuzzy…fading to dark.