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CHAPTER 1

Twist Your Lil’ Bobblehead Right Off

I stood against the wall, nursing a busted knuckle, watching my sensei try to recover Daniel held a black belt, second dan, in hapkido, had a black belt in tae kwon do, and a black belt in tai chi--the combat martial art, not the pretty forms that hippies and old people do on beaches at sunrise (Not that I had anything against pretty martial arts, hippies, or old people I’d outlived all of the people ere alive when I was born, so I was old Real old)

Daniel hadn’t co that co and killing He was probably a lot ht noas on his back on the practice s still worked It had been only about thirty seconds since I’d thrown hi the breath out of him, but that can see

"I’, sweat dripping off him onto thewith both of them Ad, but testosterone and the urge to defeat the skinny girl were powerfulback for more when they should have stayed down And Beast had been having fun

"Artificial respiration isn’t technically kissing," I said, watching as Daniel fought back the natural panic of the air starved, arching his back, stretching his throat, trying to force open his airway

"Still not kissing hi Daniel’s shoulder "Been nice knowin’ you"

Daniel sucked in a breath that sounded like rubber bicycle tubing being stretched out by a couple of disgruntled suhed Faster than e, Daniel whipped his ar Eli on the outer knee joint If Eli hadn’t already been bending into the direction of the hit, his knee would have buckled and Eli would have needed a brace or vamp blood to heal Daniel was powerful, even flat on his back

As it was, the guys rolled across each other like high school wrestlers, but punching and stabbing with fingers, kneeing below the belt They separated, rolled to their feet, and engaged again All I needed was popcorn and a beer and it would have been perfect Delighted to sit this one out, I slid down the wall to the wood floor, my sweaty back to the wall, knees bent in a half lotus, and relaxed The guys were really going at it, fists, kicks, sweat flinging, with a little bloodthe to look real

My sensei’s style was perfect for me, because I had always studied mixed disciplines and never went for any belt I trained to stay alive, using a fast, violent aeared to the total annihilation of an attacker My fighting style had best been described as dirty Daniel and Eli, ht dirty I winced as Eli took a boxer’s blow straight to his chin and wobbled on his feet But either he recovered fast or it was only a feint, because he kicked out, catching Daniel in the solar plexus In fighters’ terms it wasn’t a lo, but since I had just hit Sensei there, it wasn’t exactly sweet either

Daniel skipped away, his breathing pained I wondered whether he’d broken a rib

The dojo was in the back room of a s in faceted ges, and real antique pieces The dojo was down a narrow service alley, thirty inches wide, damp, and dim, and was open to the public only after store hours I was one of a select few students Daniel saw during the day I had my own key

Eli took a fast series of punches to the ribs, bounced off a white-painted wall across froot his boy parts crushed by a kick, but he juht one of Eli’s ankles, and twisted it hard and fast, putting torqueing pressure on the knee Eli was expecting the move and leaped off the floor into a twirl and kicked Daniel in the side of the neck with his other foot They both went down Daniel out for the count Idiots Eli heezing with pain The hand he supported hi room had hardwood floors, thite-painted walls--one now stained with blood--one mirrored wall (ditto), and one ith French doors that looked out over a typical New Orleans–style enclosed courtyard planted with tropical and seed on a low brick-stucco wall near the splashing fountain, which was designed in the fashion of a mountain stream, with the s bored and hot, atching the huht The enclosed courtyard was surrounded by two- and three-story buildings and was overlooked by wrought-iron galleries dripping with potted vines and flowering plants Sensei lived upstairs in one of the apart rope and cli back up the hard way, one slow step at a tiinally awake, and it looked as if the fight was over, I shifted htly off the unadorned walls "Danny boy, I think you got your butt beat," I said

"Maybe" He winced as he rolled to his backside and stood upright, stretching muscles that had to have deep bruises "But it took two of you Tag teaht, had muscles like rolls of barbed wire and a face no one would remember for two seconds Aout the kinks, he walked around the roo tree, looking Eli and rinned atback A lot"

"You are not holding back," Daniel said, disbelief etching his face "Seriously? Still?"

"Bro, she is absolutely still holding back" Eli bent his injured knees, testing for daht need more than ice, elevation, anti-inflao, it’s nothing like huth She’d twist your lil’ bobblehead right off that skinny neck"

I ed to keep the discomfort offthat I was a supernat, and was even less accusto deal It had beendeal But Eli was right If I let go with Beast-strength and -speed, I could do so and sparring sessions with Daniel had changed Now he pushed the nor to see what my limits were There were two problems with that: I didn’t really knohat my boundaries were, especially with the newfound ability to fold or bubble ti now that my Beast and I had soul-bonded