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Soap wasanything drastic She spat curses at hi out with her knife Soap hadn’t drawn the letter opener to combat it

Sophronia reached into her pocket and pulled out the bladed fan Tilanced over at her in relief "Oh, would you?"

"It would be my pleasure"

Only then did Monique realize who had taken over her train She saw right through Sophronia’s boy’s garb to the oval face and green eyes that had given her so much trouble at school "Of course, it would be you, wouldn’t it? Alwaysup, aren’t you, Sophronia?"

"That’s my sole purpose in life, Monique, to inconvenience you"

The two girls circled each other warily It was close quarters in the cab of a locomotive, particularly with three fellows Sophronia was confident that Soap and Sidheag would, between theet the train in hand Out of the corner of her eye she saw Soap take the driver’s station

Monique nipped in and slashed A real kitchen knife, too, no pretense at soh it did have a nice ivory handle

Sophronia whipped out her fan and shook off the leather guard

"Had that lesson, have you?" sneered Monique

Sophronia concentrated on the shift of Monique’s shoulders under her traveling gown, hints as to where she ht move to strike next

"I never liked the fan Too flashy," said the blonde, nipping in again

In Sophronia’s experience, nothing was too flashy for Monique, so this ood with the fan Sophronia had been practicing as much as she could since the first instance This new one felt inexplicably natural in her hands

She spun it in against Monique, a fancy wiggle and shift

The girl’s beautiful blue eyes widened in horror She backed up a bit

"Careful with that thing, Sophronia, you could hurt soht that was the idea," replied Sophronia, twirling the fan expertly around her wrist in a blur

"No, peewit, that’saway at Monique’s sleeve and nearly chopping the blonde’s hand off at the wrist where she held the knife

Both girls gasped: Monique at the narrow escape, Sophronia at the very idea that she had alht Sophronia, that if Monique were a stranger, I’d have aher But because she’s a person I know, even though I don’t like her, I struggle to be ruthless Do all intelligencers have similar scruples?

They circled each other, a little more hesitant now

I could really hurt her I’ kind of power Sophronia would have thought to find it thrilling After all, this hy they trained so hard But it wasfor Sophronia’s chest--her knife sharp and focused Sophronia hter, but she wasn’t as bloodthirsty

Sophronia ducked out of the way and slashed at Monique’s shoulder, cutting through the tightly stretcheda wide gash Sophronia had thought Monique would now be accustoular basis Perhaps vampire bites didn’t hurt, because Monique dropped her blade and began to wail loudly