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"Luce, you know the rules"

"What rules?"

"I can get a lot of things, but I can't get Daniel for you You're just going to have to wait it out"

"Wait, Roland I know he can't be here right now But what rules? What are you talking about?"

He pointed behind her Francesca was beckoning toward Luce with a nger The other Nephilim had all taken seats on the benches, except for a few students who looked like they were preparing to fence Jasirl named Sylvia, two tall, skinny boys whose na alone, exa the blunt rubber tip of her sith careful scrutiny

"Luce?" Francesca said in a low voice She motioned to the space on the deck in front of Lilith "Take your place"

"Trial by re" Roland whistled, patting Luce on the back "Show no fear"

There were only ve other students standing in the h there were a hundred

Francesca stood with her arms folded casually over her chest Her face was serene, but to Luce it looked like a forced serenity Maybe she intended for Luce to lose in theainst Lilith, who towered over Luce by at least a foot, and whose ery red hair protruded from behind her mask like a lion's mane?

"I've never done this," Luce said lamely

"It's okay, Luce, you don't need to be skilled yet," Francesca said "We're trying to gauge your relative capacity Just remember what Steven and I showed you at the start of the session and you'll do ne"

Lilith laughed and whipped the point of her foil in a broad Z "Theo the number of friends you have?" Luce asked She re no fear She slid the mask down over her face, took her foil from Francesca Luce didn't even kno to hold it She fuht or left hand She wrote right-handed, bowled and batted with her left

Lilith was already looking at her like she wished Luce were dead, and Luce knew she couldn't a ord the ti in both hands Did they even call it a swing in fencing?

Wordlessly, FrancescaLuce's back, practically folding her narrow body around Luce and taking Luce's left hand, and the sword, in hers

"I'm left-handed too," she said

Luce opened her mouth, unsure whether or not to protest

"Just like you" Francesca leaned around her and gave Luce a knowing look As she repositioned her grip, soh Francesca's ngers into Luce Strength, or e--Luce didn't understand hoorked, but she was grateful

"You'll want a light grip," Francesca said, directing Luce's ngers around the hilt under the guard "Grip too tightly and your direction of the blade becomes less nihtly and the blade can be spun out of your hands"

Her srip of the sword's hilt just under the guard With one hand on the sword and the other on Luce's shoulder, Francesca galloped lightly sideways one step, blocking out thethe sword in Lilith's direction

The redheaded girl ran her tongue across her teeth and glared at Luce with soe" Francesca moved Luce back as if she were a chess piece She stepped away and circled to face Luce, whispering, "The rest is just gilding the lily"

Luce sed Gilding the what?

"En garde!" Lilith practically shouted Her long legs were bent, and her right arht at Luce

Luce retreated, two quick galloping steps; then, when she felt at a safe enough distance, lunged forith her sword extended Luce retreated, two quick galloping steps; then, when she felt at a safe enough distance, lunged forith her sword extended