Diana had a hard time preventing herself from snorting. Her defenseless act wasn't fooling anyone.

"Right, who wants to go first?" Cat asked.

Both of the vampire in white's arms shot up. Diana laughed at her enthusiasm.

"I'm not taking on Ruby again." Avani pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "She broke my nose Wednesday."

"I'll have a go," Greer offered.

Ruby's smile disappeared. She shook her head from side to side five times. "Nope, pass. Someone else go first."

Diana quirked a brow. Ruby seemed like one of the strongest women here, and yet she backed right out of fighting a mere witch.

The other witch she didn't know, a girl in leather gear, with dark hair highlighted with blue streaks, got to her feet. "All right, let's do this."

Silence fell as the two women circled each other on the mats. Diana watched as ward after ward coated the two witches’ skin, some invisible, but with a distinct presence no magic user could miss, others colorful at first, then fading as they wrapped around their masters. Without warning, the black-and-blue-haired girl struck viciously, punching Greer right in the boobs—a low move. A shield blocked the impact, but quickly—faster than most humans could have moved—she kicked low, trying to trip the other witch up.

Greer lifted her foot just in time, and sidestepped before casually bumping into her opponent, challenging her balance. The witch managed to avoid falling, but Greer kicked her side, and as she fell forward, brought a vicious knee to her nose.

Diana winced on the unknown witch's behalf. That had to hurt.

Screaming, the witch jumped at Greer, giving her all hit after hit. While she landed some of her weakest ones, Greer didn't let her get anywhere close during her more powerful attacks, and retaliated without mercy.

Analyzing her style, Diana was surprised to recognize it. There were some of Alexius's nastier tricks. Like Mikar, she went for the throat, although it wasn't that efficient against a witch—the move was meant to get vampire or shifter fangs out of the way. Like De Villier, she had elegant footwork, akin to a smooth dance. This girl had been trained on the hill, Diana would have sworn it. Which was why the other witch had no chance.

When Greer was done playing, she pinned her opponent on her knees, arms locked behind her back.

"I yield!" the witch screamed. "Fuck."

Diana couldn't help but laugh, along with everyone else.

They were right. This was fun. Maybe not for the witch, but certainly for her.

Greer let go the moment she'd won, and held her hand out to help the witch up. Diana was surprised the girl took it.

"How did the charm hold up, Blair?" Greer asked.

The witch—Blair—winced. "I'm in one piece. My nose is back in place. I'd say it worked."

"You didn't use magic offensively," Diana remarked. "Your spells were to protect yourselves."

Greer nodded. "Yeah, we need them when we're fighting vamps. Or each other, for that matter."

That didn't explain why they'd stuck to physical blows when their magic would be a lot more efficient against any adversary. Most witches she knew concentrated on magic, never even bothering to learn to fight with their fists. They kept themselves fit because magic took a toll on the practitioners, but that was it.

"I don't get why you'd bother."

"What if our magic is depleted? What if someone suppresses it? What if we're fighting a witch as strong as us?" Greer arched a brow. "The one left standing in the end is the one who can throw a punch. Besides, it's important to learn to keep our shields up during a fight. Most witches can build perfect shields in class. In front of an enemy, their strength crumbles because they don't bother to practice it."

Diana nodded her agreement.

"What Greer isn't saying is that none of us can take her if she uses magic," Blair admitted. "Hell, we can't take her anyway."

"No wonder." Diana tilted her head. "You were trained by my brother, and some other boys on the hill, right?"

Greer grinned. "I came here when I was a kid. They didn't really know what to do with a five-year-old. So it was all candy, movies, and beheading 101."

Diana was intrigued, wondering why a tiny girl had been in Oldcrest, of all places.

Before she could ask another question, Avani cleared her throat. "If I remember well, Diana, you were saying something about being older than all of us put together, right? I suppose you wouldn't want to back that up now?" She grinned, showing all of her pearly whites.

Diana removed her boots and walked on the mats. "Who am I fighting? You?" She tilted her chin to Greer, then turned to look at the rest of them. "All of you at once?" She held her hands out, palms up, an undisputed challenge.

"Cocky, isn't she?" Cat said, clicking her tongue.

A little, perhaps, but it wasn't just cockiness. She'd seen Greer's style. If she won against everyone else, Diana could smite them. So long as there was no magic involved, in any case.

"I want to fight her," Ruby said, practically trembling with excitement.

That woman wasn't all right in the head.

"I know," Cat said, rolling her eyes. "But we've been given an opportunity we shouldn't waste. This is a bona fide ancient princess. Exactly the kind that wants to skin Chloe alive. I think Chloe should have the first go."

Diana felt her heart slow for one beat, then resume its thumping at a faster rate.

Chloe was looking at her, her eyes bright blue under her long lashes. They turned back to their deep brown. "Sure. Let's do this."

Tricks and Traps

Mikar frowned as he entered Skyhall. Chloe had mentioned wanting to have some renovations done in the ballroom, but he hadn't realized they'd hired contractors. Yet the racket shaking the walls and thundering in his eardrums the moment he stepped onto the lawn could only have been from building work. He entered the Eirikrson house, and stilled at the heavy doors. The expected smell of stone, wood, or paint was absent. In fact, he didn't smell any strangers at all. The house held the scents of most of the residents of the hill, as they all came up here from time to time. Chloe's smell, as well as some of her friends, was stronger, indicating they were either in the house or had left recently. And Diana's trail, the one he'd followed from the Helsing manor to Skyhall, ended here.

"Anyone here?" he called out, not bothering to raise his voice.

Avani was the first to answer. "Down here."

Ah. They were in the training room. That explained why he hadn't immediately located them: vampire training was messy, noisy business. Like Levi's, Chloe's training room was warded, so that the residents of the house wouldn't have to deal with the screams and smells coming from there.

"You need to renew your wards again," he said, walking in the underground hall.

He came to a sudden halt, eyes bulging. Diana was sent flying from one end of the room to the other, and crashed against the opposite wall, shaking the very foundation of the house. His instinct to reach her, check that she was all right, was strong, but before he could move, she landed on her knees, and wiped blood out of her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she laughed.

The demented woman actually laughed.

She started to run at full speed, each leap taking her several yards, until she reached Chloe, who waited on her guard on a leather mat. Again, Mikar itched to place himself between the two. Protecting one, the other, or both. Only the realization that they were down here, voluntarily training, and not actually trying to rip each other apart kept him in place. Diana moved to kick Chloe's stomach—or so he thought. Chloe also anticipated the move and braced herself, ready to either take the impact or to evade it. She didn't have a chance. At the last possible moment, Diana's position changed: she jumped on Chloe's shoulders and with the speed and agility of a feline, flipped her over on the mat. Chloe groaned, her back pressed against the leather, Diana's knee keeping her down.

Mikar breathed out in relief, glad that it was over. Chloe was nailed down, she had to tap out. Or so he thought. He was shocked to see her sit up as much as she could, and use the motion to shoot her legs straight up, kicking Diana right in the face. Diana only lost her balance a tiny bit, for the shortest time, but that was enough for Chloe to grab hold of her ankle and tug. Down she went, and incredibly, Chloe was on top.

They fought. Nastily, angrily, screaming, yelling. Mikar grimaced during the entire ordeal. He half expected them to resort to biting and pulling out each other's hair, given how ruthless they were, but while vicious, their moves remained fair and clean.

"Impressive, isn't she?" Ruby asked, watching the fight.

He hadn't even noticed her. Now that he paid attention, he saw that Greer, Cat, Gwen, and Blair were also watching, huddled together in a corner to avoid getting in the way of the two dervishes.

"Which one?"

Ruby considered the question for a moment. "Both."

He nodded his assent. Diana had impeccable technique, and yet these two were evenly matched, as Chloe's speed and imagination exceeded the older vamp's.

Finally, after what could have very well been an hour—and Mikar wasn't sure when their fight had started—they were both panting and holding their sides when Chloe proposed, "Shall we call it a tie?"

Diana exhaled deeply in relief. "Let's. Fuck, I need a chiropractor."

Chloe laughed, stretching her back. "Just find me a nice, comfy coffin to lie down in for the rest of eternity, please."

The other girls joined them on the mat.

"You were taking things easy on me!" Greer accused Chloe, narrowing her eyes.

Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, well, you're a bit less durable than Diana."

The witch crossed her arms on her tummy. "I have spells to protect me. Next time, you fight me seriously."

Mikar laughed when he saw Chloe cross her fingers behind her back. "Sure."