Natalia noticed me first. Her purple eyes locked onto mine with the intensity of a targeting laser, tracked down to my ribs, assessed the damage, calculated recovery percentages, and arrived at a verdict that apparently satisfied her because some of the tension left her shoulders. She didn't smile. Natalia Kuzmina did not smile before fights. She compressed all available warmth into a singularity behind her sternum and used it as fuel.
But her hand twitched. Toward me. Just for a second.
Skylar noticed me second, which was unusual because Skylar noticed everything first. She pushed off the wall with that boneless feline grace that made her look like she was made of liquid shadow and walked toward us without hurrying. Her violet eyes moved between me and Isabelle, processed the tactical implications of our partnership, and apparently found them amusing.
