---
Sekhmet saw the anger in her eyes and smiled without warmth.
She did not like that.
The twins had forced the dark-clothed man deeper into the chamber by then. Vera cut one line. Vela cut another. He blocked, moved, turned, and struck back with that narrow black blade of his, but even he could not fully regain the balance of the fight. The twins were too fast and too used to one another. Vera lost a lock of silver hair to his blade. Vela took a shallow cut across one sleeve. In return, he gained a line across the cheek and another across the left side of his ribs where Vera's blade slipped through by half a finger more than he wanted.
His eyes changed after that.
Not panic.
A harder thing.
Respect sharpened by danger.
Then he released more of his power.
