The impact echoed across the open pond. Liam's fist struck Wraith's oblique muscles hard, but it felt like hitting a wall of solid oak. Wraith barely flinched.
"A bit slow, sir," Wraith grunted politely, sweeping his thick leg low across the grass in a brutal leg kick aimed straight at Liam's lead knee.
Liam caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and checked the kick just in time, his shin slamming against Wraith's with a dull, sickening crack of bone on bone.
The force sent a sharp jolt of pain shooting up Liam's calf, but he forced his face to stay deadpan, using the momentum to spring backward and create space.
They circled each other on the lush green lawn, the tranquil pond sitting silently beside them while the air between them crackled with violence.
"Your footwork is light, Mr. Liam," Wraith observed, shifting his stance, his guard held high and tight. "But your defense is lax. You are fighting as if you have time to hesitate."
