The Way of the Soul by Stuart Jaffe Page A

startled Malja, pulling her off balance, and sending her through the portal as well.
     
     
    They spun through the air. Falling, falling. Wind bit into Malja’s skin — cold and sharp. After a moment, she realized they raced down toward the bottom of a canyon.
    As the ground hurried to meet them, Malja blindly created a portal beneath them. She did not focus on any particular destination. She had no time.
    They passed through.
     
     
    Wet. They splashed into a large body of water. Air bubbles surrounded them and Malja tasted bitter salt. She followed the air bubbles up to the surface. When she broke through, she learned it was night.
    They had fallen into a lake. Though Malja found no pleasure being in the water, it might have been the safest place. Surrounding the lake, she saw forest. And surrounding the forest, she saw flames.
    Treading water, she tried to locate Reon. Nothing. Perhaps the young woman didn’t know how to swim. It would be unpleasant to end this with a drowning — unsatisfying, too, for Malja would still lack answers.
    Near the beach, she heard a break of water and a gasp of air. Sneaky. Reon had swum underwater and nearly reached the shore. Malja kicked and paddled.
    The night sky glowed with orange and gold flames. Some trees right on the water’s edge had become burning logs, spitting thick smoke into the dark sky. The heat weighed in on all sides as the fire consumed the air.
    By the time Malja reached the shore, Reon had discovered that the flames blocked all exits. Except one, of course — a portal.
    With her tightly braided hair dripping wet and her lungs straining against the burning air, Malja had reached her limit — a limit that seemed less and less. “Stop running.”
    “Stop chasing me.”
    “I can’t.”
    An odd satisfaction covered Reon’s face. “I knew it. You are like me, and Lord Harskill will only have one of us by his side.”
    “I have no desire to be at Harskill’s side. Ever.”
    “You’re so full of lies, you don’t even know the truth. But I see now that running will not solve this problem.” Reon stepped forward, letting the do-kha engulf her hand and form a blade once more. “I will not lose this time.”
    They charged straight at each other. Malja lowered Viper at a slight angle, ready to strike up and out. This would be over fast. Reon had her blade up and back, pointing ahead, posed to thrust forward — a classic mistake when going against Viper. With the lower part of her body left open, she would make her attack and get sliced in half.
    Malja swiped Viper upward, but instead of cutting through her enemy, she hit the solid do-kha blade. Reon had not thrust forward but rather planted her blade into the ground like a post. Malja’s surprise did not end there. Reon used her momentum to leap off the ground and spin with the blade. As her body whirled around, she kicked Malja in the face.
    Malja fell onto the ground and rolled right back onto her feet. A trail of blood trickled out of her nose. She twirled Viper and reset her feet, crouching to lower her center of gravity.
    “Got a bit more control of your do-kha, I see,” she said.
    “You should leave now. You continue this fight, you will lose.”
    Ignoring the tremor in her hand, Malja hopped forward and swung Viper in a wide arc. Most enemies miscalculated Viper’s reach because of its curved blade. Not Reon. She ducked.
    As she popped back up, she lunged forward. With Viper committed to the wide swing, Malja couldn’t bring the blade back in time for defense. She dove to the side, tumbling across the sands. Reon’s blade sliced through the air above.
    Malja continued to roll through the sand. Reon chopped to the ground, twice missing her target. When the third strike came, Malja raised her forearm and hardened her do-kha.
    Reon’s blade hit with a loud crack that blended in with the cracks and sparks of the raging forest fire around them. Before Reon could readjust, Malja kicked out, swiping