Book 4: Seeing and Seen

Finn

A few days after Xandra and I talked outside the wall, I dive at Lieutenant Sime with my jaws open wide. He rolls out of the way with a soft grunt, reddish fur just whistling through my teeth.

“Good,” General Zdenko says. “Now, push that advantage.”

An advantage isn’t one until you push it, Father says in my memory. I thought you wanted to fight, Finn.

Like I did back then, I shove both voices out of my mind and dart in the opposite direction of Sime’s roll before he finishes. But he’s too Goddess-damned fast; I’m not able to get behind him before he finds his feet again. His tail lashes, and he bares his teeth. I swipe out with a claw, hoping to steal a little distance from his gleaming canines.

Buy some time if you need to think, Anwen says, voice cracking with puberty.

Sime spots the heartbeat of hesitation and lunges. Fuck, he’s fast. I don’t have time to get out of the way.

I charge toward him, leading with my shou