Chapter 23

“What are we watching?” Poppy muttered beside me.

I tilted my head, tracking every movement in front of us. “Jessie trying to defeat Kane. Under Head Warrior Wayne’s instructions.”

Poppy tilted her head too.

Jessie was currently trapped under one of Kane’s muscular arms, kicking furiously while trying to escape his hold. It looked deeply unfair. Kane was almost twice her size, and Jessie looked like an angry cat caught by a very patient giant.

“Use your elbows and knees!” Head Warrior Wayne barked. “If a man grabs you, you don’t freeze. You hurt him.”

Jessie tried. She really did. She slammed her elbow back, but Kane shifted just enough to avoid most of the hit. Then he tightened his hold, and Jessie let out a furious little growl.

Poppy winced. “That looks painful.”

“It looks impossible,” I muttered.

A few seconds later, Wayne raised his hand and said, “Enough.”

Kane released Jessie at once and helped