Book excerpt: Everyone on the battlefield stops to focus on us. Both sides are too taken by the match to do anything else. Malakaro looks at me from across the circle with malice and fury. I return his gaze, matching his ire. He begins to move around the circle slowly. He addresses me in his usual calm voice. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, little sis?” he asks. “Bring it..." One thing is clear: one of us will die today...