I walked back to the spectator stands, wiping the grime from my cheek. My body ached slightly from the explosion recoil, but my Stamina was already knitting the minor bruises back together.
The silence that followed me was heavy. It wasn't the mocking silence from this morning; it was the silence of fear. I had just physically dominated a High Noble, kissed her to shut her up, and then blown her up with her own scroll.
"You..." Martin stared at me as I sat down, his eyes wide as saucers. "You're a monster. You actually kissed her? On the lips?"
"It was a tactical maneuver," I shrugged, stretching my legs. "Distraction is key in warfare."
"Tactical..." Martin muttered, looking pale. "If the Duke finds out, you're dead. We're all dead."
"Nice show."
A cool voice cut in from my left.
I turned. Emily Frost was sitting there, legs crossed, looking at the arena with boredom. But her index finger was tapping rhythmically on her armrest.
