The World Which Is

Chapter 33

"Fuck off," The rapist says. "This doesn't concern you."

"I'd say that when it comes to four on one fights," the newcomer says as I pull a healing bar to my hand, "evening those odds definitely concerns me."

I'm careful as I tear the wrapper off, even if their attentions are all on him.

And it isn't like they're wrong to look. The guy's tall, has to be nearly two meters and muscular. Short, messy blond hair and blue eyes, stubbles on a square jaw. Posing like he is, with his chest puffed and a devilish smile, makes for a striking figure. What he's wearing, though, doesn't strike me as ideal if he's planning on taking them on. An off-white shirt with a deer-skin vest that has lots of pockets. Definitely not a lot of protection, unless it's magical. His pants are gray jeans. His boots look to be hard leather, at least, and the backpack next to him makes me realize he doesn't have a sword, or any weapon.

"Then we get to kill two morons today instead of one."

I bite into the healing bar and make a face. It tastes worse than I remember.

"Murder's illegal in Toronto," the guy replies, looking serious finally. My health crawls up. It wasn't that slow before, was it?

"What are you going to do? Turn us over to the police?" the woman says mockingly.

The guy cracks his knuckles. "Never bother with them, but it means I don't have to worry about you reporting me for bodily injuries, seeing as I'm pretty sure you're wanted now."

Come on, climb already. Eating more isn't speeding the healing up.

They rush him, and I force myself to my feet. I am not letting him get killed over trying to rescue me. I use the wall to support me while I reach my sword and they pound on him hard. The offensive moves I catch him do are to bat the knives out of his attacker's hands.

The blade scrapes the ground as I pull it up, and the woman looks over her shoulder. Her nasty smile momentarily distracts from her exposed breasts.

"I'll deal with him," she says.

Looking away from them, bouncing as she approaches, I notice how muscular her arms are.

I move away from the wall, then pull my eyes up from her breasts to her face, felling my cheeks burn. "I can give you the time to cover up, if you want."

"Oh." She grins and shakes her chest. "Not a fan of boobs?" I can't stop my eyes from dropping. I didn't know they got that large, not that I've seen any exposed like that. Women in Court stay covered up in public. The one place I have seen women's—well, girl's—chest is when we go swimming, and other than Felicity, who got hers first, everyone else's were barely noticeable.

"Or maybe you just haven't ever seen real ones before," she adds. She can probably see me blush through my tan as hot as it's burning. Her sigh sounds forced. "I wish I could take you for a spin and show you a good time, but I have a job to do."

I lunge, swords first, forcing her to sidestep. My would be rescuer's face is cut and bloody; I think he has a limp.

Her punch costs me a fifth of the health I'd gained and staggers me back. Fortunately, no debuffs.

Can't get distracted by the other fight. I have to win this one so I can go help him. I swing to force her back as I regain my breath and how she bounces on her heel does something interesting to her—

I duck and slash.

Focus. Don't let a pair of breast be the reason you get pounded to the ground again.

She pauses to look at the thin red line along her side and smirks. "Lucky hit."

I so wish I could contradict her.