Archer ducked the moment it boomeranged an inch past the top of his head, making the wind howl with every staccato cut of air. With his attention still on trying not to get axed in the face, the knees of my pants were scraping as I slid toward him, and had my blade poised beneath his right ear by the time he realized what’d happened. It was done within all but a heartbeat, and Archer’s surprised expression turned into one of contentment.

“That’s more like it,” he purred breathlessly, ...