I dropped the training sword on the carpet, and before the thud of it even finished sounding, I’d already stalked across the exercise foam mattress laid in the middle of the room. I started hitting the punching bag there, instead, the poor mutilated dummy still quivering behind me.

I was working up a sweat, and making such a ruckus, I thanked the Goddess no one else was here to see it. But the thought had barely finished forming when my senses tingled, and I paused, grabbing the punching bag ...