The four Blood-Iron fighters stared at their dead shields.
The captain looked at his. The blue glow was completely gone. The spiritual links that had made them invincible were silent.
"How did you—" he started.
Holden didn't answer. He simply walked out of their formation and back to his team, spinning the Star-Forged Sword once before resting it on his shoulder.
The crowd was buzzing. Nobody had seen what happened. One second the Phalanx was advancing. The next it was broken, and Team Soup's leader was standing behind it like he had teleported.
The Blood-Iron captain's face changed. Confusion turned to frustration. Frustration turned to something darker.
He reached behind his back.
"Illegal weapon!" Maeve's voice burst through Holden's earpiece. "Holden, he's got a concealed weapon! It's a barbed whip, tournament-banned! He's going for Lyra!"
Holden's eyes snapped to the captain's hand.
