The Location

'State your terms, warrior.' Aurelia said, a pretty smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, which she tried to keep in a straight line. 'How long do we fight for?'

'As long as it takes to make one of us accept that the other is more competent.' Falcon said with a shrug.

'Agreed. Now if I win, do you agree to tell me all about yourself?'

Falcon stopped in his tracks. The smile slipped from his face as his body moved into a defensive stance on its own accord. He imagined telling Aurelia about his childhood and a shiver ran down his spine.

'Why are you so curious about me?'

'How can I not be? You appear out of nowhere, with a bad history with the press, looking for the same thing I am looking for, and I am not allowed to question your entire existence?'

Falcon swallowed. If worst came to worst, he could always make up a little tale to satisfy her curiosity.

'But if I win, do you agree to make things fine with your mother?'

Aurelia stared at him like he'd just electrocuted her. Her eyes flashed with anger, but it vanished just as quickly and she shrugged, unassuming in her shock. Falcon thought she hid it really well, but not soon enough.

'That's against the rules.' Aurelia said. 'You have to ask for something that benefits you.'

'What rules? Aren't we making them up as we go?'

Aurelia wasn't smiling anymore. She looked irritated and angry, as if Falcon had crossed a line by interfering in her private business. She glared at him as they took positions five feet away from each other.

'Fine.' She snapped. 'I am going to win anyway.'

'We will see. Weapons?'

'None.'

Aurelia took two steps back and held up her hands in a combat pose. Her hair flew back slightly as a gentle breeze swept the yard, throwing her bangs away from her forehead. Dusk had fallen and the yard was lit with gold, making it as if autumn had kissed the leaves.

'Defensive much?' Falcon said, circling her slowly. Aurelia didn't turn around, but stood in the same pose, silent like a statue, as if she had been petrified.

'I like to give my prey the first chance.' She whispered.

'Poor demons. They have to die at your hand while your shrieking friends get to have picnics.'

'What do you have against my friends?'

'Their shrieks still wake me up in the middle of the night.'

'Are you sure it's the shrieks that wake you up?' Aurelia smirked and Falcon stopped in front of her, such that they were face to face, a distance of a single meter between them.

Of course, Aurelia was smart enough to know why he preferred not to sleep in front of her. Deciding he had talked enough for now, he swung his fist in a calculated strike to Aurelia's abdomen.

'Block.' He said as he moved, putting his weight into the punch. Aurelia blocked the blow easily, catching it on her arm and using the momentum to push him back. Falcon didn't stagger, he spun easily, catching his balance, and saw a flash of admiration in Aurelia's eyes before it was replaced by her silent anger.

'Don't give me directions.' She snapped.

He didn't reply, striking again which Aurelia caught, but this time she aimed at his gut, a kick which would have gotten him if he hadn't dodged at the last moment.

'So are you ready to open up to me?' She smirked, curling her fingers to urge him on.

'I don't know.' Falcon hid a smile, shrugging. 'Did you make up with your mom?'

'Stop mentioning things between me and my mom.' She said with a cold, hard look.

'Don't be so defensive. It makes you look like a seal.'

'Oh, stop it. You are overdoing the compliments.'

Falcon broke his stance. He just stood there, trying to meet her eye, hoping he would come across as less dangerous somehow.

'I mean it, Aurelia. I see the look in her eyes that comes from losing someone you love, and, well, I know how that feels.'

'So you're telling me about yourself. Does this mean you've accepted your defeat?'

Falcon sighed. As much as he tried to convince himself he couldn't care less, he gave more and more thought to Aurelia's family. Perhaps it was because of the lingering sense of danger that things were about to go horribly wrong with them.

'I know what you are doing. You are trying to look unprovoked to bring me in for an attack.' Aurelia said.

'Why are you taking my every word as a strategy?'

'Who have you lost?'

'My mom.' It slipped out of him before he could stop himself. Falcon bit at his lower lip in regret as Aurelia's face morphed into that of understanding.

Taking the silence as an opportunity, Falcon struck suddenly, but Aurelia dodged just as smoothly, appearing behind him.

Falcon grinned. 'You're good.'

'I told you to stop complimenting me.' She shrugged.

'Why?'

'Because they are hard to respond to.'

'That's...reasonable.'

Aurelia looked rather relaxed, her defensive stance broken too, but Falcon knew she was alert, anticipating his next move. He could tell she was excellent, her combat skills on another level. She could switch between defensive and offensive positions in a blink, as if she was already seeing the enemy's next move while countering their current one.

A sharp beep from his wristwatch drew both his and Aurelia's attention towards the device. It was amazing how they both fell silent at once, ceasing to breathe for two seconds when the realization set in that the message could be from Falcon's client.

'Well, read it.' Aurelia said, coming over to him. She sounded impatient and scared at the same time.

Falcon glanced at his wrist. The device had gone black again, so he pressed it for three seconds, enjoying the silent eye contact he had with Aurelia. He saw the tiny words on the screen and his breathing hitched.

He looked up at Aurelia, who was staring at him with wide eyes. 'It's a location.'