"You can call me Shiina."
Nathan kept his eyes on the woman as she smiled at him.
No, it was not a false impression. He was certain of that now.
She was strong.
Not simply skilled, not simply confident, but genuinely dangerous. His instincts had reacted to her before his mind could sort through it, and they were not the sort that mistook charm for threat. There was something tightly controlled beneath her easy expression, something calm and heavy that did not belong to an ordinary fighter waiting in a crowded preparation hall.
That left only one question.
Who exactly was she, and what was she doing here?
For a moment Nathan wondered if she had approached him on purpose, if perhaps she knew who he was or had been sent to test him. But the more he studied her face, the less likely that seemed. There was no sign of recognition in her eyes, no hidden edge behind her smile that suggested she was playing at ignorance.
No, she did not seem to know him.
