Tabitha knew Alex was powerful, so she fought to remain focused. She was a disciplined fighter, and she wouldn't allow herself to become distracted.
Earlier, she had watched Alex early make a fool of himself waiting for his car to pick him up to prove a point and had waited for an opportunity to catch him unprepared.
Finally, she had followed Alex to the school, confident that he suspected nothing.
When he had fallen asleep, she had used a drug to overpower him, and then she had attacked while she had thought he was unconscious.
She had thought her plan was foolproof, but Alex had shaken off the drug too quickly, and she had failed.
Tabitha knew she was good, but it seemed that Alex was better.
She lifted her sword and stared at Alex. "No matter how powerful you are, you're going to die tonight," she said.
"Oh, really?" Alex asked, laughing. "The only thing you've killed so far is my bed." He tilted his head as he looked at her. "Who are you really?"
"What?" Tabitha asked, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You're an unusual woman," Alex said. "And I'm sure you're not who you pretend to be. So, who are you?"
Tabitha stared at him in shock. Never before had anyone managed to see past the face she presented to the world. No one had ever realized she wasn't who she claimed to be.
But Alex had seen the way she had fought, the way she had moved, and he had known something wasn't right. Most people didn't have that level of training.
No matter what she said, he knew she was hiding something.
Tabitha realized she would have to kill Alex to protect her secret. The light glinted off her blade as she lunged at him, aiming right for his neck.
Alex dodged her, his movements quick and graceful, and the blade missed its target.
Tabitha barely paused. Instead, she moved straight into another attack, turning her sword horizontal to slash at him.
Again, Alex simply eluded the strike, slipping out of sight.
She growled with frustration as she stared at the shadows, trying to see where he had gone. She advanced, stabbing out with her sword, trying to cover everywhere he could be. Her attack was almost instinctive after years of training, and even experienced fighters would be impressed by her skills. Few people would have been able to evade her.
She continued to slash out at the shadows, moving deeper into them. She was convinced it was only a matter of time before she killed Alex.
The blade narrowly missed Alex, but it also gave away Tabitha's position.
The longer she fought without success, the more uneasy she grew. Clearly, Alex's martial arts skills had reached unimaginable levels. He was much harder to defeat than she had expected. In fact, he was turning out to be the most difficult opponent she had ever faced.
"Not bad," Alex said, casually evading her strike. His moves were simple and elegant, as though he were barely expending any effort. "But you've miscalculated. You thought it would be easier to attack me when I was sleeping, and you were careful in your approach. But, in the end, you failed to realize that I'm simply much better than you."
Tabitha glowered at him, unable to deny the truth. He was right.
"What's the point of becoming someone else's pawn?" Alex asked. "You kill people for money, obeying orders and never thinking for yourself." He slapped her wrist, knocking her sword away and sending little tingles up her arm.
Humiliation washed over Tabitha as she realized Alex was merely playing with her like a cat toying with a mouse.
She felt her arm grow cold and looked down to see that Alex's blade had split her sleeve, leaving it flapping uselessly.
"You..." Tabitha spluttered, both shocked and angry. She knew Alex could have just as easily cut her arm, or worse. He could have killed her if he had wanted to.
"I am an assassin," she said. "But, yes, I underestimated you. You are an excellent swordsman, but I was sent by the Chamber of Commerce members, and I will carry out my orders."
"Well, Ms. Assassin hired by the Chamber of Commerce, you should surrender," Alex said. "No one in this world can kill me."
Tabitha gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her sword. She spun around, the sword gliding through the air as she used a new technique.
She kept her muscles loose, and she almost appeared to be dancing, the sword seeming to be an extension of her body.
She picked up speed, not pausing for a moment, as she whirled in her deadly dance.
Alex sighed. "I recognize that technique," he said. "You're very good."
He could no longer afford to be relaxed about defending himself, but he still managed to stay out of danger.
"Well, come and get me," Alex said, raising his own blade.
Tabitha slashed at his left arm, and she felt the sword make contact.
She grinned, sure she was going to win, as she stepped to the side. Now you'll pay the price for your arrogance! she thought.