Right. She'd forgotten how he might interpret a threat from the Void. The creature used kindness and care against her, against everyone. Emotions were weakness...But the Void couldn't attack him, or anyone without her permission. She'd have to be pretty gone to allow that. Her eyes narrowed at the last, however.

The words had barely left his mouth when Valdis knocked the practice sword from X's hand with a sharp strike near the hilt, dropped to knock his feet out from under him and then pinned his sword hand beneath her boot, sword tip dropping to his throat.

"You want to try that sentence again?"