Before I know it, one of the forks is in my hand and I strike, on instinct alone. In one smooth motion, The Third Daughter catches my wrist and twists it just ever slightly. My fingers unfurl and the utensil falls silently against the lush, burgundy carpet.

"Now, that's a dessert fork, Ms Kato," Rezál says, her eyes alight with a playful twinkle. "You won't do any real damage with a dessert fork."

— The Dragonfly Gambit by A. D. Sui (19%)