Gabby attacked again before the thought fully settled.
This time, she did not launch straight toward his face. She darted diagonally, flames flickering around her ankles while the air behind her feet compressed in quick pulses that made each step sharper than the last.
She moved like she was kicking against invisible walls, using brief air bursts to change direction before her momentum could be easily read. When she reached Liam's left side, she swung a flame-coated fist toward his ribs, then twisted before the strike completed and sent a low kick toward his knee.
Liam shifted back from the punch and lifted his leg just enough for her kick to pass beneath it. Gabby planted her foot, used a burst of air at her heel to pivot faster than her hips alone should have allowed, and drove her elbow toward his chest. Liam leaned away, letting the elbow pass, then turned his shoulder to avoid the follow-up flame jab she threw toward his throat.
