His skills in highblood 'politics' may be a little rusty, but Darkleer's fighting skills are far from so. He sees that fist coming, and quickly bring up his other arm to knock it away as he twists on his heels to make sure he's still facing her.

"Cowardly in a way like throwing something at someone who has their back turned, you mean?"

This is very bad. He knows he shouldn't be doing this. At the same time, he can't walk away. If he does that, it lets her know where she stands- right over him, with her boot on his throat. If she thinks that, then he knows she'll become bolder with her attempts to get closer to Summoner. He isn't going to back down without a fight. He refuses to.

Eying the knife, Darkleer makes sure to get just a bit of distance between the two of them. He'll let her make the next move, so he can counter, hopefully disarm her.