Battle to the Death while in Healing Trance [?]

[Eureka]

So, Eureka has only the first tier of Healing Trance. She's being attacked by Tytonidae for violations, but can't move or retaliate none. Velveteen was sitting with her so I thought I'd try, for shits and giggles, to battle her to the death. I got this:

You cannot attack when trancing.

The target rejects your challenge to the death, and makes a run for it. They flee to a new location.

So. Huh. Can't attack - but did anyway. So I wrangled Kim into helping me check it when someone was set to battle to the death. She brought Dulce over and I tried again. And succeeded. Eureka attacked, Dulce retaliated, and Eureka died.

Is the message bugged, or should battle to the death - initiated by Eureka while in healing trance - be disallowed?