No, he could not focus on that now.
There were larger threats to fight.
The first warning came as a tremor through the floorboards. Something massive moved beneath the earth, circling the store's foundation.
At the same time, the windows darkened as shadowy forms pressed against the glass, entities with too many glowing yellow eyes.
"Void feeders," Azelon said. A shiver ran down his spine.
He'd never seen any of these, but he'd heard the tales.
While Azelon was staring, Jamie's hands pressed flat against the nearest wall. "Show me where they're weakest."
The store responded immediately. The ceiling became transparent, revealing the sky above where a swarm of winged creatures circled. The walls shimmered and displayed what lay beneath—a massive wyrm coiling around the foundation far below. Other wall surfaces showed shadows pressing from every side at ground level.
Azelon almost wished hecouldn'tsee what was all around them.
Jamie looked to Corin. "You said you could slow them?"
The fae looked uncertain. "Maybe."
"Try." Jamie's confidence seemed to bolster Corin, who nodded and closed his eyes.
The air around them thickened as Corin's projection took form—not the usual chaotic burst of emotion, but something more focused. A visible shimmer spread outward from where he stood, carrying with it a potent mixture of determination and fierce protectiveness.
Azelon felt it brush against his skin, warm and electric.
"It's working," Jamie said, watching as the shadows at the windows recoiled from the barrier. "Keep it steady."
Azelon moved to the center of the room, drawing moisture from the air. Water gathered around his hands, spiraling into razor-sharp blades of ice. "I'll handle anything that breaks through."
The first attack came from below. The tunneling wyrm breached the foundation with a shriek that made the bookshelves shudder.
Books scattered across the floor as a massive serpentine head pushed through the floorboards, jaws gaping.
Jamie didn't hesitate. He stamped his foot, and the store responded—floorboards twisting into spikes that drove into the creature's hide. It screamed, thrashing against the unexpected defense.
Azelon launched a barrage of ice shards, targeting the wyrm's eyes. Three found their mark, earning another shriek of pain as the creature retreated beneath the floor which immediately rebuilt itself.
"Behind you!" Corin shouted.
Azelon spun to see the windows bulging inward, the void feeders pressing against Corin's emotional barrier with increasing force. The fae's face was tight with concentration, sweat beading on his forehead as he fought to maintain the projection.
"I can't hold them much longer," Corin gasped.
Jamie moved to his side, one hand settling on Corin's shoulder. "Focus on me. Use my stability."
The effect was immediate. Corin's barrier strengthened, pulsing with renewed energy. The void feeders shrieked in frustration, their formless bodies rippling as they sought weaker points of entry.
Something twisted in Azelon's chest at the sight of them together—Jamie's steady hand on Corin, the fae leaning into the contact. Months of keeping Corin at arm's length… and this human had bridged the gap in days.
A crash from above cut through Azelon's jealousy.
The winged creatures broke through the roof, a swarm of leathery bodies and needle-like teeth.
And they were descending.
"Dive!" Azelon shouted, throwing himself forward to tackle both Jamie and Corin to the ground.
