That calm, dangerous presence that made the air around him feel just a little colder.
Keegan noticed a second later and stopped mid-stride.
For a split second, the two of them simply stared at each other across the battlefield.
Gideon moved forward without saying a word and rose one hand just as a shadow dove toward Keegan.
It instantly shattered in midair like glass struck with a hammer, and I realized it had been Gideon.
Keegan didn’t hesitate and Gideon moved beside him.
Two completely different kinds of magic erupted into the clearing.
Keegan was raw power—teeth, muscle, instinct.
Gideon was something quieter, precise, and controlled.
The shadows tried to regroup around them, but they didn’t last long.
Keegan ripped through the first two.
Gideon flicked his hand, and the third one burst apart before it could even reach them.
For the first time since the fight had started, the clearing felt… balanced.
The two men fought side by side without looking at each other.
Not allies.
Not exactly enemies either.
Just two forces that happened to be pointed in the same direction.
And it was devastating.
The remaining shadows began to falter, and my mark burned a little less.
The hedge tightened around them.
Branches snapped upward like a cage.
One shadow tried to slip through the vines.
The hedge dragged it down and crushed it.
The Priestess stepped back.
Her eyes moved between Keegan, Gideon, and the hedge surrounding the clearing.
For the first time, she looked… concerned.
“She’s losing control,” Rendel said quietly somewhere behind me.
The Priestess ignored him, but I saw it too.
The shadows were retreating.
Slowly at first.
