Rell caught her, barely keeping his frustration in check. His jaw clenched as he yanked a shadowmeld shard from her belt and held it up between them. “Drink.”
Elora couldn’t take her eyes away from the sky as if the creature might come back.
“Elora,” he said again, voice low and sharp. “Now.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she took the vial, uncorked it, and threw it back. Rell drank his, the bitter liquid clawing down his throat. The world dimmed, their bodies disappearing into thefolds of darkness until only the faintest warps in the air marked their passing.
He grabbed her hand firmly and took off at a run.
Behind them, the guards’ voices grew louder, their boots pounding closer to the wreckage. They reached the safe barn—smaller, sturdier, tucked behind a tree line. Inside, the air was heavy with fresh hay and dust, the quiet almost eerie after the chaos they’d left behind. As the shadowmeld wore off, their forms bled back into the moonlight, the shimmer fading from their skin like fog burning off at sunrise.
Elora tore her hand from his grip the moment she solidified and stormed deeper into the barn.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Rell muttered. He followed, closing the distance in three long strides before grabbing her arm and spinning her back toward him. “You’re not walking away from this.”
Her golden-ringed eyes blazed as she jerked her arm, but his grip held fast.
“Let go,” she hissed.
“Not until you explain all of it,” Rell snapped.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Elora—” His tone dropped into something colder, more dangerous. “You don’t get to play mysterious after nearly getting us killed.”
She snarled and slashed at him, her claws catching the edge of his coat. But Rell was faster. He caught her wrist mid-swipe, twisting just enough to stop her without hurting her.
“Shift back,” he ordered.
“No,” she snapped, her claws flexing slightly as her lip curled in defiance.
Rell didn’t even see Symond approach and put his hand on her until it was too late.
One second, he had Elora’s wrist in his grasp, her eyes burning into his. The next, she let out a sharp gasp, her body tensing as a weak jolt of electricity crackled through her. It didn’t cause her to shift, however. Probably, not strong enough.
Rell’s patience was already hanging by a damn thread, and Symond snapping it wasn’t exactly surprising.
“What thefuckare you doing?” Rell snapped, his grip on Elora loosening slightly as he turned fully toward Symond.
“Trying to help,” Symond said with a shrug. “Clearly, she’s not cooperating.”
Rell didn’t even have time to respond before Elora lunged.
Her rage was instant,explosive. A snarl ripped from her throat as she tore free from Rell’s grip and tackled Symond. He barely got his arms up in time to stop her claws from tearing into his face. She slammed him back against the barn wall hard enough that dust shook loose from the rafters.
"Youpsycho—" he snapped. Symond grunted, trying to shove her off, but she was fast—too fast. She dodged his counter like she saw it coming before he even moved, her claws flashing in the moonlight as she pressed him harder into the wall.
“I amnotsome fucking experiment for you to poke at,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
Rell took a step back, crossing his arms as he watched the two of them tear into each other. He wasn’t exactlyconcerned. Sure, Elora was stronger in her shifted form, but Symond was quicker than he looked, and even exhausted, the bastard had an impressive mean streak. They were evenly matched in the worst way possible.
Vye came up beside him, watching with mild disapproval. “We should probably stop them.”
Rell raised a brow, glancing at her. “Fuck no. He deserves it. Besides, this is probably good for them. You know what they say—only two ways to solve tension like this.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
Rell chuckled. “I mean, look at them,” he gestured lazily toward the fight.
