Her body jerked, energy draining fast, her breath rasping through gritted teeth. Cubes dimmed at her side, frost faltering as Ravel's thread pulled harder.
He grinned, blood dripping from his split lips, staining his teeth red. "Got you," he rasped, his voice a wet gurgle. His remaining hand clenched, the thread glowing brighter, his vertebrae twitching back into a shaky orbit.
Elias's heart slammed against his ribs, his grip on the railing slick with sweat. He's pulling the same trick, he thought, flashes of Vincent's fight with Randalp searing his mind—three shards, relentless, turning the tide at the last second. She's got to see it coming.
Kikaru's voice cut low beside him. "He's got more up his sleeve. Watch."
Tidwell's smirk was gone, his eyes hard. "She's bleeding too much already."
Elara staggered, her armor splintering, ice flaking off in chunks. Blood trickled from her side, soaking her uniform, her breath puffing white in the frigid air.
