When Elena delivered the final blow, the Petal Monster collapsed into a heap of shredded leaves and broken vines.
Ren was about to move forward when a nasal voice suddenly came from somewhere deeper inside the greenhouse.
"Stop."
The voice sounded strangely congested, as though its owner had been suffering from the worst case of sinus trouble imaginable.
Ren and Elena turned toward the source.
A woman stepped out from behind a curtain of hanging vines.
She looked almost human at first glance, though there was something distinctly otherworldly about her. Her features carried the unmistakable elegance of elvish blood, while various leaves, vines, and small flowers were woven into her clothing and hair.
Her expression wasn't angry.
If anything, she seemed more annoyed than furious.
"I feared my Petal Monster had grown too aggressive for its own good," she remarked, looking at the shredded remains scattered across the floor.
Elena sheathed her knives.
Ren relaxed slightly.
