Cain didn't flinch.
The new stability humming under his skin felt like a taut wire pulled straight. Not comfortable. Not familiar. But strong. Coherent. His pulse synced with something deeper—like another rhythm beating beneath his own.
The envoy glided forward. "You return changed," he said. His voice was smoother now, almost reverent. "Show me what touched you."
Cain cracked his knuckles. "Come find out."
The envoy thrust the spear.
Cain moved faster than he expected—faster than physics would've allowed him a day ago. He tilted aside, the spear skimming past his ribs in a burst of heat, then drove an elbow into the envoy's jaw. Bone—or whatever passed for bone in the Fallen—cracked. The envoy staggered.
The other two reacted instantly.
The first stretched out its hand and sent a wide arc of force toward Cain. The second dove from above, claws extended, aiming to rake across his spine.
"Mara!" Cain shouted.
