"—What—?!"
Her words were cut short as both she and Dickson were hurled backward with crushing force.
Lilith's back slammed against the very ice wall she had conjured outside. The wall shattered instantly under the combined weight, shards exploding outward. She hit the stone steps hard, her body rolling back down.
Dickson wasn't so lucky. Still gripped in her hand when the impact began, her hold slipped mid-flight. He flew sideways, crashing against the crumpled bumper of the SUV.
"Ughhh—fuck!" he groaned, sliding down to the ground. His ribs screamed in pain, his arms twitching weakly.
Lilith rolled twice down the stone steps before finally catching herself. She slammed her hand against the ground, ice spreading in jagged lines to stop her momentum. Her knees dug into the pavement, her chest rising and falling with sharp breaths.
The impact had rattled her bones, but her eyes burned with fury as she slowly lifted her head.
