The attack came at two in the morning on Sunday.
I woke to Azryth's hand over my mouth and his voice in my ear, urgent but controlled.
"Don't make a sound, get up slowly. They're in the elevator."
I was awake instantly, adrenaline spiking, I felt his alertness, his battle readiness, his absolute focus.
"Who?" I whispered.
"Bound spirits, military formation, they're coming up." He was already moving, pulling me out of bed, guiding me toward his office. "At least twenty, maybe more."
"Twenty spirits? That's…"
"It's a coordinated attack, must be the Covenant." He opened a hidden panel in his office wall, revealing weapons, actual weapons, blades that glowed with infernal symbols. "They're probably testing our defenses, seeing how we'll respond under pressure."
"How do you know they're in the elevator?"
"The wards alerted me, each floor has sensors, they're rising steadily, fifty-second floor. Fifty-third." He handed me one of the glowing blades. "You know how to use this?"
