Sugar's voice cracked slightly, genuine panic flooding her normally controlled magic as she rapidly opened a glowing gate directly behind the creature.
Darithi arrived in that exact heartbeat—tragically too late to intercept the fatal bite, too late to prevent the massive loss of blood—but not too late to kill.
Her sharp blade blurred. No wind. No bright flash. Just a highly compressed, thin vibration screaming violently through the air.
The agile vampire dodged, but barely.
Her perfectly smooth cheek opened up in a very thin, bright red line.
She staggered back, her dark eyes narrowing—exactly like she hadn't expected such fierce, coordinated resistance.
"You really don't know what you're touching," Darithi said completely coldly, her face hollow and terrifying. "He's absolutely not yours to harm."
Eventide's body flickered rapidly beside Sugar. "What is she?! What the hell is she even made of?!"
