Hajin shoved the next hostile pulse toward the new passage joining his pinky band to his own circulation.
The current bucked once before the route opened beneath it, dragging its pressure off the hand pinned against the crystal. He kept the opening narrow while the trace settled inside the vessel, testing whether another could follow without tearing him.
'In it goes, and it stays apart from my flow, so don't turn one trace into a stupid flood.'
He widened the route only when its returning strain eased, pulling pressure off both neighboring blades at once.
Elise's shoulders dropped as her rapier stopped trembling, and Sable finally dragged in a breath without choking it short.
"It's going into him," came Elise's cracked whisper, her eyes darting from the blade's contact point to his palm.
"I'm steering it, I'm steering it, so nobody add a damn thing yet," he gritted out, locking his wrist while the red glare thinned around it.
