A hush fell over the campfire.
Ren stared at Lilith, his mouth half open in surprise. He supposed that this had been part of the plan, but he hadn't expected her to do that.
As for Thorn, he was frozen in place, his cup still halfway to his lips, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
Lilith stood over the body, her face calm, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. She didn't say a word. Didn't need to.
The rest of the Seven stood slowly, no longer drunk. No longer smiling.
Ren rose, slowly, hands up. "Lilith…"
"She touched you." Lilith said softly.
The fire crackled again.
Everyone just stared, and for one breathless second, no one moved.
Then the camp exploded.
A scream tore through the night as one of the Seven lunged forward, weapon already in hand.
The rest surged into motion, even through the haze of drink. Their discipline hadn't dulled, only slowed by the gin they'd been drinking throughout the night. They were soldiers. Deadly, trained, and now enraged.
