The forest trembled beneath the shockwave of Silver's dive. Wind screamed around me as we dropped like a comet. Leaves tore free from branches.
Marcus Holt didn't hesitate. The moment Silver's crimson beam forced him down through the trees, he burst out from the ruin of shattered trunks like a missile of cold fury.
His cloak burned away from the wind pressure, revealing glinting armor underneath, marked with the Holt insignia.
His eyes locked onto me.
"You," Marcus growled, voice edged with disbelief. "Billion Ironhart"
I stood on Silver's back, my shirt flapping on me in the air's rush, and met his gaze without blinking. I could see it—the moment his surprise shifted into intent.
He wasn't here to talk.
Marcus vanished in a blur, and my instincts screamed.
I reacted before thought. My hand whipped behind my back and my staff materialized with a surge of Essence—sleek, violet with glowing runes down its shaft. The moment it settled in my grip, I swung it forward.
