Faira gasped as Marianne moved with impossible speed and stood in front of her. The humming ball of flames flared, then shot forward--missing Marianne by a couple inches--as Faira took a slight step back, careful to not step on Rosaline.

	She clenched her fists and forced herself to return the woman’s unsettling stare, willing herself to appear fierce and confident, but her face gave her away. She suppressed a shudder and looked away.

	She inhaled through her nose and closed her eyes, expecting the worst for a “but” when Marianne placed a scythe-claw against her throat. Her free hand twitched as she resisted the urge to grip Marianne’s wrist. The power crackling on the blade brushed unnervingly against Faira’s skin.

	[b]“But don’t ever talk down to me again, alright Faira dear?”[/b]

	Faira opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. “S-so you’ll help?” she whispered, then exhaled heavily as Marianne turned away.

	She felt like she was going to melt into the floor in relief, the sensation of her overeager abilities rising as if to gladly offer that option.

	[i]No,[/i] she scolded, trying to push the desire away as the other two women joined in the fight. [i]There's gotta be [u]something[/u] I can do![/i]

	Not wanting to leave Rosaline--and not entirely sure how much of a help verses a hindrance she would be against the morphing beast in close combat--Faira took a deep breath and raised a hand toward the thing. Her brows knitted together as she concentrated on the shadow the creature cast, willing it to obey her. A portion of the shadow darkened and twitched before the black portion pulled from the ground, forming a dark, mist-like sheet that wrapped around the beast in an attempt to blind it as it went after Scarlet.