Sabine shrieked with genuine fright at Arinette's magic. Her ward barely held. In the previous fight, she had been able to ward Arinette while braced on the ground and not splitting her own attention. Here, she was attempting to many spells at once.

The light of the ward contracted and winked out in the instant Sabine turned into a raven.

She had not cast the spell properly.

A black shape fluttered barely two metres from the branch before a flash of green imposed Sabine back into a Breton in mid air. She fell flat on the ground. The control rod bounced out of her hands. She turned her face up, pressed her eyes shut, held her hands up and shouted. "STOP! Please!"

The ground smelled of alchemy as a healing potion skin, ruptured from the fall, leaked from her bag.

Tears trickled from the corners of Sabine's eyes. "I give up."

Sabine knew she had no chance to fight her way out, even if it was just her and Arinette. She kept her eyes closed for fear of seeing the blow that would kill her, if and when it came.