The boy flinched as the blood-curdling shriek vibrated through the air, pulling his arm away momentarily in fear and causing a brief interruption in the Master’s sigil. The act drew a low huff of frustration from the woman—though she did not seem truly affected. She spared Ren a short, assessing stare when she was addressed, but no words were exchanged. Lady Holt merely smirked arrogantly and returned to her work, fingers buzzing quickly as she completed the spell etched into flesh.

The bolt from Delwyn whizzed through the air confidently until it missed its mark, beginning to tumble as it spun downward and struck the ground with a soft thud, proving completely ineffective against the undead woman’s speed. That did not matter to him. His grip tightened on his blade as he closed the distance between himself and the subject of his now-augmented hatred.

In that moment, two things happened: Felicity’s cry of pain as the vampire blurred forward, and Delwyn shifting to his right, exposing his left side to avoid a projectile. As the vampiress opened a wound in the woman, Lyselle paired it with a thrown knife aimed at Delwyn, forcing him into a weaker position. The bonded huntress did not know of the man’s vulnerability—she only meant to catch him off guard, leaving a far greater opening for her lover than she realized.

Then, in the brief moment while Ren was still returning—using her own enhanced speed—Lyselle hurled another blade toward Seraphine. It spun through the air gracefully, and Lyselle knew the Master would evade it, but it forced her to abandon the sigil’s final strokes, buying them precious time. It was only moments away though.

She felt the air come alive as Renaissance returned, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. It was like warm electricity caressing her skin before the message itself reached her.

[i]“We move together. They’ll try to separate us, pick us off individually. They don’t know how connected we are… The bond is our strength.”[/i]

A quick glance flicked toward the dark goddess, surprise flashing across Lyselle’s face at how clearly she heard it, before her focus snapped back to the battlefield.

The huntress took quick inventory as she shifted her weight, getting ready to fight up close—no more than a blink’s worth. Delwyn was within striking range of Ren. Felicity, teeth grit, was pushing through the pain and advancing once more. And Holt continued carving her rune into the boy’s skin, moments away from freeing all four to join the fight.