Rhydan’s POV
Rhydan moved before thought caught up.
His hand snapped out, grabbing Aurenya’s wrist the second the creature reached for her.
“Don’t,” he said sharply.
The word wasn’t just warning.
It was command.
The air around them reacted instantly—pressure shifting, crackling like something unseen had just been disturbed.
The creature paused.
Its hand hovered inches from Aurenya’s face.
And then it slowly turned its gaze to Rhydan.
For the first time, there was something like irritation there.
“You interfere as if she is not already halfway gone.”
Rhydan’s jaw tightened. “She’s not going anywhere.”
But even as he said it, he felt it.
Aurenya wasn’t resisting him.
Not fully.
Her wrist was warm in his grip, but her body felt… distant. Like she was standing slightly out of p
