Wei Dong moved before anyone else could react, throwing himself between the Warden's next strike and Wei Liang's collapsed form, taking a glancing edge of the qi lance across his shoulder that sent him sprawling but didn't kill him outright.
"Get up," Wei Dong gasped, dragging himself toward his cousin anyway. "You don't get to fold now. Not after everything."
The Warden tilted her head, mild curiosity replacing her earlier calm. "Blood loyalty. How unexpected, from the one who tried to sell him out to Rong not so long ago."
"People change," Wei Dong said through gritted teeth, hauling Wei Liang upright by the collar. "Turns out I'm still figuring out what kind."
Xu's voice returned, shaky but present, fighting through whatever the chamber's mechanism had done to him. "Wei Liang. Liste
