"Who was it?" Solomon demanded, his teeth gritted. He cradled his broken wrist against his chest, pushing one toe out to find the cane he'd dropped and then stooping to pick it up with his other hand.
"Tesseract," Vex said grimly.
"He's after Marr." It was the last thing he'd seen in that soul's intent, through the heat-shimmer of Dexter's shield. He found the cane and straightened, and the shield dissolved into a wash of other souls. People all over the Sanctuary were panicking. Most of them were headed toward the Grand Mage's office or toward the exit. Solomon slammed his fist against the wall, his touch and voice activating the internal communication wards. "Angels to the interrogation rooms."
It was going to take time for them to get there, if they were already responding to another call near Corrival's office and needed to make their way through the crowd of frightened employees. Solomon set off toward the interrogation rooms, his mouth a thin, pained line at the jolt each step put in his bad hand and radiated down his arm. He breathed evenly, took in the pain, and then put it firmly aside. A moment later he felt Dexter's presence at his side, one hand on his elbow to keep him straight.
"I don't know if you noticed this, but you have a broken wrist," Vex pointed out almost conversationally. "Do you really want to go up against a trained assassin with a broken wrist?"
"I will not be used as another distraction," Solomon growled. He was tired of being the weak link, tired of being the reason something couldn't happen. They were the nearest people to the interrogation rooms. If nothing else, maybe Vex could keep Tesseract from escaping with his shields.
They reached the door to the interrogation room just in time for Solomon to see Marr's soul sharpened to a clear point in the lifestream, her expression terrified. Then she was washed away, salt dissolving in water. All that was left in the room was Tesseract's quicksilver and Tanith's even heartbeat. She was already aiming to attack again. They couldn't just block the door to keep Tesseract from getting out.
Dexter left him by the jamb and paralleled Tanith on Tesseract's other side, his energy-beam charging in his hands, fired toward the assassin as a distraction.
no subject
"Tesseract," Vex said grimly.
"He's after Marr." It was the last thing he'd seen in that soul's intent, through the heat-shimmer of Dexter's shield. He found the cane and straightened, and the shield dissolved into a wash of other souls. People all over the Sanctuary were panicking. Most of them were headed toward the Grand Mage's office or toward the exit. Solomon slammed his fist against the wall, his touch and voice activating the internal communication wards. "Angels to the interrogation rooms."
It was going to take time for them to get there, if they were already responding to another call near Corrival's office and needed to make their way through the crowd of frightened employees. Solomon set off toward the interrogation rooms, his mouth a thin, pained line at the jolt each step put in his bad hand and radiated down his arm. He breathed evenly, took in the pain, and then put it firmly aside. A moment later he felt Dexter's presence at his side, one hand on his elbow to keep him straight.
"I don't know if you noticed this, but you have a broken wrist," Vex pointed out almost conversationally. "Do you really want to go up against a trained assassin with a broken wrist?"
"I will not be used as another distraction," Solomon growled. He was tired of being the weak link, tired of being the reason something couldn't happen. They were the nearest people to the interrogation rooms. If nothing else, maybe Vex could keep Tesseract from escaping with his shields.
They reached the door to the interrogation room just in time for Solomon to see Marr's soul sharpened to a clear point in the lifestream, her expression terrified. Then she was washed away, salt dissolving in water. All that was left in the room was Tesseract's quicksilver and Tanith's even heartbeat. She was already aiming to attack again. They couldn't just block the door to keep Tesseract from getting out.
Dexter left him by the jamb and paralleled Tanith on Tesseract's other side, his energy-beam charging in his hands, fired toward the assassin as a distraction.