No, wait, Soraya thought, eyes widening when she realized the nightdemon wasn’t biting at her own appendage, but at the metal clamps themselves, the metal shrieking as though being sharpened on a whetstone.

A moment later, impossibly, she was free, still bleeding profusely from the wound but not slowed by the pain or damage, bounding toward the group of shocked soldiers who resumed their shouts, except now they were full of panic as they fumbled swords they didn’t expect to need from sheaths and the archers amongst them clumsily nocked arrows to bowstrings.

SNAP-SNAP-SNAP!

Three more traps were sprung beneath the power and speed of the nightdemon’s rampage, but two missed their mark, kicked away in her wake, while the third caught only her tail, rattling along behind her with the rest of the chains and cinder blocks that she was already dragging. Arrows were loosed, biting into her flesh, but she was not to be denied her fury, barreling into the line of men who were instantly scattered, several thrown back by a buck of her head and others mauled by her claws.

Sunny was clinging to Soraya’s side, fingers digging into her, face buried into her neck, causing Soraya to have to concentrate lest her Ability send her spiraling into the depths of the woman’s mind. “It’s too much, far too much.”

“I know,” Soraya said. “But we have to—we have to be strong. For her. It’s the only thing left we can do.”

Soraya was surprised when her own feet obeyed her, moving forward. Sunny continued to cling to her for support, but step by step, she detached herself, until she too was striding forward into the unknown, no plan in either of their minds but to be there for their friend in whatever capacity they were needed.

Ahead of them, the soldiers were either dead, grievously wounded, or fleeing. Except one. Soraya recognized him immediately by the way he stood, that unwavering confidence as to his place in the world, believing, whether foolishly or otherwise, that he couldn’t be defeated by a terror of the night any more than he could be struck down by any other enemy.

Flesh bristling with arrows that had found their mark, the nightdemon lashed out at him with her teeth, but he danced back, using slashes of his sword to ward her off. She struck again, but this time he sidestepped neatly and thrust his blade into her side. She squealed and twisted away, tail snapping. The metal trap still attached to her moved with it, crashing into the commander and sending him tumbling away.

The nightdemon didn’t finish him off, but instead finally seemed to comprehend the extent of her wounds that had been capped off by the sword blow. Through the night she ran, making for the shadowy protection of the forest.

“Seela?” Sunny said, sounding confused.