He swung, hitting her extended claw, rather than run headlong into it. What followed was a short, violent melee, as Love Lost fought blind at first, swiping and lacerating chest, stomach, then arm. She got swatted across the scalp, and this prompted her to open her eyes, maybe thinking she needed to do it to save herself. She froze mid-swipe.

Valefor twisted around, pointing at me. Love Lost leaped, using Valefor’s shoulder as a springboard. I chucked the concrete at Valefor, and met Love Lost in the air. Juliette froze Love Lost, and I had to catch her and ease her to the ground to keep her from falling in a dangerous way.

It was Colt, in her breaker form, who broke out of the cover she’d taken, slicing through, then dropping out of her breaker form to tackle Valefor.

Bleeding from where the concrete I’d chucked had hit him, bleeding more from where Love Lost had caught him with her claws, he snarled curse words, and in the midst of them, he used his voice as a power, aiming it at her.

“Die!” he directed the words at Colt.

She stumbled back, twisted, and no doubt looked for the most convenient place to throw herself. A jutting row of rebar spikes.

I intercepted her, tackled her, and threw my hands around my ears to muffle all sounds. I twisted around to look, and kept my gaze below Valefor’s shoulders. He’d stopped moving, but not because of Juliette.

A bullwhip encircled his throat. He grunted, veins standing out from rage and lack of circulation both, hands fumbling.

“Do I?” Rain asked.

My turn to answer.

Aware of Colt, I nodded.

The silver blade caught Valefor around the middle. Chastity pulled him off balance, and he landed firmly and uncomfortably in a sitting position atop a jagged heap of concrete. The concrete didn’t matter as much as the solid landing, which made the silver line split.

Upper half slid from lower half with an audible sucking sound.

Chastity had to get close to unwind her whip from Valefor’s neck. I just focused on Colt, waiting to see if the instruction would wear off. When Rain was able enough, I let him take over, while I flew into the air, ready to intercept any incoming fire.

There was less dust now, and there were still a lot of thralls, albeit distant ones. More thralls on the same level as us, but they had to expose themselves by standing on the highest heaps or otherwise weave through the valleys and tunnels that the debris made until they were close enough.

But they were getting close. We needed to bail.

Valefor’s power wasn’t fading. Chastity opted to walk up and slap Colt unconscious. A moment later, she slapped Colt awake.

Reset button, it seemed.

We were alright. Valefor was dealt with.

But the way ahead was long and violent.