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Another step. Inhale. Exhale.

The crackle of Daxen’s voice in my ear. The sound of his chair rolling across the floor in the security room. Gav’s breaths behind me—solid and sure. Air brushing gently against my skin as Gav moves, aiming his gun, guarding my back in case we missed something. The sound of my boots against the concrete. My breaths, steady and sure. Dust floating through the dim light of the warehouse. The steady drip, drip of water to my right.

The metal door sliding shut, cutting off the air filtering in, the cool, crisp scent of early spring.

Another step. Inhale.

My boots on concrete. My breaths, steady and sure.

Exhale.

Dust floating through the dim light of the warehouse. My boots on concrete. The drip, drip of water⁠—

Another step.

My boots on concrete. Dust in the air. The crackle of Daxen’s voice over comms.

Inhale.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Exhale.

The metal door sliding shut.

Another step.

My boots. Breaths. Dust. Gav.

Inhale.

The metal door sliding shut.

Exhale.

Cutting off the air from outside. Cutting off the crisp, cool scent of early spring⁠—

Inhale.

Ozone and lavender and amber and ozone and lavender and amber and ozone⁠—

Protect. Protect. PROTECT.

I gasp, stumbling down the final step and catching myself against the concrete wall. I hear Silas speaking, but it’s like he’s underwater, the words all garbled and senseless as everything from that moment crystallizes with blinding clarity.

I was right. Fates, I was right! Fear was never my immediate reaction to the scent of Idril’s blood. Not even close. It was⁠—

It was a blinding, primal, protective instinct. The overwhelming need to defend whatever—or whoever—that blood belonged to. An urge so intuitive, so fucking compelling, that my Curse went from 0 to 1000 just to ensure any potential threat could be swiftly eradicated.

And because I’ve spent half a millennium terrified of losing control just like I did that night, my brain decided to focus on the horror while ignoring the initial emotion—the catalyst.

Gods… I failed Idril before I ever even saw her face.

“Vae!” Silas’s voice slices through my internal spiral, and my eyes snap open. When the hell did I close my eyes?

Silas is shaking me, hands on my shoulders, voice frantic. I turn and glare at him over my shoulder, and he releases me, stumbling back with his hand on his chest.

“What the fuck, Vae?”