Page 78 of Sunsplitter

Then stilled, as the red edge of an energy spear pressed her throat.

Ixli moved swift as wind. Silent as moonbeams. The base of her weapon looked unassuming, a metal pole shaft. She Shaped the blade out of energy, a spear tip as long as his forearm. She’d visited him once during his travel years, a world closer to the Contested Planes, where derived daeyari were more common. A midnight walk, interrupted by a beast, its reincarnated form twisted to mimic a massive boar.

Ixli’s spear had skewered its thick hide like parchment, sending it fleeing.

Now, she stood between Syvr and Fionamara, weapon raised and glower lethal. When Fionamara growled back, Antal had to be the one to raise a hand, brokering peace.

“Ixli,” he pleaded.

She didn’t soften. Fuck. That used to work.

Behind her came another wheeze.

“Syvr.” Ixli extinguished her spear blade, stowing the shaft against her back as she knelt.

Syvr leaned hard on one knee, breath rasped, hand pressed to their chest. They pounded a fist to their sternum. Coughed. Held up a finger. Red energy snapped over the edges of the wound, knitting it closed.

Syvr was being alittledramatic. Antal had been stabbed in the chest before—an even earlier tryst than Ixli, a fierce misunderstanding about a missed date. For daeyari, a blade to their false heart was unpleasant. Not fatal.

Fionamara knew that. She glared down at her victim.

Merciless Void. They hadn’t even gotten to introductions.

“Why is shehere?” Ixli seethed. “Your vavraesa has worthless instincts, Antal, sticking daggers into daeyari. As if she’s not made of twigs and tissue paper.”

Fionamara tensed. Antal tightened his grip on her waist as if his life depended on it.

“Well, excuse me,” Fionamara snarled. “Tell him to—”

“They.” Syvr coughed, still clutching their chest.

Fionamara blinked. “What?”

“They,” Syvr rasped. “Please.”

“Well,theycan keeptheirfucking hands tothemself!”

“Noted. And thank you.”

“Antal.” Avroz slid into the conversation like a knife. His pointed look finally silenced Syvr’s coughing. A daggered glare at Fionamara made her show her teeth.

“Control your human,” Avroz ordered.

Veshri’s fangs. If only Antal knew how.

“Control her?” Ixli stood, tail high and thrashing. Antal had never seen her bare her teeth like that to Avroz. “She shouldn’t be here.”

“Calm your scant tits, Ixli,” Syvr said. “I’m fine.”

They stood. A slow venture, but a deep breath and a spit of blood steadied them. “See? Fine.” They eyed Fionamara with a grin. “This one’s fast with a dagger. I’ll remember that. Syvr, by the way. We haven’t met?”

They held out a hand.

Fionamara stared at it like a venomous snake.

Daeyari didn’t shake hands in greeting. Antal had certainly never shaken hers. But Syvr travelled across enough Planes to be well-versed in local gestures. Wary, Antal released her. Fionamara lifted her chin.

“Fi.” She grabbed Syvr’s hand with visible ferocity. A challenge. Like everything with her.