Northern leaped as quickly as he could away from the swelling ball of essence, grabbing Alystren and Ryan and throwing them clear with incredibly quick reflexes.
He didn't wait for Alystren's shocked reaction or Ryan's nonchalance before darting toward the violent vortex.
As it swelled, it raged, viciously sucking everything into it. It was like a sentient vortex—a black hole—wanting to devour every single thing around it.
The only difference was that this wasn't a black hole. This was a blue, flaming one.
"Jeci, Lynus."
As Northern called their names, two blurs flashed out of his shadow and into the swelling energy.
Northern then dissolved into the shadows.
Using Shadow Step, he appeared in the next room, where a woman lay on a comfortable mattress with a wrapped baby gently beside her.
