"Not on my watch."
Aeliana's vision snapped into focus—
And there he was.
Luca.
Before her.
Standing between her and the Kraken's attack.
His estoc gleamed, locked against the massive tentacle, void-starlight crackling along its edge. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, his coat billowing, his stance unshaken.
Despite the blood dripping from his lips.
Despite the wounds along his ribs.
Despite the fact that he was barely standing.
He was still there.
Aeliana glared at him, her body still wracked with pain, her breath uneven, her cursed veins pulsing with unstable energy—
And yet, her rage burned hotter than all of it.
"You—" she seethed, her voice raw with fury. "You absolute bastard—!"
