Round 100

The binding pulsed between them like a second heartbeat gone wrong—discordant, unstable, each beat sending fresh waves of shared sensation across the connection. Jeane stood at the bottom of the stairs, dark wings half-spread for balance, one hand extended upward in offer of support that felt more like a lifeline than assistance. Her crimson eyes glinted in the dim light as they met Halie's gaze, reading the suspicion there and knowing it was justified even if inconvenient timing. "The binding is compromised," she said flatly, voice barely above a whisper. "Not broken yet, but close enough that we need to move quickly if we want to maintain control." She glanced toward the distant end of the corridor where an ornate door stood partially ajar. "Unless you'd rather wait here for Zha'thik to find us?" Halie's jaw tightened. "Define 'compromised.' And explain why I shouldn't just banish both of you right now before this gets worse."