Round 25

Silra moved with predatory grace around the impromptu barrier Halie had established, her teal eyes missing nothing. The contract lay between them on the table—a physical anchor for the tension now thickening the air. "Protection," she repeated, voice cool and analytical as a knife edge. "That's quite a claim. What exactly does that entail? Bulletproof skin? Immunity to disease? Or something more... metaphysical?" Her gaze locked onto Jeane, searching for tells in that perfectly composed expression.

Halie's hands clenched into fists at her sides, the small silver cross at her throat catching what little light filtered through the room's heavy curtains. "I understand you're cautious," she said, voice tight with barely contained alarm. "As you should be. But this isn't about mere physical protection—it's about your spirit, your autonomy." Her eyes darted to where Hera sat watching, then back to Silra. "The way Jeane looks at you... I've seen that hunger before. It's not just about tonight or tomorrow. It's about forever."

Silra's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Forever is a long time, Halie. Especially for an elf." She picked up the contract again, flipping through its pages with deft fingers. "I'm more concerned about the exit clauses right now. How do I end this arrangement if it stops serving my purposes?"