Round 62

Halie moved to stand behind Silra's chair, close enough to see the elf's precise work on the schematics but careful to maintain distance from Jeane's watchful presence. The building rumbled again—a low growl that vibrated through the floorboards—and Halie put her hand on Silra's shoulder, a gesture not possessive but firm and grounding. "Silra," she said, quiet but clear, "you're brilliant at this. But we can't afford another failure." Her eyes flicked to Jeane for just a second—enough to show she saw the succubus circling like a predator before returning to her friend's face. "If your machine doesn't work..."