Round 184

Hera moved into the space between them, her voice steady despite the sweat beading on her skin from the oppressive heat. "This isn't helping," she said firmly, stepping fully into the confrontation. She turned to face Jeane, who still had a grip on Halie's wrist. "Both of you stop. We need clear heads, not power plays." Her gaze shifted to Abby, huddled near the window, her face flushed and eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Stay where it's safest," Hera called out, her voice gentle but firm. "We'll figure this out." Then she turned back to Jeane, meeting the succubus's glowing eyes without hesitation. "I'm not here for your games. You're losing control because you're starving that demon side of yours. That's reckless."

Jeane's lips curled into a sneer, her voice dropping to something almost inhumanly smooth. "You think you can command me?" she hissed, the temperature in the room spiking again, easily ten degrees with just her words. The air crackled with barely contained power, and Hera felt it like static electricity dancing across her skin. "The contract is binding, little h..."