Noel sat inside the broken building, resting against a fractured pillar while keeping his attention split between the room and the sounds outside.
Three people were unconscious.
Clara lay with her head resting on Selene's lap, her breathing slow and steady. Selene hadn't moved, one hand lightly placed near Clara's shoulder, eyes never leaving her face. A few steps away, the rescued boy and girl lay on the cold floor, their chains gone, their breathing calm. Noel watched them carefully, alert for any sign of trouble.
From outside, voices carried in through the street.
"So… what happened here?" Laziel's voice echoed first. "This looks worse than what we dealt with on the other island."
Elyra answered him without hesitation. "It was Noel," she said dryly. "So I doubt anyone came out completely intact."
Elena laughed softly at that, the sound light with relief.
Before any of them entered, a black blur leapt through the doorway.
Noir was the first inside.
