Shlrrrkk!
The sound of tearing flesh filled the air.
Vivienne's eyes went wide.
Blood bubbled up from her lips, spilling down her chin.
Alaric's eyes narrowed. His head snapped down, looking at her stomach.
A tail.
Long, sinuous, ending in a wickedly sharp point—like a scorpion's stinger—peeking out from Vivienne's abdomen. It had punched clean through from behind, the tip dripping crimson.
As he watched, it retracted with a wet squelch.
Vivienne made a strangled sound. More blood poured from her mouth.
Alaric's gaze followed the tail as it withdrew, tracking its path to a figure.
Standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, silhouetted against the breaking clouds. The tail swayed behind her, playful and deadly.
"Hi!" The voice was bright, cheerful, childish, completely at odds with what had just happened.
Alaric released Vivienne. She crumpled to the ground, gasping weakly, clutching her stomach. Her consciousness was slipping, blood pooling beneath her.
