The knife was cold against Aegis's throat.
Sylceris's face was inches from hers, close enough that Aegis could see the flecks of gold in her dark eyes. Her arm wasn't shaking. No hesitation, no nerves.
[Okay. Think. You're not spurting blood from your jugular, so this isn't as simple as it seems.]
Aegis didn't move. She didn't flinch, didn't reach for Ruby or Sapphire, didn't try to activate Aether Step. She just stood there, tilted her head slightly to the side, and let the silence hang for a beat.
Then two.
"Hell of a first impression," Aegis said.
Sylceris didn't laugh. She didn't smile. But she didn't press the blade harder, either, and that told Aegis everything she needed to know.
This was a threat, not a kill order.
[Good. I can work with threats.]
"You've got some nerve," Sylceris said, her voice low, "calling out a shadow mage while standing in a hallway with no guards and no weapon drawn."
