••{RHIANNON'S POV}••
A guard runs toward me with his mouth wide open, fangs glinting in the dim corridor light. I barely have time to raise my sword before he slashes at me. I swing, but he jerks back, dodging with a snarl before trying to claw at my chest. I stumble back just in time, but his hand snatches the side of my gown, ripping off a chunk of the fabric.
In that instant, I act, driving my sword right through him. His red eyes widen as his body convulses, then I yank the blade free and swing, severing his head from his shoulders.
I try to catch my breath, but another guard is already behind me. Before I can turn, Nayeesha hurls her hands upward, summoning a gust of wind that hoists him into the air like a ragdoll. She unleashes another blast and he slams across the corridor, crashing into a wall so hard the stone cracks.
