She jammed her thumb into the soft gap beneath his helmet.
He grunted and loosened his hold.
Tess ducked under his arm and ran.
She made it three steps before a red barrier slammed into her chest.
The impact threw her backward.
She hit the floor again, air gone from her lungs.
The robed man stood beside the ritual circle with both hands raised. Red lines wrapped around his wrists.
"You cannot leave the chamber," he said.
Tess coughed. "I just did."
"You crossed one pace."
"Still counts."
He moved his fingers.
The barrier tightened around her ribs.
Tess felt pressure crushing her from every side. Her boots scraped over the stone, but she could not get enough air to stand.
"The more you resist," the robed man said, "the more painful the deletion will be."
"You keep saying deletion like it sounds less awful than murder."
"You are not alive by our law."
"Funny. My cheek is bleeding. My ribs hurt. I can hear you being a complete asshole. Sounds alive to me."
The officials behind him began arguing.
"The blade failed twice."
"The summon is producing unauthorized responses."
"Call the Academy."
"No. The council wants the chamber sealed."
Tess forced herself onto one elbow. The red barrier squeezed tighter.
"You said no stats," she gasped. "How am I using magic?"
The robed man looked annoyed by the question.
"You are not using magic. You are corrupting it."
"That sounds useful."
"It is dangerous."
"So is chopping people up. Yet here we are."
The woman in black armor finally stepped forward.
The chamber quieted around her.
The robed man lowered his hands. "Battle-Mage Varka, stay out of this."
"You have already tried the purge blade twice," she said. Her voice was calm and low. "The third attempt will damage the summoning seal."
"The seal is irrelevant if the vessel is removed."
"The royal seal is under the vessel's body. If you crack it, the backlash will reach the lower wards."
"Then contain it."
"You want me to contain a ritual explosion while your guards hold down a glitch?"
The robed man hesitated.
Tess noticed.
The woman had not raised her voice. She did not need to. The room listened anyway.
Tess pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Battle-Mage Varka, right?"
The woman's attention shifted to her.
Tess could breathe again. Barely.
"What?"
"You keep saying things that make sense. I like that."
"I didn't ask for your approval."
"Nobody asks for mine either. We have a lot in common."
Varka's gaze dropped to the blood on Tess's cheek.
It stayed there for one second too long.
Tess caught it.
So did Varka.
Her jaw tightened.
"Get up," Varka said.
Tess glanced at the barrier around her. "Sure. The invisible crushing cage makes that a little hard."
"Mage, lower the restraint."
"She is a failed summon."
"Lower it."
The robed man looked from Varka to the council members. "You are overstepping."
Varka touched the hilt of her sword.
The room changed.
The guards went still. Even the officials stopped whispering.
"Lower it," she repeated, "or I remove your hands from the spell myself."
The robed man swallowed. His fingers moved.
The barrier loosened.
Tess rolled onto her knees and sucked in a painful breath.
"Better," she said.
Varka walked toward her.
Each step was quiet. Controlled. She moved like she had already decided where every person in the chamber would fall if things got ugly.
Tess stayed on one knee, watching her approach.
"Are you going to help me?" Tess asked.
"No."
"That was fast."
"I'm going to determine whether you can be controlled."
"And if I can't?"
"Then I will stop you."
Varka stopped close enough that Tess could feel the heat coming off her armor. The black metal was warm from the spellwork beneath it. A clean, sharp scent clung to her gloves, like crushed herbs and smoke.
Tess looked up at her. "You always introduce yourself by threatening people?"
"Only when they are dangerous."
"You don't even know me."
"I know you survived the purge blade."
"It missed."
"It doesn't miss."
"Your robe guy said that too. Maybe teach him to aim."
A small muscle moved near Varka's cheek.
Not a smile. Almost one.
Tess saw it and smiled despite the blood drying on her face. "Was that a joke?"
"No."
"You almost made one."
"Stand."
"Ask nicely."
Varka bent down and caught Tess by the front of her torn robe. The motion was quick enough to steal Tess's breath again. Varka pulled her upright until their faces were inches apart.
Tess's back met the pillar.
The woman's grip tightened at her chest. Leather pressed into Tess's throat without cutting off her air. Varka's other hand braced beside Tess's head.
"Stand," Varka said near her ear. "Or I carry you out."
Tess could feel her breath against the side of her face. Warm. Steady. Annoyingly calm.
"You could carry me?"
"Easily."
"You don't look that strong."
Varka's eyes sharpened.
Tess regretted the words for about half a second.
Then Varka lifted her one inch off the floor.
Tess's boots scraped uselessly against the stone.
"Okay," Tess said. "Point made. Put me down."
Varka lowered her, but she did not release the robe.
"You talk too much."
"You touch people too much."
"I haven't touched you nearly enough to control you."
The words landed between them.
Tess stopped breathing for a beat.
Varka's gaze dropped to her mouth, then snapped back to her eyes. The pause was tiny, but Tess felt it like a spark on bare skin.
Tess lifted her chin. "Was that supposed to scare me?"
"It was a warning."
"Try again."
Varka leaned closer.
The pressure of her hand shifted. Tess's robe pulled tight across her shoulders. Their boots nearly touched.
"You don't know what room you're in," Varka said. "You don't know who summoned you. You don't know what the System can do. You have no class, no weapon, no allies, and less than thirty days before the council erases you."
"You memorized my timer?"
"I read faster than you talk."
"That wasn't an answer."
"You are not in a position to demand answers."
Tess pushed against Varka's wrist. The woman did not move.
"Then maybe I should make a better position."
"With what?"
Tess glanced toward the fallen purge blade.
The robed man saw it too.
"Kill her!" he shouted. "Now!"
The guard with the burned hand grabbed the silver blade.
Varka turned her head. "Don't."
The guard froze.
"She is council property," the robed man snapped. "Your authority ends at the ritual floor."
Varka's eyes stayed on the guard. "Touch the blade and lose the hand you have left."