Steel slammed into steel with the force of a siege weapon, the spikes meeting through flesh and bone before the two slabs finished closing. The old man disappeared between them instantly. What burst out from the edges was not a body anymore, but a violent spray of blood, shattered fragments, and torn cloth driven outward by the pressure of the trap. Warm droplets crossed the distance and struck Kael's boots, Christy's legs, and the lower edge of Hakim's robes. A piece of broken dagger spun once across the stone before landing near the entrance, its blade still slick with blood.
For several seconds, none of them spoke.
