Twelve of them.
Arthur counted fast. They came from three directions, closing the circle slow and deliberate, the way things moved when they knew their prey had nowhere to go.
No eyes. Spines exposed. Four legs bent wrong.
He counted again. Twelve.
Theodore pulled his notes and pen out of his bag and shoved them into the sling. Both hands came up, palms open.
Kreasial was already set.
Shit.
Arthur looked at his own hands.
I can't use Hellshade. Not openly. Not here.
'You'll die if you don't!' Vexis hissed.
Then Kreasial laughed. Short and mean.
"I'll hit you if you don't move." Ice shards flew from her palm, clean and fast. Three crawlers hit the ground before they finished their step.
Theodore fired without a word. His magic was barely visible. A thin displacement of air, a clean line through space. The crawler it passed through made a sound and dropped sideways and didn't get up.
Arthur raised both hands.
Slow. Careful.
