"Don't move!"
Lucien's voice cut through the air like a whip as he dove forward, tackling the rogue standing over Pierce's lifeless corpse.
"Lucien!" Emerald called after him, but it was already too late.
The assassin snarled, twisting like a feral animal, but Lucien had already wrenched the dagger from his grip and flung it aside. It clattered loudly against the dungeon wall, echoing through the stone corridor.
The rogue bucked beneath him, claws flashing and teeth snapping, but Lucien slammed him down again with brutal force, hard enough to make the floor shudder.
Emerald dropped to her knees beside Pierce, her hands trembling as she pressed her fingers to his throat, then to his wrist, searching… hoping for anything at all.
"No pulse," she announced grimly, breath catching in her throat.
His eyes were wide open, glassy and vacant. His chest wasn't rising or falling.
She swallowed hard. "He's gone."
