The construct's foot came down where Selena had been lying a half-second earlier, and only wasn't where she was anymore because Baldric had gotten his good arm under her shoulder and hauled her sideways with a grunt that cost him something in his cracked ribs. Stone shattered where she'd been. Selena stared at the hand still gripping her arm like it belonged to something she couldn't quite name.
"Don't," Baldric said, already letting go, already turning to meet the thing bearing down on both of them. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you."
"I wasn't going to." Selena was on her feet before the ground had finished settling, halberd back in hand, ice already spreading again beneath her boots. "You did it because you couldn't stand watching something die in front of you without trying to stop it. Even this. Even now."
