"Get back."
Auri flinched at the warning tone in Darius' voice. The final bandit had fallen to the ground, but the battle was far from over. Not with the arrival of a mage who moved with confident strides.
Darius shifted forward, his blade angled low.
The wind stirred again, curling around the mage like a serpent. Then she smiled as if she's enjoying a performance.
"Well, well. Who do we have here?" she said, her grin widening. "I thought I'd have to send a ransom note first for you to come. But here you are, barging into our hideout in the middle of the night to rescue your lover. How touching."
"Wait, lover?" Auri frowned in confusion, unable to wrap his mind around her words. "What the hell are you talking about?"
From his side, Hawad coughed and groaned while clutching his side.
The mage blinked at them before breaking into a maniacal laugh. "Oh, am I wrong? Apologies. I was told that merchant is your lover. Don't worry, I don't judge. You don't need to hide it from me."
