The exchange continued, a tense dance of words and hidden intentions. The serpentine woman, her patience wearing thin, demanded more, her voice laced with a growing threat.
Isla, her mind racing, offered another fragment of Elara's knowledge, a carefully crafted illusion designed to mislead.
Suddenly, the woman lunged, her obsidian nails flashing. "Enough of your tricks!" she hissed, her voice a venomous snarl. "You withhold the true power!"
She seized Isla, her grip tightening, her serpentine form coiling around her like a constricting serpent. "You thought you could deceive me?" she hissed, her breath hot against Isla's ear. "I can sense the lies on your tongue!"
Kai, roused by the commotion, struggled to his feet, his sword wavering in his grasp. He watched in horror as the woman tightened her grip on Isla, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You broke our bargain!" Isla cried, her voice strained.
The woman laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the trees. "Bargains are for fools," she hissed. "I take what I want."
The sting of betrayal was sharp, a bitter taste in Isla's mouth.