The bullet struck Della in the shoulder with a sickening crack, the force knocking her off her feet.
She hit the ground hard, gasping as pain bloomed across her upper chest like wildfire. Before she could move, Alexander was on top of her, shielding her with his body, eyes blazing.
Another shot rang out.
A third.
But the bullets never landed.
A shimmer of white light cut through the air. The second bullet froze mid-flight, quivering like a trapped insect, then dropped to the floor with a harmless metallic clink. The third fizzled out in midair, melted by a ripple of spellfire.
"Great," Rhea muttered from across the room, lowering her glowing hand. Her eyes flared silver-blue as the energy faded from her fingertips. "The bitch can teleport. That sucks. I was really in the mood to crack some ribs."
She stalked forward, scanning the room, magic still vibrating off her skin like electricity. "Everyone okay?"
Tina was already kneeling beside Della. "Della, talk to me."
