The lower edge of Mingyue's held space bent toward Thepes. Frost broke away from the boundary, and her body shifted with the force she was trying to contain.
Alex braced his outer runes against the stable upper edge and fed qi into them. He held the marks there while Mingyue brought her blades closer together beneath them.
"Keep it there," she said.
Alex held the runes in place until Mingyue steadied the space again. The two connections remained separated inside it.
The light woman's fingers tightened around Thepes's wrist. His forearm thinned beneath her grip, and he struck at her face with a blade formed from the blood on his shoulder.
Her head broke into light, but her hand stayed closed around his wrist.
Alex formed his hammer again in his right hand.
He struck her arm at the elbow while keeping the waiting runes in place with his left. The blow scattered the light between her shoulder and wrist.
