Oriena had never denied him before. She bit him in anger, not in heat, then released her teeth and shoved him brutally backward. The apartment was tiny. Ori didn’t look back to witness her mother’s expression, but she heard the surprised scrape of a chair. “Ostavaysya vnutri, mama,” she said softly, then she stepped into the hall, pulling the door behind her. It bounced off the weave before she sliced it clean and closed it properly. It didn’t soothe her mood any.
Nox had no right to be here. No clue where here even was, clearly. The anger was hot, sharp, predatory in a way he wouldn’t have seen before. Not careless, not reckless. Protective. She never collided worlds, and Nox had never overstepped. She’d never thought he would. She didn’t doubt he had reasons, and she read the language of desperation clear enough. But for a moment she didn’t trust herself to speak, not without spilling more blood than was already hot on her lips.
Nox had no right to be here. No clue where here even was, clearly. The anger was hot, sharp, predatory in a way he wouldn’t have seen before. Not careless, not reckless. Protective. She never collided worlds, and Nox had never overstepped. She’d never thought he would. She didn’t doubt he had reasons, and she read the language of desperation clear enough. But for a moment she didn’t trust herself to speak, not without spilling more blood than was already hot on her lips.
![[Image: orianderis.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/orianderis.jpg)