Gorak gritted his teeth and leaned his entire body weight away from the spatial tear. The crystal plating on his arm groaned under the intense gravitational pull. "Grab the boy. He is trying to eat my arm."
Gulag walked closer and scooped the infant up by his waist. She pinned his tiny arms against his sides to break his line of sight. The spatial rift snapped shut instantly. Deprived of his target, the boy opened his mouth and shrieked at the sudden interruption.
Gorak stumbled backward and massaged his glowing wrist. Glancing upward, he watched Gulag cradle the thrashing child. They stared at each other across the ruined tiles.
Krug stepped forward to lift the boy from Gulag's arms, retrieving the dropped tungsten ring from the paving stones. He placed the alloy directly into the infant's hands. The child bit down on the metal immediately, causing violet sparks to dance across his gums and fade into the toy.
