De Warden was halfway down the stairs when suddenly—she appeared.
The queen landed on the landing with a heavy thud.
Her sharp, long, clawed talons dug deep into the concrete as if anchoring herself into the very bones of the structure.
The entire staircase shuddered violently under her weight, cracks spider-webbing outward from where she stood.
She shrieked in his face.
The force of the sound sent a visible shockwave rippling outward, slamming into the walls, rattling the metal railings, and blasting dust and debris into the air.
The vibration traveled through the spiraling stairs, through the building, and even through De Warden.
He felt it in the compression of his chest. Felt it in the skin on his face as it ripples like air being blown on still water. And felt it in the clattering of his teeth.
