The return was a burst of wind and condensed terror. The shrill whistle of their aerial ride cut off as abruptly as it had begun when Elisa, her face drained and streaming with sweat, released her concentration. The spear, freed from the turquoise energy that had borne it, instantly lost its balance and dumped them unceremoniously onto the ground, just a few dozen meters from the defensive perimeter where Maggie and the others were concealed.
They landed in a cloud of dust and a muffled groan from Zirel, whose fingers were still clamped onto Elisa's coat. Soldiers sprang from their hiding places, weapons aimed, before recognizing the two scouts. Their expressions shifted from alert to stupefaction at the sight of the ghostly returnees: Zirel, pale and trembling, struggling to regain his squad leader's composure, and Elisa, swaying, her arms trembling finely from the superhuman effort.
