Shuyin thrust her hands forward and a wave of silver light exploded outward, catching three of the creatures mid-strike. They shrieked as the celestial magic burned them, their translucent bodies bubbling and smoking. But her magic flickered, sputtered. She was running on fumes.
One of the creatures she'd missed coiled around her ankle. She felt it immediately, the crushing pressure, the burning mucus eating through her silk pants. She dropped to one knee, trying to pry it off, but its slick surface made it nearly impossible to grip.
Lu Yuze was there in an instant, a letter opener from the desk in his hand. He drove it into the creature's body, sawing through the eel-like flesh. The thing released her with a shriek and he kicked it away, but not before another wrapped around his other leg.
Then the air changed.
A hissing sound filled the room, and Shuyin's stomach dropped.
