The shield was a heartbeat from contact. Kori could feel the air shift in front of it, the displacement wave already pressing against her back, the alloy disc spinning toward them with absurd precision. Lay's arms remained where they were - one wrapped around Kori's back, the other holding the knife angled across Kori's neck. Her body did not tense for impact. Her grip did not adjust. Her gaze did not leave the approaching disc.
Only her left foot moved.
A soft click came from inside her boot. The sound was mechanical, the kind of small metallic noise that came from a release mechanism finding its catch - and then her leg swung upward, smooth and fast, the heel rising in a controlled arc that brought it level with the incoming shield. The motion was almost casual. Lay raised her leg the way another person might raise their foot to swat a fly.
Kori, pressed against Lay's shoulder, caught a glimpse of what emerged from the boot.
