When Skellig 'blinks awake' he is not in his room at the bar, but in a dank, dark space, the scent of...metal and mildew mixing on his tongue, and the high-pitched electric whine in his ears is painful.

And then he sees the child on the ground. Ibani, on the ground. And the baton in the hands of this guard, hear the thud of the heavy bootsteps on the ground as he moves closer to her, lifting his hand to swing...

The crack of the guard's elbow joint shattering is enough to send echoes down the tunnel, the controller of the collar hitting the ground a second after, and somehow Skellig has crossed the distance, closed the gap between them, has the guard's arm wrenched firmly behind his back at a most unnatural angle.

"You will not touch her with a fingertip," he snarls. "Let alone a hand."