"Ah, but it's so much fun," he teased back, secretly thrilled with the laugh he'd sensed right on the tip of her lips before she'd smothered it. "Nothin quite like takin down a door t'get some aggression out...What the bleedin Christ is that?"

Erik jumped nearly a foot backwards at the Godawful sound that blared from the door the princess opened. He drew his sword as if prepared to beat back the unnatural sounds and light before it could kill them all.