It had taken him less than a second to dispatch the attacking spirit, but that was long enough for the other guardians—the ones swarming around Akaku'akanene's arcane shield—to notice his existence. And, to judge from their actions, to decide that he was more of a threat to their precious pattern than we were. Of the dozen or so spirits swirling around us, all but a couple broke off and bee-lined it for Quinn Harlech.