Tanya's heartbeat strained in her chest, every thump pushing her a little further past her limit. This was a battle between demons, and surviving it was hell. She felt it in every bone, every sinew, this monster's damnable resistance to damnation. Even after all this time, even after she'd dealt what should have been the killing blow, it stood here straining against her will. If it came down to it, she'd just have to snuff his out.

[i]Use no weapon.[/i]

Those were the terms that burned between her thoughts, the strings that kept her from simply murdering the cannibal outright. But if it came to willpower, she had the force within her to take a... different... interpretation of her malefic tattoo's abilities. 

With a shaky, clammy grasp, she took a deep breath and held it as she wrapped her fingers around her knife. Against everything in her nature, her soul screaming in pain, she drew it from its leather scabbard and willed it up, up, until she'd drawn the blade level with her shoulder. She pushed forward, as if moving through sand, even as a mist of exertion escaped Zande's gaping jaws. For some reason, he was resisting the effects of the Rules Snake. Even if it meant giving her soul, Tanya reasoned it would be better to feed the devil she knew. If Zande managed to power through the demonic pact, fail to play by the rules she had imposed, Tanya would jam her knife through his eye. It might mean that she'd die, or worse; her face was set, as blood dribbled down her chin. If it meant she could take this fucker down with her, so be it. Feathers began to manifest around Tanya once more, her last Feather of Innocence taking wing as Zande broke free from the Binding Contract.