Daria's POV

The phrase had scarcely slipped out of the mouth of Lucius when all was ruined.

"Daria?"

Rylan moved.

He did not shout. He did not warn. He was frozen one moment open to truth and the next he leaped out like a trapped animal. Flashing in his hand was steel, and a brief blade, smeared with black poison. His eyes were crazy and full of anger and terror.

"Die," he snarled.

I had no time to take up a shield.

But Lucius did.

He shifted.

The sound was thunder itself. Bone cracked. Power surged. The man disappeared in a second and in his place was the Alpha, massive,...