THE ENTIRE ROOM SEEMED to hold its breath.

Yet even in the face of miracles, guardians—or Strigoi, for that matter—were hard to distract. Fights that had paused now resumed with just as much fury. The guardians had the upper hand, and those of them who weren’t engaged with the last surviving Strigoi suddenly leapt toward Lissa, trying to pull her away from Dimitri. To everyone’s surprise, she held on to him tightly and made a few feeble attempts to fight off those crowding around her. She was fierce and protective, again putting me in mind of a mother defending her child.

Dimitri was holding on to her just as intently,...