Selis took a step closer, planning to pester Lucian just enough to crack his stoic armor, maybe even push her luck to the point where he'd snap at her—without cutting her throat in the process, of course.
She'd done riskier things in her life . . . well, maybe not much riskier.
She was about to open her mouth when—
BOOM!
A deafening blast ripped through the air, so bright it turned the night into a burning dawn. The shockwave hit like a giant's backhand, rattling her bones and making her teeth clack together.
"What the—?!" she blurted, but before she could finish, she felt a strong arm clamp around her waist.
Lucian didn't even glance at her. His eyes were locked on the horizon, sharp and cold as steel. In the next instant, they were gone—vanishing in a burst of blinding light that yanked the breath right out of her lungs.
