Lenko had barely a breath of realization, before he understood what Muzio was about to do.
He'd seen that look before. The quiet calculation in the prince's eyes, the way his jaw clenched, the faint tremor in his fingers before committing to something reckless, dangerous, and inevitably painful.
"Fuc---"
Too late.
The tenth prince had already drawn the dagger, the one Yona had once gifted him. For a split second, Lenko thought the prince was going to throw it at his sister above. But then he saw it, how Muzio's eyes weren't on her at all, but on him.
And the next thing Lenko knew, the dagger met the sacred arrow that Olga had loosed, the same arrow meant for him.
Steel and mana collided midair, exploding into a burst of red and green light that hissed as it tore through the dust-filled space. Lenko barely had time to flinch before he felt a rough hand clutch the at his front.
Muzio's hand.
And with that, he shoved him.
"---Son of a---!"
