Torian’s sword flared blue, almost blinding as it illuminated the devastation. The shattered candelabra, the stunned, silent guests, and Valerius’s twisted, demonic face. Torian pushed me further behind his battered body, still encouraging me to run.
I couldn’t though. I was frozen to the spot. My heart hammered heavy against my chest, in my throat. I couldn’t leave him. Where would I go anyways? I didn’t know the castle, and I certainly didn’t know the land. I thought about how Torian had first reacted to my presence, and me being mortal…how Valerius and his men had dismissed me. What if the other people in the realm were just as cruel or dismissive of me being mortal?
I swallowed.
“Valerius!” Torian roared. His voice was rough, yet he projected it through the ballroom with a raw, r
