A whistling sound is his only warning before a small rock cracks against his temple, finally shattering his concentration. He whirls with a feral snarl to see Alyssa pulling herself back upright, eyes blazing angrily despite the fresh welt blossoming on her forehead from his brutal swipe.
"I won't let you hurt anyone else!" she cries, scooping up another rock and winging it towards Damian with surprising accuracy for one so young.
His lip curls with outraged disbelief, but before he can so much as twitch in retaliation, a wordless bellow rings out from the crowd. In a heartbeat, the woman who'd screamed – surely Alyssa's mother or some other guardian – comes tearing out to snatch the girl protectively to her bosom.
"Please, my lord, I beg you!" the woman pleads, holding up a placating h
