"Your Highness—"
The words broke into a strangled breath.
Arik's grip tightened.
The cracked wall behind Stanford groaned again.
Mezos crossed the room and set one hand on Arik's shoulder, heavy and firm. He did not try to pull him away. That would have been useless, and Mezos was not stupid enough to waste strength on theatrics.
He anchored him.
"Enough," Mezos said.
Arik's golden eyes snapped to him.
For a fraction of a second, the ether in the room bent inward. The sitting room lights flickered. The windows trembled in their frames. The wards along the walls flared warning blue, then white, then nearly went out.
Mezos did not flinch.
He looked directly into the face of his prince and said, colder, "Drop him, Arik. He did everything right."
"Enough," Mezos said. His voice was low, sharp, and completely devoid of fear.
Arik's glowing eyes snapped to Mezos. For a fraction of a second, the ether around them warped violently, threatening to tear the entire room to pieces.
