"So if my sister agrees... I can stay by your side forever?" Selene's head snapped up. The wounded look vanished from her eyes, replaced by naked triumph that made her pupils gleam gold.
Lyra's heart plummeted. She stepped back instinctively—and her foot caught the stone banister with a soft thud.
The sound cut through the great hall like a blade.
Selene's head whipped toward the stairs. The instant she spotted Lyra, something vicious flashed in her eyes, her wolf surging forward. She strode to the nearby table, snatched up a heavy ceremonial vase carved from mountain stone, and charged.
CRACK—
The dull impact echoed through the hall. The vase smashed into Lyra's forehead with brutal force.
Shards of stone scattered across the steps. Warm blood spilled down her face, blurring her vision and filling her nose with the copper scent of her own injury.
Lyra staggered back, grabbing the banister to keep from falling. She wiped the blood from her eyes with a trembling hand—and found herself staring directly into Selene's twisted, gloating face.