Lorraine's POV
The moment felt frozen in time.
The two decapitated heads fell from the Ghosthound Queen's bloodied fingers and hit the floor with a sickening thud.
But the royal guards didn't flinch.
Five of them remained.
They stepped forward in unison, forming a shield of flesh and steel in front of Kieran. I expected to see fear in their eyes. But instead, I saw resolve, cold and unwavering. Their blades sang out as they were drawn, claws extending from their fingers like razors.
This was why they were called royal guards.
Not because they served royalty, but because they would die for it.
And they were about to.
Kieran grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. "Stay behind me. No matter what."
"But...."
"Lorraine," he said, voice low and steady, "Please."
Then it began.
She moved before any of us could even blink.
