"Valerius will do nothing but weep into his brandy and complain about his sterility," Caelan dismissed, waving a hand. "And I did what was necessary."
"Necessary?" Seraphyne whirled on him, pointing a gloved finger at his chest. "You risked the entire House of Virellion! For what? For a girl?" She gestured dismissively at Isadora, not even looking at her. "For a mortal whose life spans a blink of our existence? You are the Duke of Ravenshade. You are the pillar of this family. You do not set yourself on fire to keep a moth warm!"
"I am not a moth," Isadora interjected, her temper flaring.
"Silence, pet," Seraphyne snapped, the command rippling with power that made Isadora's teeth ache. " The adults are speaking."
"Enough," Caelan roared.
The sound was not loud, but it shook the glass in the windows. The shadows in the room elongated, stretching toward him like obedient hounds.
