Vera felt the blood drain from her face, her heart stopping in her chest. The innocent, brutal honesty of a child had just laid bare the secret tragedy of her life in front of the one person she couldn't afford to see it.
Damon looked like he had been struck by lightning. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He looked at Vera, seeing the sudden, raw pain in her eyes, and he felt a surge of protective rage against Kassian that almost blinded him. He wanted to scream that Milo was right. He wanted to take her hand and run to the ends of the earth where no fire could reach them.
But he was Damon. He was the Shield of the Sun.
"Milo," Damon said, his voice low and vibrating with a terrifying control. "That is enough. Go to the armory and return the training blades. Now."
Milo blinked, surprised by the sudden, harsh tone of his favorite teacher. "But I was just—"
"Now!" Damon barked.
