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“Because the souls will try to steal their power. Look,” Ezra said, angling his head right. “They came when Cyn partially shifted.”

I looked at the edge of the ring.

A dozen lost souls clustered at the barrier’s edge, watching Cyn. He’d already shifted back, but they still reacted to him.

Ash groaned in pain, and Rae kicked out, striking the guard holding him. He toppled across Rae’s midsection.

The audience on the platform shouted, protesting Rae’s violence and defiance.

My eyes widened in panic when Dad’s hands grasped the sides of her head. “Dad, no!”

“He’s going to destroy her mind,” Ezra rumbled, more beast than infernal.

I wrenched free from the guard and rushed Dad, pulling him into a bearhug. “Please don’t. Dad, please.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Dad looked down at me with a stunned expression.

“Zekarias, stop this at once,” Mom demanded, crossing over to where I continued to hold Dad tight. “Let him handle the human.”

“No.” I met Dad’s eyes, willing him to see what I hadn’t told anyone.

He couldn’t destroy the woman I loved.

The only woman I’d ever loved.

Holy shit, I loved her.

“Caendra. Take the boy,” Dad said, averting his gaze.

“Dad, please! She’s—”

My knees buckled, and Dad steadied me as a shockwave of power tore through the air, staggering everyone.

“What—” Mom turned to the slab where several guards already lay unconscious at its base.

Cornaith swept his robe aside and held Amra’s elbow as she righted herself. “What is the meaning of this?”

I looked from the council to the triplets, then to Cyn and Ezra. Everyone else lay unconscious, murky fog curling over them.

Rae held Ash close, awake despite the power. The guards, audience, and production staff lay incapacitated around us.

“I don’t know where it came from,” Ardvaen said, sweeping his gaze over the clearing. “I can’t sense the source.”

“Remove Ashryn and let us finish this before anything else happens. This spectacle is already a disaster.” Cornaith strode toward the slab.

Dad released me and started for Rae.

Another shockwave hit, taking me to my knees. This time, I saw the air distort around the slab.

It came from Rae.

Cyn met my eyes, shook his head, and bent to whisper to Ezra.

We both knew drawing attention to the source of the shockwave would damn her instantly.

The heavy air hummed against my skin, and all I could do was stare.

“Hurry up!” Cornaith barked, no longer putting on airs for the cameras still recording from their tripods.