"This one didn't fight back," Sir Melchior said to the king, taking in Sylene's battered form in his arms. He looked at the VX rifles still trained on the boy. "They want to kill him." He lifted his chin. "Maybe you should interrogate those who tried to kill him—and me."
"No! He's the one who wanted to kill you! We were just doing our job to eliminate him!" Ferin snapped, twisting the story to frame Sylene. "And you—why are you helping him? He tried to shoot you! Do you have some kind of connection with him?"
He watched the vampire envoy holding Sylene carefully in his arms—the boy who had refused to shoot the man he'd found through the scope. The look of shock on Sylene's face when he'd seen the vampire below had said everything.
"But you also tried to shoot me. Do you think I didn't see you from below? You did that just now, too." Sir Melchior smiled—handsome and unnervingly calm. "Connection? I just pity this hybrid you bullied. I've been watching the rooftop this whole time."
