Zephyra's POV

“Why are you doing this?” I stammered, my voice barely audible over the buzz of the crowded room.

Raphael met my gaze, his expression shifting instantly to something more serious. A shadow flickered across his features, snuffing out the amusement that had danced there just moments before. “Because at one time,” he said, voice low and intense, “we actually were brothers.”

Though I didn’t know the full story behind Raphael and Nathan’s fractured bond with Lirael, I ...