Grace had started to roll her eyes when he said that she asked for it like her daughter did when she was five and was about to do something stupid. There was no small part of her that wanted to give him a good shaking because the last thing that they needed was for the six of them to be at war. Their world was too small for this, and a part of her wondered if that was what LACUNA wanted--to see how they reacted under fire like this.

But then there was the sensation of the hand around her throat without there being one, and Grace just gasped quickly, her eyes wide and wild. Her own fingers moved to her throat, instinctively attempting to remove the barrier that was cutting off her air supply. Finding nothing, her nails just scrambled against her skin, trying to remove whatever it was before she happened to pass out.

And then she was on the ground gasping, her pale skin red as she lay there. But her eyes were wary as she looked between the two men.