Chapter Fifty–Six:
The red mist in the alcove seemed to pulse in time with a heartbeat that shouldn't have existed. Luna stood at the edge of the landing, her boots rooted to the cold stone, every nerve in her body screaming a warning. The scent of copper was so thick now it felt like she was drowning in a lake of pennies.
"Don't go closer," Luna said, her voice dropping into a low, jagged rasp. "It's a trap. He is already awake."
Amelia shifted beside her, her claws scraping against her own palms as she tightened her fists. She squinted into the gloom, her golden eyes searching the still, headless bodies and the veined coffin. "How can you tell, Raven? I don't see anything. No breath, no movement. It's like a graveyard in here."
