The altar called to me long before I reached it.
Its glow shimmered across the cavern like moonlight rippling over water. Silver fire coiled around its edges in soft waves that rose and fell as if reacting to my breath. I felt the tug deep beneath my ribs, pulling harder with every step I took toward the stone.
Talon stayed at my side, his eyes sharp, ready to throw himself between me and anything dangerous. But even he looked unsettled.
“This place knows you,” he murmured. “It waits for you.”
“I know.” The words slipped out, soft but certain.
The girl walked ahead of me, her pale feet barely disturbing the root path. She reached the base of the altar and looked up with a solemn expression far older than her small frame.
A scream echoed through the vision, sharp enough to cut through
