Midnight Queen's Point of View

I moved to the center of the room where a traditional circle awaited, drawn with ash and salt. Five ruby ​​crystals marked the points of a star, each taken from a Ruby Wolf I had killed myself.

"Begin the invocation," I ordered.

Vail's voice rose with ancient words as I removed my black silk robe. Beneath it, ruby ​​marks covered my skin, not glowing with life like Sienna's, but dark and scarred, like burnt flesh.

The price of betrayal. The source of my hatred.

I knelt in the center of the circle and took the chalice. "When my soul transfers, protect my body. If I die there, I die here as well."

"Yes, my Queen." Her voice had a slight tremor of fear.

Good. Fear guaranteed loyalty.

I drank the liquid in three gulps. It burned in my throat like liquid fire, awakening the dormant ruby ​​power in my blood. Pain shot through me as the marks on my skin glowed for the first time in centuries.

I gasped, almost losing my balance. How easy it was to forget the tou