The doors of the throne room slammed shut, the sound cracking through the palace like thunder. Lou stalked across the chamber, claws gouging the stone, smoke curling from his lips as Tan seethed just beneath his skin.
“Dragon’s Heart Stone,” he spat, as if the words themselves were poison. His golden eyes burned into me, sharp enough to cut. “Sugar, do you have any idea what you’re holding? That relic should have stayed buried.”
I hugged the glowing orb tighter to my chest, glaring back at him. “I didn’t go looking for it, Lou. My mother hid it. I only brought it back because—”
“Because it called to you,” he cut in, voice dark and dangerous. “That’s worse.”
The stone flared in my arms, orange and cream light spilling out in glittering waves. My chest tightened as a whisper brushed my m
