White Tower remnants were far tougher to put down than anyone had expected. Each carried a Martyrdom Curse. The instant one of them fell, it unleashed a blast of holy light into nearby members of the Nightblood Clan. The hall was already strewn with burned bloodstains and shattered silverware.
Leah took advantage of the chaos and crawled behind the altar, reaching for the fallen golden chalice. I didn't go after her. The moment her fingers wrapped around the cup's handle, Crownmark of Blood ignited. Black sigils slithered up from the base like countless fine serpents, sinking into her palm.
"No!"
Her fingers started to decay. Not the skin—black fluid oozed out from within the bones themselves.
She looked at me in panic. "What did you do to Crownmark of Blood?"
I stood at the bottom of
