Mabel guided the small ritual with careful precision, far simpler than the summoning that had shown me Danny's final conversation, a controlled exchange rather than a memory pulled across some ancient threshold.
This is not the full binding, she explained, preparing a small blade and a shallow dish. A controlled dose, given freely, meant to counteract the sigil's damage rather than trigger anything permanent. But I want you to understand, Wren, this is the first time your bloodline has been used for its true purpose. Whatever happens tonight will tell us something important about what we're truly dealing with.
Ronan stayed close throughout, his hand resting steady against my shoulder, and I found myself grateful for the anchor of him even as my own nerves threatened to overwhelm the calm
