Eric
I stood at the window of my study, a glass of aged whiskey in hand, watching the first light of dawn creep over the horizon. The amber liquid caught the early morning rays, glowing like fire in my grip. A fitting metaphor, I mused, for the power I now held.
The gem sat on my desk, pulsing with an ethereal light that seemed to echo my own heartbeat. I could feel its energy calling to me, wild and intoxicating. But more than that, I could feel Briar's presence within it, a tantalizing taste of what was to come.
A slow smile spread across my face as I recalled the events of the previous night. The look of desperation in Briar's eyes, the way she had crumbled when faced with the choice between her freedom and her friend's life. It had been... exquisite.
The sharp trill of my phone cut
