No one moved.
I stared at the sentence.
"Blood."
Kael's expression hardened.
"That explains why my patrols couldn't reach it."
Richard exhaled slowly.
"So the territory itself is sealed."
"Waiting," Clarissa whispered.
I looked at the glowing words.
"For me."
Kael's eyes found mine.
"The place has been waiting for you."
A strange sensation moved through me.
Not pride.
Not excitement.
Weight.
An entire dead territory had apparently spent five years waiting for me to come back.
I wasn't sure I wanted it to.
The crystal pulsed again.
A second line began appearing.
WHEN THE WHITE-GOLDEN WOLF RETURNS—
The light flickered.
Then vanished.
"No."
I stared at the crystal.
"Come on."
Nothing.
I shook it.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Did you just shake an ancient magical objec
