The possessed Council member charged from the shadows, mouth unhinged, black ichor dripping from its jaw like venom. Its body moved wrong—too fast, too fluid, like it had no bones left, only hunger.
Jack reacted first.
He stepped in front of Emily, dragonfire erupting from his palm and blasting the creature back. It screamed, twisting in mid-air, before slamming into one of the tower’s cracked columns.
“Seal the circle!” Angela shouted, voice strained. “We can’t let anything breach it during the Rite!”
Ryan stumbled, nearly breaking formation. Patricia grabbed his shoulder, steadying him. “Stay sharp. You fall, we all fall.”
Jack turned to Emily and Ryan, eyes fierce.
“We don’t have time. The seals are reacting. We have to awaken the marks. Now.”
Angela stepped forward, producing tw
