Melrose's POV:
"What? What do you mean she will kill me?"....
I stared deeply into Elder Helena's ancient eyes, where restless shadows flickered. Ahknoxi's protests faded to a whisper behind me, lost in the thick silence that filled the room. My heart raced as I perched on the edge of my bed, each second dragging painfully as I waited for her answer to the question that nagged at me.
A twisted, dark smile spread across her lips, a glint in her eyes hinting she was enjoying my tension, feeding off my anxiety as she watched me, ready to reveal her secret. "Every time you release the power of the Kobra, you feel your strength grow, wrapping tighter around your very being. You can sense her seductive pull, a tantalizing draw that is both enticing and frightening. But watch out, Melrose, b
