As Luna helped Victor to one of the ornate chairs scattered around the devastated ballroom, she noticed something she'd never seen before—vulnerability. The vampire who had always moved with supernatural grace now winced with each step, his pale skin bearing the lingering traces of Corvus's ancient cold.
"You need blood," Elder Ravencrest said, approaching with concern that seemed both paternal and political. "That level of progenitor magic... it damages more than just the body."
"I'm fine," Victor said automatically, then caught Luna's skeptical look. "I will be fine. Eventually."
"No, you won't be." The voice came from Lady Nightshade, who had materialized beside them with the silent grace typical of her bloodline. "Corvus's shadows don't just drain vitality—they create permanent woun
