Aria's POV
I walked toward the altar. Viktor followed.
I stopped in front of it, drew in a slow breath, and reached for the power buried beneath my skin. It answered immediately.
Golden light flickered beneath my veins, beginning as a faint warmth in my fingertips before spreading through my arms, my chest, and finally my entire body.
The air around me thickened. Every instinct screamed at me to stop, to run, to protect myself from whatever was about to happen. But I couldn't. I had come too far to stop.
I lifted my hands toward the altar and deliberately released my bloodline power. The reaction was instantaneous.
The altar came alive. Golden symbols carved into the ancient stone ignited one after another, racing across its surface like fire spreading through dry grass. A deep vibra
