The moment Iva stepped fully onto the altar, the air in the chamber changed so abruptly that several of those present instinctively straightened, as if bracing for something unseen yet undeniable.
The moonlight above intensified, no longer soft and distant but focused, almost deliberate, pouring down in a silver beam that bathed her entirely, isolating her from the rest of the world as though she stood between realms.
Iva’s breath hitched.
Avalon surged beneath her skin.
Iva… something is happening…
“I know…” she whispered inwardly, her fingers trembling slightly at her sides.
Elder Tamisa moved with calm precision, her every step measured as she circled the altar once, then stopped directly in front of Iva, lifting both hands slowly.
“By the ancient laws of our kind,” the elder beg
