Chapter 17 · The Seal Wants His Blood

The stone floor cracks under my feet. Drake's blood is still dripping from the seal, and the whole monastery is shaking like something underneath just woke up.

"Drake Nathaniel Hallow, son of the oathbreaker, welcome home."

The voice comes from everywhere. From the walls, from the floor, from the air itself. It's not loud but it fills the space like water filling a cup. Drake's face goes white. He's still standing in the center of the binding circle, Lucas slumped against his legs, and I can see the silver burn spreading up Drake's arm from where his blood touched the seal.

"Who the hell are you?" Drake's voice is steady but his hand is shaking. He's gripping Lucas's shoulder like it's the only thing keeping him upright.

The voice doesn't answer. Instead the cracks in the floor start to glow. Red light, same color as the seal, bleeding up through the stone like veins. It's spreading out from the circle, crawling toward the walls, and I realize it's not random. It's a pattern. A map.

"Ella." Drake's looking at me now. "What is this place?"

I don't know. I mean I know it's St.