Chapter 6 · The Blood Mark

The hand came out of the throne wearing my mother's silver ring.

I stopped breathing.

Nia's fingers crushed mine. "Mara, don't. Don't let it open."

The black stone split wider with a sound like bones cracking. Dust fell across my face. Behind me, Ronan swore, and then his claws scraped the floor.

Not again.

His moon-rage hit the chamber hard. I felt it through our marriage mark before I even turned around. Heat slammed into my wrist. His pulse punched against the bond, wild and fast.

"Ronan." I pulled Nia closer. "Look at me."

His head snapped toward me.

His eyes had gone silver.

The guards backed away. Somebody yelled for the king's weapons. Somebody else yelled that I was the witch. Great. Same old story, just with better floors.

Ronan took one step toward me.

The black shape behind the throne moved.

It had no face. No body I could see. Just a long, crooked shadow wrapped around the stone and the pale wrist sticking out of it. The silver ring flashed once under the blue fire burning in the cracks.

"Darling," my mother's voice said.

My knees nearly gave out.

Liora Vale had been dead for twelve years.