Chapter 2

The stone floor of the west wing was cold.

I woke up there, alone.

The energy transfer to Julian had taken more than I thought.

My head ached, my limbs were heavy.

This wing was a place of punishment, of forgotten Sentinels.

Portraits of ancestors lined the dusty walls, their eyes seeming to follow me.

They knew sacrifice. I was living it.

Chloe' s voice echoed in my mind, her demands.

Her complete disregard for what she was doing to me.

It was always about her, about what she wanted, what she thought she deserved.

The door creaked open.

Chloe stood there, Julian hovering behind her, looking smug.

"You' re awake," she said, no concern in her voice.

"Julian needs more protection. The locket isn' t enough."

My heart sank. I knew what was coming.

"You need to make a Warding Charm for him."

A Warding Charm.

The creation of such a charm required a massive sacrifice of the Sentinel' s own life force.

For me, in this state, it could be fatal.

She knew this.

A loyal family retainer, old Elara who had known me since I was a child, stepped forward.

"Mistress Chloe," Elara said, her voice trembling slightly. "Master Ethan is too weak. This could... this could end him."

Chloe waved a dismissive hand.

"He' ll be fine. He' s a Sentinel, isn' t he? They' re strong."

Julian put on a show of sympathy. "Oh, Ethan, I wouldn' t want you to overexert yourself."

His eyes, however, gleamed with malice.

He wanted this. He wanted to see me broken.

I looked at Chloe.

This was her final demand, her ultimate act of cruelty.

"I' ll do it," I said, my voice hoarse.

A flicker of surprise in her eyes, quickly masked.

"But understand this, Chloe," I continued, gathering what little strength I had.

"After this charm is made, our Legacy Pact is finished. We are done."

Her face tightened with anger.

"You can' t just end it!"

"I just did," I said.

Her anger, however, was quickly overshadowed by her concern for Julian.

She turned to him, her voice softening. "Don' t worry, Julian. Ethan will make the charm. You' ll be safe."

She didn' t care if I died making it.

As long as Julian was protected.