Azura's POV
She crashed hard onto the cold stone floor, the glowing red spell breaking apart into harmless sparks.
She scrambled to her knees immediately, her breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.
"No!" Genevieve shrieked, looking up with frantic eyes as she pushed herself up off the floor.
"You can't stop me!"
She saw me standing in the center of the doorway, and the rage in her expression suddenly crumbled into pure, unfiltered panic.
"Please!" she pleaded, her voice cracking as tears filled her eyes. "I need to save him! I need to save my son!"
"What did he tell you?" I asked, taking a step closer as my voice turned cold and rigid. "What made you this blind, Genevieve?"
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, backing away slightly toward the central altar. "I'm so sorry! But..."
She lifted her hands again, her fingers curling as she began to chant another dark spell. The Dragon King materialized behind her like a shadow in the torchlight.
