Aurora stepped to the edge of the innermost ring and began to chant.
The sound started low in her chest.
"Veth'ra… keth'mor… ul'shan…"
The words were thick and heavy. They did not rise like normal speech. They pressed outward into the air. The language was old. The syllables were not meant to be understood by ordinary ears.
Her eyes opened. They glowed pure white, without any color.
She raised both arms slowly, palms facing up.
"Veth'ra keth'mor… ul'shan drav'kai…"
The candle flames changed at the same time.
Yellow became deep blue across every wick. The blue light filled the room with hard edges and no warmth.
A cold pressure settled over the stone floor.
It made the pale skin of her stomach, the soft curves of her breasts, and the smooth line of her thighs stand out sharply against the black lace.
Her voice rose higher.
"Drav'kai… sol'meth… a'ruun…"
