The sick green light didn't just glow. It poured out of Corvus's eyes and mouth like thick blood from an open wound.
Nathan blinked, instantly triggering [Hunter's Insight]. His vision shifted, mapping the magic in the room. The truth hit him like a punch to the gut. This splinter wasn't sitting inside a piece of stone like the one in the vault. It was completely woven into Corvus. It was wrapped around his spine, tangled in his veins, and dug deep into his mind. It had been sleeping in the bloodline for centuries, just waiting for a host to touch the Throne. Now, it was awake.
"Hold your fire!" Nathan yelled, throwing an arm out to stop his team. "Do not attack him! The splinter is using his body as a meat shield! If we hit the magic, we kill the man!"
"So how do we fix it?" Garrett yelled over the rising noise. His knuckles gripped tightly around Volcan's handle. "We can't just stand here and watch him tear himself apart!"
