Chapter 104

Briar’s POV

I channeled siren power into the black stone, feeling it respond to my touch with eager malevolence. The sigil began to glow with sickly purple light, growing hot in my palm before lifting into the air to hover in the center of the protective circle.

The air around the stone shimmered like heat waves, and suddenly a figure materialized—tall and gaunt, with hollow cheeks and eyes that burned with stolen power. Even as a mere projection, Malachar’s presence filled the room with an aura of cold dread that made my skin crawl.

"If you’re watching this," his voice echoed through the chamber, rich with malice and dark amusement, "then you’ve found my little gift. How delightfully predictable of you."

The projection turned as if looking directly at me, despite being nothing more than a recorded message.

"Briar, my dear siren princess," Malachar continued, his smile revealing teeth like broken glass. "I do ho