Chapter 135

Briar’s POV

The sacred altar was ancient, carved from black pearl and coral that had grown for millennia in the deepest parts of the ocean. My children knelt before it, their small hands pressed against its surface, faces tight with concentration as they struggled to maintain the protective spell.

"They need your blood to complete it," the eldest siren advisor repeated, her voice urgent. "Without it, the barrier will collapse, and the kingdom will be vulnerable."

"How much blood?" Kai demanded, his protective instincts on full alert.

"Enough to bind the magic," she replied vaguely.

"That’s not an answer," Kylan snapped.

I looked at my children—Luna’s face was pale with exhaustion, Finn’s hands were trembling from the effort of maintaining the spell. They’d already given so much of their power to protect everyone. How could I refuse to do the same?

"I’ll do it," I said, moving