Aurora's heart pounded as she balanced on the narrow ledge above the ceremony. Juliet stood below, bone knife raised high above the first whimpering pup. The green light cast sickly shadows across the cave walls, turning the cultists' faces into grotesque masks.
Without hesitation, Aurora leaped.
She landed between Juliet and the pups, her silver dagger flashing in the eerie light. The knife connected with Juliet's bone blade, sending a shower of sparks across the stone altar.
"Not today," Aurora growled, her eyes glowing silver.
Juliet hissed, her scaled face contorting with rage. "The Moonborn! Kill her!"
The cultists rushed forward, but before they could reach Aurora, an explosion rocked the cave entrance. Dust and stone fragments rained down as Elias, Dante, and Markus burst through the smoke.
"Now!" Elias shouted, shifting partially into his wolf form, claws extending from his fingers.
