Mikhail sat down on the wooden chair. He looked at Karmen and Louis with eyes that didn't hold judgment, but with old facts.
"The blade we Bloodsmiths forge demands a price from the one who wields it," Mikhail explained. "The person must offer their own blood to temper the steel, binding their life force to the weapon. But that is only the beginning. It also requires the sacrifice of someone they love. Without that weight of loss, the metal has no power to sever an immortal soul. If your Alpha Prince is ready for that, Xaris will go with you."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Karmen felt a strange shiver running down his spine. "Give me a moment. I need to speak with the Prince," he said.
He stepped out of the cottage and dialed Gabriel's number.
The line clicked open before the first ring could even finish.
