Isolde's POV
I felt the dark power before I saw it. Like oil spreading through water, the Midnight Queen's spell tainted the air around the temple. From my hiding place behind a stone pillar, I watched in fear as the First Wolf's eyes turned black and he lunged for Zeke.
No one had noticed me yet. That was good. I had been following them since they entered the mountain pass, staying hidden in the dark, waiting for the right moment.
"Not like this," I whispered, holding my staff. "Not after everything I've done to protect them."
Sienna's fire erupted in a frantic attempt to save her brother, but it was too late. The huge wolf had Zeke in his jaws. Blood spilled across the stone floor.
I moved without thinking. My hands flew through the air, drawing old symbols that glowed blue against the night. Words of power spilled from my lips—not the dark magic the Midnight Syndicate had taught me, but the pure magic of my ancestors.
"Protego Maxima!" I yelled.
