Ember Frost’s POV

Elder Anna held the ancient artifact out for us to see. “This,” she said quietly, “still carries traces of very old magic.”

I stepped closer to study it. The surface felt worn, like it had passed through too many years to count. At first glance, the outer design looked neat, almost graceful. Along the edge were strange markings—thirteen of them—arranged in a ring that circled the entire piece.

But the center pulled my attention.

There was a fragile, ...