Both Damon and the old elf snapped their heads toward the doorway.
Lirae walked into the room with the same calm and gentle smile she always wore, yet it was unmistakably different now. Softer in warmth, sharper in presence. Her feet made no sound on the stone floor, moonlit mist curling around her ankles like affectionate pets.
Damon stood up without realizing it. She looked the same and nothing like the same.
Her hair shimmered as she moved, threaded with streaks of silver and deep crimson that hadn't been there before. Her eyes now held a dual radiance, silver at the center fading into a faint, hypnotic red around the edges.
Kaelthorn froze. Green Eyes gasped. The old elf went utterly still.
"Lirae…?" the elf whispered. "Child, what… what did the Legacy do to you?"
Lirae didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed entirely on Damon. Her aura didn't feel elven anymore. It didn't feel vampiric either.
