All five of them - Sera, Lucian, Raven, Arwan, and Kethan - were present in Raven's chambers, surrounding the coffee table on which the Faefire Crystal was sitting.
It was dormant at the moment, just like it had been for several centuries, and Seraphina's plan was to awaken it... just like she had the other three artifacts of her other three husbands.
"Are you ready?" Raven asked as he shifted his gaze from the artifact to her.
She nodded. "As ready as I ever can be."
He gave her a nod, and she took a step forward, moving closer to the table and the artifact. She took in a deep breath to collect herself before she reached out, hovering her hand just above the crystal but not touching it yet.
"I'm not here to bend you," she whispered. "I'm here to be one with you."
And then she slowly pressed her palm against the cold object. A pulse of warmth immediately bloomed, not from the crystal but from her chest. Her shadow magic was responding to the presence of the Faefire Crystal.
