Chapter 166

Sheila's point of view

The witches' chants echoed within the walls of the cave, as we carried on with the ritual. I could feel the power of the four phoenix stones mixing with the water. It was time to move on to the next phase of the ritual. Nikolai nodded to one of the witches from his coven, and he stepped forward, bringing the dagger specifically for the ritual to me.

I took it from him, holding its black handle. I started chanting in a foreign language, and the magical symbols on the dagger began to glow. I strode to the crystalline waters that shone with the magic of the phoenix stones.

Vladimir was still in it, his deep golden eyes narrowed on me as I brought the sharp blade to his throat. I hesitated briefly, as his unreadable gaze burned into mine. For the next phase of the ritual, the chosen vessel had to be dead while we perform the resurgent ritual. The vessel's throat had to be slit with the black dagger, with the blood mixing into the crystalline waters now holding the m