The air between Ravenor and Magnus grew thick with tension as the old sorcerer handed the necklace back to him. The weight of the moonstone felt heavier than before in Ravenor's hand, as if it carried a secret neither of them could fully grasp. Ravenor's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly in the dim light of the chamber.
"So," Ravenor said, his voice a low, simmering growl, "you're telling me this necklace is useless to me?"
Magnus met his gaze steadily, though the slightest tremor in his hands betrayed his unease. "Not useless, no," he rasped. "But bound to something beyond our reach. Whoever enchanted this necklace was powerful—definitely more powerful than even you and me."
Ravenor's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Sooner or later, no one is going to more powerful than me, Magnus."
