LUCIEN'S POV

I reached out and pulled a few strands of hair from Klaudius's head. They came away easily, still black and shiny as if he had died only yesterday.

"That's it?" Noah asked.

"That's it," I said, putting the hair in a small pouch. "Now we have everything we need for the ritual."

We left the crypts and went to the castle's main hall. I needed a large open space for what I was planning to do, and the hall was the biggest room in the castle.

"How does this work?" Noah asked as I began drawing symbols on the floor with a piece of chalk.

"It's complicated," I...