The eerie, dim light from the black vortex on the silver platter spread throughout the grand hall, bathing everything in a deadly orange-gold hue. The sweet fragrance wafting from the long tables on either side grew increasingly intense, permeating every inch of the air and making people want to breathe it in deeply—then deeper still.
Julian was the first to collapse.
His left arm had already stiffened into a candy-like form. And now, as he stood before the tables laden with food—cream-topped pastries, chocolate cascading down like molten waterfalls, pink cotton candy gleaming with an enchanting light—another kind of gleam began to flicker in his eyes.
Julian stepped toward the nearest table, his trembling hands reaching for a pink-frosted cupcake. The frosting sparkled like crystal, releasing an intensely sweet strawberry scent.
Crack.
