Adara unrolled parchment across the altar. Ink drawings: a dagger, a sphere, a vampire and human standing back to back.
"The balance," she explained. "For centuries, humans and vampires lived in uneasy truce. The artifact keeps vampire hunger in check. Not gone, but manageable. Viktor wants to break it so his kind can feed freely, rule openly."
"And I'm supposed to stop him?" Arian asked.
"You're the only one who can touch both sides," Adara said. "The dagger only answers to dhampir blood. With it, you can seal the artifact again, restore the balance. Or shatter it, and give Viktor his kingdom."
Lena touched Arian's arm. "No pressure."