Cracking
But even at death's doors all she could think about was taking Lady Jiang with her. This completely unwarranted opinion of Lady Jiang that she had developed all by herself did not let her rest.
Instead of trying to control the artifact or perhaps cutting it off by force, Princess Inara bit down on her tongue to draw even more blood and spat it onto the blade.
This act provoked the artifact even more. The crown of red gems lining the top and bottom of the hilt started to hum with a dim light, releasing an otherworldly pressure that made one's blood boil. Whatever the origin of this artifact was it was surely sinister in nature.
And the majority of this pressure was focused on the person the blade was pointed at, Lady Jiang.
Her defensive magics could do little to stop the effects of the artifact awakening. The humming got louder and louder, building up to something. The air became heavy with killing intent all of which was aimed directly towards Lady Jiang.