Almost the same. A little point rose up in the middle of the stone. I ran my thumb over it instinctively to test it and let out a yelp at the prick of pain. A drop of blood welled from my skin and slid across the ruby’s surface. In that second, a glow rose up through the gem as if from within. A warm shiver shot through my nerves, so potent I almost dropped the ring. Then the light faded, the blood vanished, and the stone looked perfectly ordinary. Well, still gorgeous, but hardly magical.
