“Earth, Ancient and might, I call upon thee, ground me to your form like roots running deep.” The wooden floor rattled so hard some of my stuff started to move yet that black flame looked more like a shadow.
I brought my flame to the blue candle on the west side. “Water, steady and unyielding, I call upon thee. Anchor me in my task with the hold of the great abyss.”
Cold energy rolled over my fingers like river rapids headed toward a waterfall.
Lastly, I moved to the black candle in the middle. “Shadow and darkness, I call upon thee, cloak my soul from those who would take it until my circle is complete.”
I lowered the lighter to the wick and a giant black flame shot up.
The air crackled and pulsed. The ground rumbled.
Black flames erupted from within the black salt border, enclosing me in a ring of black fire.
The black on black was giving me life and a rush of adrenaline. I lowered my lighter into the cauldron like last time and waited for a flame to catch. White light flashed so I yanked my hand back. Small blue flames danced within the black cauldron. I leaned forward and sucked in a deep breath. That cinnamon scent was much, much stronger now.
Okay, spell time. I licked my lips and took a deep breath. You did this last time and it was fine. You can do the second part. For Saffie. She needs you.
“Ancient silver mirror I call to thee, hear my cry, show me who I wish to see,” I said softly then dipped my fingers into the cauldron. The blue flames swayed out of my way. The herb-filled oil was warm to the touch but it didn’t hurt this time either. “Lost and wandering, hidden from my eyes, I ask of your reflection to bind the ancient ties.”
The moon water in my moonstone bowl shimmered like golden glitter and then Saffie’s face appeared on the surface except this time it was weak and blurry.
“Along the ancient tether that has bound,” I pulled my hands out of the oil then with my still wet finger, I traced over the silver rune on my chest. “I send my message for the one who has been found.”
Next I traced the silver rune on my left palm.
“I open to you a means of escape.”
I picked up my onyx athame and sliced along the vertical line on my chest. Dark red blood swelled. With my left hand, the one with the rune on it, I wiped the blood off of my chest. Then I reached forward and submerged my blood-stained hand into the moon water in my black moonstone bowl. The water rippled and blood swirled beneath the surface.
“Follow the pull within your soul to meet your fate.”
The water froze around my hand, coiling tight around my wrist like someone was squeezing it. I knew this was coming, yet still it made my pulse skip. This was the part where I essentially pulled Saffie out, summoning her to where I was.
I’m here, Saffie.
I took a deep breath then pulled with everything I had. Not physically, but with my magic. I pulled and tugged. I felt it graze along my fingers but it was too much. Too heavy. It felt like I was trying to pull an elephant through the eye of a needle. A chill slid down my spine. This wasn’t going to work. I wasn’t strong enough for this. I thought I was and what a damned fool I’d been. Saffie was a Card, I was a meek civilian.
Soul snapping risk was high as shit. I thought I’d protected myself by binding myself with the elements but the energy racing through my body was sharp and hot. I felt like my skin was being peeled from my body. My bones rattled. My muscles tightened into knots up and down my arms and legs. I clenched my teeth and tried to breathe through it.
I couldn’t let go, it was too late. I had to try and pull her through or I’d go down.
The black flames on my black salt circle shot up to the sky to form a wall around me. The black flame candles grew taller and thicker. Little orange flames popped up through the cracks in the wooden floor then danced around the black moonstone bowl my hand was stuck in. The ground rumbled like an earthquake. Rain dropped from the sky yet not a single flame went out. The air twisted and curled like a tornado. Oh no, not the spiny wind monsters.
Light flashed from beneath me. I looked down just as yellow, pink, and purple flowers sprouted from the wooden floors. They grew so fast and thick they overpowered the entire circle. The cauldron was overtaken by flowers. The candles all knocked over and sideways as the flowers spread toward the edge of the — oh noooo. But it was too late. The flowers burst through the black flames on the black salt circle. The pain was getting worse. My lungs were too tight.
I heard Gigi screaming in the distance and then I heard the squawk of her penguin.
Please, Goddess. Let me live. I just wanted to help Saffie.
All of a sudden, like the flip of a switch, the magic vanished. Everything was gone. The flames, the flowers, the rain – all of it. Gone. I gasped and looked over to Gigi…and found the entire Coven standing on my balcony wearing furious expressions. Cooper glared at me.
But then my gaze landed on the girl in front with black and violet hair and pale green eyes so wild they scared me.
She held a ball of glowing magic in her hand. “What ya playing with?”
Chapter Thirteen
Savannah
“What ya playing with?”
My heart stopped. I looked down at my hand still stuck inside the moon water and tried to think of something clever to say but my mind was blank. Did I die? I’m dead, right? That was black magic, you can’t just – yeah, I must be dead.
“Savannah.”
My heart fluttered and heat bloomed in my cheeks. Fuck, not dead. I knew that voice, he’d just been torturing me with it a few minutes ago…and now it was right in front of me. I felt his presence like a heat wave. The tips of his brown boots entered my peripheral vision from the other side of my broken black salt circle. My stomach tightened into knots.
“Savannah?”
My hand was still stuck, which meant instead of sitting back or standing up to face my punishment…I had to look up at him on all fours. Don’t call him that. Don’t say it. Please, mouth, for once do not say it.
I craned my neck back and looked all the way up to where his face blocked out the stars in the sky, which was so damn fitting. The moonlight shining through his short blond hair made him look like he had a halo and those pale green eyes sparkled.
I sighed. “Kiwi?” I whispered as softly as possible.
His face fell. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he opened his eyes, smirked, and held his hand out to help me up.
I reached up with my right hand before I even realized what I was doing.
“STOP!”
We froze.
My eyes widened.
Oh SHIT. I almost messed up real bad. I looked over toward the purple haired wildcat and grimaced. “I’m stuck.”
“I know.” She chuckled.
“Are you laughing at her?” The tall, beautiful Tennessee growled beside her.
Gigi gasped – and shifted into a penguin. Again.
The girl reached out and put her right hand on his chest and I saw the pink crystal soulmate glyph. OHHHH SHIT. THIS IS TEGAN BISHOP. OH MY GOD. I didn’t know most of the other Card’s names…but I knew Tennessee’s. Everyone did. Which meant everyone knew his soulmate was the High Priestess Tegan Bishop.
Word on the street said she was terrifying.
They were right…but I was more afraid of the tense energy rolling off of Cooper in front of me than her. Hell, she laughed while everyone else was glaring.