“You need to think of a new plan!” Royce shouted. “This can’t be happening. You can’t be allowing this. Henley, what is wrong with you?”
“Have some faith, Royce.” Henley said but her eyes were haunted and dark.
Riah cleared his throat. “Is there perhaps some way you could prevent her body from leaving this realm?”
Tegan gasped. “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?”
Savannah’s jaw dropped. “Is there a spell for that?”
Tegan hugged her Book of Shadows to her chest. “Literally, no. But there are similar things we can use for inspiration…for our spellmaster.”
Bettina cursed. “No pressure.”
I snapped my fingers as thoughts came rushing back to me. “There are spells for preventing the fae from leaving this realm, for trapping them here. Maybe you can work with that?”
Henley nodded. “And we’re going to need some black magic.”
“We’re going to need a variety of things.” Tegan stared at the wall. “We need to do a ritual…but I need to think. Babe, get us a secure space?”
He nodded and then she flew across the room and disappeared down the hall.
“Where’s she going?” I asked.
Cooper rolled his eyes. “Tenn’s room.”
“All right. Henley, Hope, Lennox go in there with her and figure this out.” Tennessee frowned, then turned to his right. “Savannah…?”
She paled. “Yes?”
“You’re into black magic.”
Her sapphire eyes widened. “That’s putting it lightly.”
He nodded. “Get in there with them.”
Her face flushed. She sprinted to follow the other three girls.
The front door opened…then Kessler and Constance came strolling back in.
“The kids thoroughly punished?”
Devon scoffed. “Please don’t have children, Tenn.”
He shrugged. “Hey, I delegated.”
Constance frowned. “The room looks grim. What did we miss?”
Tennessee quickly filled them in on the plan while the rest of us just listened. When I heard it played back like that it sounded like a terrible idea.
Kessler pursed his lips. “So nothing new for us, cool. Where we doing this ritual?”
“Um, right here I guess—”
“No,” Riah and I said at the same time, which should not have made me smile.
“You’re tying her to this realm—”
“So you need to be where the realm can be tied to her. Outside.”
Tennessee stared for a second. “I’ve got an idea. Come on.”
He turned and marched to the door in the back corner that lead to the outside. Albert jumped up and hurried after him before the rest of us had crossed the room. I followed my Coven-mates to the door. Olli sat there waiting with his tail wagging until I got up to him, then he jumped up and I caught him.
Once we were all out and standing in the grass just behind the house, Tennessee nodded. “Easton, cover our bodies in armor.”
Easton arched one eyebrow but he flicked his wrist and bright, heavy, silver body armor covered my body from head to toe. “Done.”
“Em, take this metal and create an extension off the house.” Tenn gestured to the house. “Ya know, three walls and a ceiling. That’ll block him.”
She cracked her knuckles, then lifted her hands in the air. I felt a wave of hot energy rush by and then the metal body armor ripped right off of me. Black mist swirled around all of the pieces of metal as she sucked them off of our bodies. But then she started flicking her arms side to side until a three foot tall wall popped up around us. Without prompting, Easton covered us all in metal again just for Emersyn to steal it for our fortress. In the end, it took four, maybe five rounds before we were completely enclosed.
“Perfect, you two. Thanks.” Tennessee made a circle with one hand. “Okay, it’s that time. Everyone make a circle.”
“You need a salt circle,” I heard myself say as we all formed a circle. When he looked to me, I shrugged. “Have Royce do it since he’s deeply connected to this realm.”
Royce looked absolutely gutted. “Okay…”
“Pardon me…” Riah narrowed his eyes and pointed. “Is anyone aware of the other small children here?”
We all turned to see who he was talking to. The others all relaxed like this was no big deal. I however did not recognize them. The one looked a lot like Deacon, especially with her violet eyes and sandy blonde hair, but the other was unfamiliar.
“Should they be here?” Riah asked, his voice was soft but there was an edge to it.
Deacon hurried to them. “She’s like my sister. She was here when that thing was, so I don’t want her out of my sight.”
“Ah, understandable.” Riah cocked his head to the side. “But the other is not arcana.”
Tennessee sighed. “Landy is a shifter, cousin of the king. And for that, I’d also like to keep her in our sight until we can eliminate the threat and return her to Issale.”
“Issale. Oh yes, I’ve been there.” Riah turned to Landy again with a kind smile. “Is Locke still king?”
Landy shook her head. “N-no. Kothari is. He’s his great-grandson.”
Riah sighed. “Ah, that’s too bad.”
Despite everything, that made me smile. He was just so adorable.
The back door opened and trouble walked out into our metal cave. I knew they weren’t really trouble but hell they looked it. Lennox and Savannah were covered in tattoos and had wild colored hair. Henley’s whole vibe was dark – or goth, as I’d recently learned. Bettina’s mismatching eyes made her look wild. And then there was Tegan. The unnerving part of her wasn’t even visual.
Tegan walked straight up to Riah with a piece of parchment in her hand. “What do you think?’
Riah nodded and handed it back.
“I want to read it in angelic language.”
“Smart.”
Tegan nodded and turned away. “Okay let’s do this ritual – oh, nice metal cave. Anyway, Saffie, we’re going to require your help to ensure her spirit is not damaged. OH, hey nice salt circle.”
No pressure. But I nodded and sat Olli in Riah’s arms. “What do you need me to do?”
“Babe, purify the circle please?” Tegan walked to the far side, then turned to face me. “Henley in the middle. Saffie take the bottom right point. Bettina the bottom left. Savannah and Lennox take a side point. I’m going to read the spell in angelic for an extra layer of protection, so all you have to do is stand there and give your magic to me.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tennessee walking the circle and reciting a spell, but I focused only on getting to my designated spot. Thanks to the metal walls there was absolutely no breeze, and with the Florida heat sweat was already dripping down my spine.
“Okay, we’re ready.” Tegan licked her lips and held her hands out to the side, palms facing the grass. “Do what I do. I’ll read the spell.”
“Henley…” Royce called out. “Henley, please rethink this.”
“I’m doing this, Brother.”