Mistwood Manor
No matter how hard she tried to forget about her last time in Nathaniel’s ritual room, Clarissa could still smell traces of her own vomit. It was all in her head of course. The oreads had made sure the room was cleaned to impeccable standards, and the dried herbs hanging from the ceiling ensured the only smell in the room was herbal and warm.
Sabrina kept rubbing her nose, probably sensitive to the strong scents. Eventually, she stopped breathing all together. Clarissa had no idea vampires could do that.
Beside her, Avery cradled the egg, which was strapped in a sling around her body. “Can we do this quickly? Li’l Puff can’t get cold.”
“Yes, please. Let’s get this over with,” Sabrina added. “There is an herb in here that burns my lungs when I breathe.”
“This is for healing,” Maiara said, breaking off a small dried piece of something that hung from the ceiling and bringing it to her nose. She waved it in front of Sabrina. “The stink is from the medicine. It is the way the Great Spirit tells us it is good to use.”
Sabrina held her nose. “Maybe for humans. Not for vampires.”
Across the room, Nick tapped on a jar that held what looked like an embalmed eel. The entire wall was filled with specimens preserved in liquids that ran from clear to yellow to green. Clarissa didn’t like to look too closely at those jars.
“Nathaniel’s into some crazy shit, even for a dragon,” Nick said.
“He told me once he was the only dragon besides his mother who had learned to perform magic like a witch,” Clarissa told him.
“Yeah, well, it’s creepy, but I hope it keeps my Rowan safe.” Nick’s yearning for his mate made Clarissa equally anxious to get hers back. This had to work!
Warwick raised his hands. “If everyone would take their places on the circle please, we can begin.”
The wizard stationed himself on the northernmost point of the circle at the tip of the pentagram. Clarissa stepped onto the southernmost arc, between the two legs of the star. Sabrina stepped on the arc to her left, Maiara spaced out evenly beside her. Nick took the space beside Warwick.
Avery hesitated, holding the egg in its carrier against her chest.
Clarissa held out her hand to her and smiled. “Come. You can be the witch of the west. Well, the southwest anyway.” She pointed to the space across from Sabrina.
“Wasn’t that the most wicked one in the Land of Oz?” Avery asked, smiling sweetly. It was hard to imagine Avery being anything but sweet, although it was clear to Clarissa she had an inner strength.
With a laugh, Clarissa took her hand. “There’s nothing wrong with being wicked, especially considering present circumstances.”
Everyone in their place, they quieted as Warwick began to braid the three hairs. His mouth moved in a barely audible chant. She couldn’t make out what he was saying but thought it might be Latin.
“Please join hands,” Warwick commanded.
Once everyone did, he released the braided hair, tossing it into the center of the circle. At first the braid floated toward the floor, but as soon as Warwick took Nick’s and Maiara’s hands, it stopped and rose to hover between them.
Clarissa felt the circle rise.
Beside her, Avery’s eyes widened. “I feel it,” Avery said. “It’s like my feet have left the ground. I feel… weightless.”
“Concentrate,” Warwick barked. “Picture the hairs being bound to one another in your head.” He began to chant again.
The magic in the room built to a glorious tension, the air flowing thick into Clarissa’s lungs. She stared at the hairs, willing them to fuse.
A wind picked up in the circle, whipping Clarissa’s hair against her face. There were no windows in this room, but the formerly thick and stale air became crisp. Sabrina took a real breath.
“Holy fuck!” All the color drained from Nick’s face.
“The Great Spirit is upon us.” Maiara’s gaze lifted toward the ceiling.
Warwick’s irises glowed silver gray as power pulsed through the circle.
Avery gasped. “Oh my God.” The egg in her arms pulsed peacock blue.
Even Clarissa, who had participated in many circles in her time, had to admit this was weird. The power flowing was more in line with what she would feel from an entire coven of expert witches and wizards, not this motley crew of magical novices.
Her throat opened. She had the sudden urge to sing. “Now, Warwick! I can feel it!”
“Nick, Maiara, hands on my shoulders please!” Warwick commanded.
They obeyed, their hands sliding up his arms. He produced a vial of Nathaniel’s blood from the inner pocket of his jacket. Dabbing a drop on his thumb, he reached out, his cheeks flapping in the circle’s gusting magic, and pressed the blood to the braid. Almost instantly, the three strands fused into one and disintegrated into dust that circled in the cyclone that had become the room.
The magic didn’t let up. As Warwick slid the vial back into his jacket and returned his hands to grip Nick’s and Maiara’s, a howl rose. Gradually, Clarissa became aware it was her voice! All of theirs! They were all yelling into the wind as it lifted them. She couldn’t hold on. Her feet floated another inch from the floor.
Lightning branched from the center of the circle, zapping into her and the others. She lost her grip on Sabrina and Avery, crashed to the floor, and rolled onto her back. She lay perfectly still, shock waves coursing through her body in a way that wasn’t unpleasant but was scary as hell.
Avery sat up first and checked the egg. “You okay, Li’l Puff?”
The egg’s heartbeat seemed to pulse softly in response.
Sabrina got to her feet and held her hand out to help Clarissa up. “How do we know if it worked?”
“Only one way to find out.” Clarissa opened her mouth and sang. There were no words to her song, just a single note that began low and rose in pitch like a soaring bird. Light gathered between them—a ball of light that hatched into an electric-violet butterfly. Her creation cruised around the circle, raining sparkles like stardust.
“Holy shit,” Sabrina said.
“I guess it worked,” Nick mumbled.
Warwick brushed his palms against each other and straightened his tie. “Of course it worked. Who do you think you’re dealing with?” He pointed one meaty finger at Clarissa. “Tell Nathaniel he owes me.” He strode from the room like he was a foot taller than his actual stature.
Avery hugged the egg and stared at Clarissa, wide-eyed and anxious. “What happens now?”
She thought for a moment, but there was only one answer. “Now we wait.”