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“If there was a human heart in my chest, it would be slamming against my ribcage right about now.”
I don’t know whether he means it in a good or bad way. I don’t ask. I extend my hand to Rune. He takes it, then Sebastian’s to complete our circle.
In the heart of the clearing, under the veil of the new moon’s dark embrace, my body tingles with raw power, and something within me stirs.
This is it.
“Blessed be the mother goddess who goes by many names,” I call, my voice carrying across the clearing and my magic flaring beneath my skin as I channel.
The blessing isn’t a necessary part of the ritual, but I figure it can’t hurt to have Gaia on my side before doing something so batshit crazy.
“Elements of fire, water, earth, and air… I am protected by your care.” I focus my intention toward the cardinal directions for each of the elements, invoking each in turn. The wind picks up suddenly, whipping my hair around me. I raise my voice over the chaos. “None shall come to hurt or maim. I am protected by your flame.”
Sebastian hisses as a wall of fire encircles the four of us, flaring ten feet off the ground. I want to revel in his uneasiness, but I have a ritual to complete.
“This shield of protection, I hold strong. No ill will may come along.”
The fire flashes white-hot, and then in an instant snuffs itself out, leaving only a ring of black ash behind.
“Is that all?” Rune whispers.
I tune him out and finish addressing Mother Gaia. It would be rude to not thank her and say goodbye. When I finish speaking, the silence that follows is wholly unnatural. There are no bugs chirping from the tall grass, no bullfrogs croaking from the shallow waters of the bayou.
It’s like the entire universe has taken a deep breath and is holding it while awaiting the outcome of our ritual.
I’ve read about the unity bonding. I know what to expect—well… in theory. In practice, it’s entirely different.
In theory, my magic should reach out and search within my circle. If it’s meant to be, it will bind me to the vampire I am meant to unite with.
If there’s no binding, there’s no unity bond.
Simple as that.
My feet lift from the ground until I’m hovering. And then, as if guided by a force beyond my comprehension, I open myself to the insistent pressure building behind my ribcage. The moment I do, radiant light explodes from my chest. It is both terrifying and irresistible.
A magical ribbon extends from my sternum as the air charges with power. It shimmers like a celestial thread, swirling and dancing in the surrounding air before extending to find its mark.
A rush of adrenaline zings in my veins as my heart races. Is what I feel for Finn the will of Gaia? Am I meant for Rune? Or would the universe be so cruel as to pair me with Sebastian, knowing what he did to my parents?
Something inside me shifts, and then there’s a strange vibration in my magic. The glimmering ribbon dancing in the night air pulses brighter and then splits into three separate tendrils of magic.
One of them reaches towards Sebastian, encasing him in a crimson red.
The second follows, elegantly stretching towards Fintan in a mesmerizing display of cobalt blue.
The third zigs and zags, seeking Rune out, shimmering with a dazzlingly bright golden yellow.
Beyond the swirling, ethereal ribbon, I see Grand-Mère. Her image is transparent, like when I saw her during her funeral. Her features swirl together and then expand.
She’s not alone…
Mom is here too.
Their presence is both comforting and haunting, a reminder of the generations of powerful witches that came before me. As they fade, I ache for them to stay.
I’m not ready to say goodbye… not yet.
But despite wanting to keep them with me, they disappear as I’m encased in the combining light of the three ribbons.
