Page 78 of Wicked Warlock
“Relax and press your whole hand down.” I wanted to use my power to help her control the planchette, but the only thing I could do was try to keep her calm enough to do so. Catherine had been running from Alataris her whole life and even in his death, he terrified her. Yet she did shove her hands down harder.
The planchette stopped shooting over the board and it hit one number after another: 19-6-3-8-27. I didn’t know what they meant, but it felt like a combination to something. The board started glowing and shaking, and Penny grabbed Catherine’s shoulder and yanked her back. They both fell into the sand as the board shook and cracked down the center. A ball of fire exploded from the board as it shattered to a million pieces. The force field around the board expanded to twice its size and we all hit the ground, waiting for the whole thing to explode. Then when it couldn’t get any bigger, it contracted just as quickly, holding in the explosion and smothering it completely.
“See? Hematite.” Ophelia picked up one of the rocks and waved it at us. The force field dropped and black smoke billowed out around us.
It got stuck in my throat on a deep breath. “Too soon. O.”
Catherine waved her hand in front of her face, trying to clear the smoke. “I don’t understand what that was. And why did the board explode like that?”
“I guess he figured if Catherine was coming for the combination, then I might as well be dead too.” Penny brushed the sand off her arms with sharp, jerky movements. “Bastard.”
I didn’t understand. “We have a combination, but to what? Where is the safe?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have an idea.”
Penny stood and started walking farther back into one of the tunnels shooting off the main cave, one I hadn’t been down the first time we’d been here to free her. The farther we walked, the more ominous this felt. We were too deep. There was too much water being held in by too little magic. The cave grew darker as we walked farther down. At the back of the cave there were six huge water wheels. They were lined up on the wall one after the other, each one spinning slowly while the water pushed them around in slow circles.
Penny motioned toward them. “Dials.”
Across the top of them it read: Blood of my blood, equations may meet, wrath of a king shall never see defeat.
“Ugh. Leave it to Dad to be so stupid obvious.” Ophelia rolled her eyes. “Blood of my blood. That means all of us have to do something. Me, Zinnia, Penny, Beckett, and probably Catherine.”
“Are you sure?” Astrid glanced from the wall to Ophelia. “Because I’m not getting that.”
“You wouldn’t. But you also didn’t grow up raised by him.”
Zinnia nodded. “She’s right. She knows.”
I stared at the wheels and I knew in an instant they were meant to be turned. “19-6-3-8-27. That’s the combo, right?”
“Yeah,” Astrid confirmed.
I threw my hand forward and my blue magic smoked over the sand and the pool of water that separated us. I spun my hand around and the first wheel creaked and groaned as it began to move. “Nineteen.”
Black liquid began to pour from the center of the wheel.
“Keep going, bro,” Cross hissed under his breath.
I moved to the next one. “Round and round we go. Six.” Bright red liquid spilled from the center of the wheel.
“Three.” Blue liquid poured.
Ophelia began to pull bottles from her pouch and leave them in the sand. But I ignored her and moved to the next one. “Eight.”
Yellow poured out and I moved on, trying not to look at Ophelia fumbling for whatever it was that she was looking for. “Twenty-seven.”
They all stood there waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, on the last turn, the center of the wheel opened and light purple liquid flowed out, meeting the water below. The water vibrated and a small pedestal rose from the middle of the water. I could tell that it used to be white, but algae covered it completely. On top of the pedestal sat a small box and my heart jumped. I knew it was what we were here for, and I wanted it now.
Ophelia jumped up and grabbed two vials. “I need a ride.”
Astrid and I shared a look and Ophelia snapped at us, “Now.”
Astrid threw out her magic and lifted Ophelia over the water and out toward the spilling, colorful water. I cupped my hands over my mouth to call out to her, “What are you doing?”
“Shhh.” She pointed toward the water. “Lower.”
Astrid dropped her down and Ophelia’s boots sunk into the water. She began to run back and forth, taking a few drops from each, mixing it around then running to another one and repeating the process.
