Page 109 of When Storms Ruin

I fell into him as another sob tore free from my throat, tears wetting my cheeks as they fell in earnest. A million emotions were swirling inside of me, and I didn’t have time to process any of them. Annelise and the cauldron were patiently waiting, as was my magic.

We reluctantly released each other, and I crossed the circle again to stand by Annelise.

I nodded, meeting Zion’s gaze, then hers. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

“My strong, magnificent, daughter.” Annelise’s voice was strangled as she turned to me, pride in her eyes.

Another wave of emotion rolled over me and I bit my liphardto push it back. If I let it, the emotions and the consequences of the last few weeks threatened to drown me.

Annelise instructed me to drop the key into the cauldron. As soon as I did and the key mingled with our blood, it began to sizzle. A sweet-smelling smoke wafted into the air.

Annelise filled the single glass goblet with the blood, her eyes turning black, swirling with blood magic. She handed the goblet to me, and my hands trembled as I took it from her. The black eyes staring back at me were familiar, and I felt a pang in my stomach at the thought.

She knelt to retrieve the grimoire once more and opened to the page where the key spell was written.

“Hold the goblet and recite with me,” she instructed.

I moved to read over her shoulder, the grimoire giving an involuntary shudder as we spoke.

“Hoc sacrificium alligabo.”

“Hoc sacrificium alligabo.”

“Hoc sacrificium alligabo.”

The goblet was suddenly warm within my grasp, the spell having heated its contents.

“Now drink,” Annelise instructed.

At first I balked at the thought of consuming the blood, but her black eyes met mine and there was something encouraging in them. These were not the black, lifeless eyes of someone lost to dark magic. I brought the goblet to my lips. I had expected the salty, metallic taste of blood but what I found in the goblet was both sweet and tangy.

“Now, Nik,” she instructed.

I passed the goblet to him as I licked my lips clean, the blood staining my teeth. He brought the goblet to his mouth, his eyes on mine as he drank.

I felt a pull deep within me, the ember in my core surging forth as he swallowed. He passed the goblet to Annelise, but she did not drink, she simply placed it on the ground before us.

“Clasp your hands together, the next part requires a physical connection.”

We did as she asked, our hands lacing together as we faced each other. He gave me a reassuring half-smile, and I was glad I couldn’t see the blood that I’m sure stained his teeth as well. As our hands connected my magic surged forth again,pressing against me so intensely it almost swept me off my feet.

This was blood magic, and my magic both reveled in it and rebelled against it at the same time. It wasn’t dark magic, but it was unmistakably powerful and intense. For a moment I could picture how Donika could get drunk on this feeling, addicted to the power I sensed rushing through my veins as we recited the spell and my magic responded.

But no feeling in the world could excuse the lengths she went to. The lives she took. The sacrifices she made.

Annelise placed her hand over ours, reciting the last part of the spell.

“With this power I bind. Hac potestate teneor.” Her voice took on a melody as she repeated the words, over and over, blood red swirling in her black eyes.

My head was thrown back as magic surged up within me, running down my arms and through my fingertips towards Nik. He staggered back as the magic hit him, but he held on tightly.

The power surged within me so powerfully I ground my teeth against it, rearing back unintentionally.

“Hold fast!” Annelise called out, her hands grasping ours.

The rocks and sand kicked up around us inside the circle, my hair pulling free of its ties to swirl around me. The circle had become a tornado, the wind powerful enough that it threatened to sweep us off our feet.

But we held fast.

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