Page 75 of Pure Magic
“What has she become?”
He shrugs. “She is the future.”
Chapter
Twenty-Three
SARA BETH
As the sun reaches the horizon, I push aside my sorrow. Despite Goddess saying that Adam would stand with his sister, I still pictured us going into battle together.
Sending Trina back to us was a good thing, but once he’d freed her, why didn’t he return. I watched the west all day waiting for him. I long to believe he wouldn’t betray us.
I let anger replace my tears and stand with my sister and brother witches in a circle fifty deep within and around the standing stones.
As the sun dips lower, mutterings begin in the west edge of witches.
His mind is closed, but I feel Adam approaching. I don’t know how they intend to get through so many witches in the light. My knuckles are white around the shield staff, while the other items Adam and I collected sit heavy in my pocket.
Adam must not have wanted the wand to fall into his sister’s hands, and that gives me hope.
As the last light of day falls, clouds roll in from the east. Laura lights the fire at the center of the stones. The wood catches, and the flames shoot twenty feet high. Rain drizzles down.
June stands at the great mother’s side, and Trina directly behind her. Prudence squeezes my hand. “The rain is a good sign. Good for water magic.”
Of course, she’s right, but the thought of having to drown Adam with water magic makes my gut ache. I brush it aside. “Goddess strength and light!” I yell over the din.
“Goddess strength and light,” the crowd calls back.
“We stand against the darkness on this, the third day, of the third month, in the third year.” I draw a breath and hope for courage. “It is our duty and our honor to fight for the light and keep out that which does not belong.”
“For Goddess and the light,” they call back.
The sky crackles with lightning and thunder, blinding me for a second.
“Pretty words,” Ariana purrs beside the fire. It’s hard to imagine such a petite woman could be so dangerous. “They will not save you.”
Kaden and Adam stand behind her like sentinels.
Holding a shiny golden bowl in his hands, Kaden looks dazed.
When Adam searches my face, I turn my gaze to his sister. “We will fight whatever you bring to this circle.”
Ariana brushes her long red hair over her shoulder. “I’ll admit, you’ve amassed more of an army than I would have expected, but you haven’t any chance of winning this. Why not bow to me now, and I’ll spare you? You can serve the dark and live.” She speaks louder. “You can all serve the dark and live.”
Even knowing she would not turn any of these witches, I hold my breath. If one good witch turned, it would be terrible.
The fire shoots higher until it looks as if it might touch the clouds. She scans the crowd, but there are no takers. “I’ll not make this offer again.”
Still, no one moves to join the dark.
My heart pounds, and I find my relief palpable.
“So be it.” Ariana reaches toward Kaden, and he puts the bowl in her palm. As she drinks the contents, two streams of red ooze down her chin.
My stomach churns.
“She drinks the blood of her blood,” Prudence says.
