“Universe and Goddess, Guardians and Elements, Guardian Angels and Spirit Guides, Guardsmen and your mighty dragons from above. Please be present during this ritual. Bless this Circle and keep us protected. No unwanted entities are welcome here. Only pure, divine beings are invited into this space. The Circle is cast. So mote it be.”
“So mote it be. Blessed be. Blessed be,” all the other witches whispered in response.
“Blessed be,” Kyra responded as she lit the final candle.
The flame flashed to almost ten feet high before immediately returning to its natural warm glow. Nodding in recognition, Kyra addressed the group without looking away from the flame. “Our request has been granted. The Universe, the Goddess, and all the other Blessed Beings show favor on our quest.”
Looking up, the powerful witch caught her mate’s eye and winked before addressing the group. “Guardsmen, now is the time of your sacrifice, for no one, no matter how noble the person or his intent, may enter the Abyss without giving of himself.”
She lit the fire under a small copper pot Rian had seen her blessing, before calling them into the Circle. The smell of the same herbs she’d dropped at their feet almost immediately scented the air. Looking to him, she nodded. “Come forward, Rian O’Reilly, Leader of the Blue Fire Clan and mate to Audrey Dobresou, whom you seek to save.”
Stepping into the Circle, Rian felt the immeasurable power of their combined magic wash over him. Kyra handed me her pearl handled anthame and bowed her head. Doing as she’d instructed them all the night before, the Dragon Leader pulled the blade across the palm of his hand. The first drop hit the simmering herbs. Steam rose from the mixture as more blood fell and Rian said the words he’d been taught.
“I give my blood freely for the protection of myself, my dragon, my mate, and my kin. May it only be used for this purpose. So mote it be.”
“Blessed be. Blessed be,” the women all around him answered.
“Come forward Drago MacLendon, Assassin and Commander of the MacLendon Force of the Golden Fire Clan and brethren to Kayne MacGréine, whom you seek to rescue.”
Drago did just as Rian had, as did every other Guardsman in attendance. Liam was last to compete the rite. When he finished, Kyra stood and quietly directed, “All who seek entrance into the Abyss and have paid their debt of blood, please step forward.
As one cohesive unit, the Guardsmen took three steps. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to battle whatever hell had to offer, they recited the spell Calysta had taught them. “We enter the Abyss of our own free will to rescue those taken without their consent and held against their will. We will not be the aggressors but will defend when attacked. Our mission is one of peace. So mote it be.”
Calysta and Sarah Beth joined Kyra and together, the three formed a circle around the Goddess Candle. The remaining McKennon sisters, Melanie, and Sam joined hands as best they could. Together the women began to chant first in the language of the original dragons, then in English
“Oscailt na geataí ar ifreann. Cheadú iontráil. Aon dochar.”
“Open the gates of hell. Allow entry. Do no harm.”
Rian touched the amulet Calysta had placed around his neck, as did all the Guardsmen. It was what she’d called their ‘get into hell unseen card’. She’d further explained that if any or all of them were in mortal danger, all they had to do was touch their amulets simultaneously and utter “Dachaigh” in unison. She cautioned, however, that all of them had to touch their own talisman at exactly the same time and say the one-word spell exactly in unison or it wouldn’t work. They were going into the Abyss as a single unit and that is how the magic saw them.
Piece of cake…on a cracked plate with what the beasties nightmares are made of. Yippee!
The witches’ chant rose in volume and intensity. The copper pot full of their combined blood and Kyra’s herbs began to boil. Thick black smoke rose from the bubbling liquid. The ground beneath just the Guardsmen began to shake.
Rian saw each mated Guardsman look to the woman who was the light of his soul. He knew they were speaking mind-to-mind, lending support to one another. It was the first time he didn’t feel the pang of jealousy when watching the couples together. The Dragon Leader knew, as did his heart, that soon he would be reunited with the one woman in all the world who he was fated to share eternity with.
Kyra, Calysta, and Sarah Beth raised their joined hands to the sky. The witches chant immediately grew in volume. It became so loud the air within the protective bubble vibrated around them. Rian knew that were it not for the spell, the sound of their combined voices would echo throughout the valley.
“Buckle up, kids. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride,” Maddox’s voice rang through their minds, followed by his unmistakable chuckle.
Rian knew without a doubt Madman Maddox was crazier than a bedbug and never really lived in the real world, but the old dragon was also the most magically powerful non-witch being the Dragon Leader had ever known. More than that, he would protect dragon kin with his dying breath, and no matter what, had Rian’s back. And that was what was going to bring them all home safely.
Kyra opened her eyes and looked directly at Rian. Their otherworldly glow grew in intensity until the flame of the Goddess Candle shot straight into the sky, erupting like fireworks about their heads.
The earth under his feet fell away while the ground under the witches remained whole and untouched. Rian and the Guardsmen began to fall. The Dragon Leader’s last glimpse was of Kyra as she gave him a single nod.
Her voice echoed through his mind as he fell, “Save Audrey and bring him back to me.”
Rian knew exactly to whom the tiny witch referred and couldn’t help but smile as he fell through the air without the aid of wings for the first time in his life. The sensation of falling was incredibly disconcerting for the man and the dragon with which he shared his soul. He could feel the beast clawing against the confines of his mind. The dragon roared and fought while Rian did everything in his power to calm the winged warrior, but to no avail.
Thankfully, their fall didn’t last nearly as long as it felt like it did and was over in less than a minute. Rian’s feet hit the ash and soot along with his men. The cloud of dust left them blind, which was an unacceptable risk in hell. Using his preternatural senses, Rian reached out little by little through the soot, making sure no one had sensed their arrival.
“Follow me,” he commanded using mindspeak to avoid anyone unwanted from hearing their conversations and to keep the witches topside updated.
The well-trained unit followed his lead with swords drawn until they reached an abandoned building about a block from where they landed. Looking out the one window not boarded up, Rian was surprised to see the street deserted. There was no one or thing as far as the eye could see.
The Underworld was a burnt out, rundown, sad, ghost-town-version of the world topside. Peeling paint, disintegrating mortar, and broken windows with curtains that were simply threads hanging from a sagging rod were just a few highlights of the ambiance of their surroundings. Soot and ash constantly rained from above like dirty snowflakes coating every available surface, and the barely-there sidewalks all but disappeared under the barrage of rubbish.
