My magic was powerful, that was undeniable. Angels’ magic usually was. It made us stronger than fae and more powerful than vampyres.
Now that I’d bonded with Rummy, she would have access to this strength. Tonight, when we gave her even more power, she would become an unbeatable force.
The only force that could take down someone like Cornelius. Someone who planned on raising the dead.
The underground room we’d gathered in was almost entirely empty aside from a small table near the middle and lanterns on the walls that gave us enough light to see. It was Rummy’s idea to perform the power-sharing ritual down here.To protect the rest of the kingdom in case things end poorly,she said.
I clenched my fists and forced myself to inhale slowly.Everything would be fine.
“You look like you’re about to vomit,” Wolf said, bumping my shoulder from behind.
I huffed. “We don’t even know if this ritual will work.”
“It’ll work,” he said. “We aren’t going into this blind, brother. There are dozens of texts outlining exactly how this works. This practice has been used for centuries, we just never knew about it because Father buried it all. Trust me. This will work.”
He sounded sure, but the pit in my stomach only grew.
“It’s risky.”
“You’re only saying that because you and Rummy have finally decided to stop hating each other. The Jessiah who left with her for Pericius would have thrown her into the fire the first chance he got.”
“That’s not true,” I argued. “And Cornelius is manipulative and conniving. It won’t be as easy to trick him as you all think.”
“Maybe not. But you’ve met Rummy. If anyone can out-manipulate him, it’s her. Have some faith, brother.” He gave me a solid pat on the back. “She’s stronger than you give her credit for.”
Rummy’s strength wasn’t what I worried about. The bond made me irrational. If I’d been protective of her before, it was ten times worse now.
But this was Rummy’s decision. If gaining this power would put an end to Cornelius, I would stand behind her.
Huntyr entered the room with two mages—gifted fae that lived with us in Scarlata for the last few months. They studied rituals like the one we were about to perform, and Wolf assured me they knew exactly what they were doing.
I rubbed the sweat off my palms as they approached. Xavier met my gaze from where he stood beside Rummy and he gave me a small nod.
Everything was going to be okay.
Rummy lifted her chin as she took in the strangers in the room. Fierce. Powerful. She wore her tattered black boots and a simple black top that exposed her toned arms. Her cheekbonesjutted out further than usual. Our travels had clearly taken a physical toll on her body.
Though she appeared thinner, I’d never seen her look so determined. Her voice held firm as she declared, “I’m ready.”
Huntyr slipped her hand into Wolf’s. Xavier’s jaw tightened. I could have sworn the lanterns in the room flickered.
Then, the ritual began.
The two mages initiated a chant. Their voices were low at first—a vibration deep in my bones—but with every repetition of the foreign words, the volume increased.
Rummy stood still as a rock.
My heart raced, trying to free itself of the confines of my rib cage, but I didn’t dare move. I stood like a statue, afraid to disrupt the ritual.
“We accept this vessel for all that is good, for all that is powerful, for all that is true.”
The mages summoned Rummy forward, and she obeyed with a straight face.
The mages’ chorus continued for a few minutes, until, all at once, it stopped. Then, they asked, “Who will pour their spirit into this vessel? Who is willing to share a piece of their soul with this chosen one, so that she may carry the greatest gifts these lands have to offer?”
This was it.
This was the moment we would remember forever. Anyone who volunteered now would give Rummy a fraction of their power, and one by one, she would be forced into a weapon to defeat Cornelius.
