Hanna shook her head again. “Someone is attacking us.” She looked at me, panic on her face. “I can hear a whisper. It’s not loud. I can barely make out most of the words, but it’s there.”
“What’s it saying?” Wendy leaned in. “I can hear something, but it’s not words to me.”
I grabbed the bag and pulled everything out, seeing what I had to work with. “Is it getting louder?” I glanced up and watched as Wendy focused for a minute.
She nodded. “When I focus on it, it seems to gain power from attention.” She shook her head, clearing it and focused on me. “What is going on?”
“I’m not sure yet. But we are going to find out.” I stood and placed the candles around the table, grabbed the chalk piece from the bag, and closed my eyes. I thought of my book, and I paged through it, finding what I needed. I drew a circle on the table and drew a few sigils in front of each of us.
“What are you doing?” Hanna sounded a little scared. I looked, and I saw the doubt creeping back in.
“Focus on me, Hanna. Listen to my voice.” I smiled softly at her. “You are one of my closest friends and I would never do anything to hurt you. It’s against the very gifts I received from the Goddess. We do not harm the innocent.” She nodded, and her eyes cleared a little. “I am drawing a circle of power, linking all of us together, and allowing me to trace any magic that has been placed on you. That way I can break it, if there is something.”
Hanna stuck her finger in her mouth and bit down. “Hanna!” Wendy cried, jumping towards her, but Hanna just shook her head.
“I need the pain to clear my mind. The voice is so loud now.” She turned to me. “Hurry.”
I nodded and lit the candles around the table and then closed my eyes. “Ista ni wa clo nox ben tau shorna lit blaugh do ka ni sta.” The room seemed to grow darker as a bright cord of light shot out of my chest and into Wendy’s. From Wendy, it shot to Hanna, then to Micca, and Toya, and then back to me.
Toya’s eyes flew open, and she shrieked. “Stop!”
She thrashed against the rope, the chair, my magic, but I held her in the chair. I waited until the bright cord finished the connection around our circle. Then new connections between each of us wove around us. Each person had a cord for each other. The golden cords wove into a tapestry of our bond, a golden shiny piece of artwork of our friendship and love for each other.
Only now there were tarnished spots. Dark places on our bonds, where they were being attacked. I stood, looking at the cords, and most were still shining brightly. All of them were actually, all except the ones that trailed to me.
“The bonds are all intact except the ones that lead to you.” Wendy stood trailing her fingers on the cords. She plucked the cords between her and me, and I felt a tug. It rippled in my chest, but I could tell it was weakening. The dark spot in the centre is growing bigger.
“Our bond is growing darker the louder the whispers get.” Hanna plucked the cord, and it vibrated, but hers was weaker. Like it was ready to snap. And Micca’s and Toya's were hanging on by a thread. She looked a little lost as she plucked the cord between her and Toya, earning a scream. “What can we do?”
Wendy looked at me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on the cords. “How could you do this to us? We are your sisters.” Toya snarled at us and I felt the punch in the gut when I realized I was no longer included in that sentiment from her.
Wendy swallowed past the lump in her throat. “We are doing this because you are our sister.” Then she turned back to me. “Do something.”
She was pleading with me, and Hanna nodded. “It’s growing darker.” She nodded to the bond between us and I could see the darkness spreading. Micca’s bond grew dimmer as she glared at me.
“You’re poison.” Micca snapped her eyes to the darkening bonds. “Look at it.” She nodded to the cord between Toya and me. “You ruin everything you touch.”
Her words cut deeper than I thought they should have. But it was my fault. I was listening to her words when I knew she was under the influence of something. But what was influencing them—that was the question. I sat down next to Toya and leaned in to her. “Forgive me.”
She snarled and tried to bite me, but I used her anger as a way in. Emotions were always a window into someone’s soul. I sent my magic dancing down our connection, skipping the darkened, mostly dead centre and dove into her mind. I sent it worming around inside of her, and I used her magic to pull myself into her mind.
One moment I was next to her, staring into her snarling face and the next I was walking deep in trees I did not recognize. The trees here were fragrant, but foreign to me. In between the trunks, patches of sand and rough grass grew in patches. “Where is this?”
“This is my home.” Toya’s wolf, Urbi, came through the trees. She sidled up next to me and we walked together, silently. “Have you come to save us?”
I stopped, turning to face her, and leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”
She looked away. “Come see for yourself.” She pivoted and took the lead, leaving through the trees towards whatever waseating away at our bond. “Did she hurt you?” She stopped to turn back to me before she kept walking.
“A little. But you have done worse during training.” I chuckled softly.
“Only because you allowed us to hit you, and we were actively trying to kill you.” Urbi stopped. “This time she was. Trying to kill you, that is.” She sat back and waited for me to catch up with her. “I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t get close enough.” She looked at me and I could see the apology there. “I’m locked away from her.”
“What do you mean?”
“You will see.” She nodded in front of us and we continued for a few more feet.
The edge of the forest ended in sand. Golden sand. The sky was bright blue, and the sun was shining down on us. Instantly I was hot. I could feel the sweat bead off my temples. “Why is it so hot here?”
