“I went to grab the rocks for her.” She smiled and dropped it all at my feet. I piled the wood and straightened the rocks. I got everything ready, and lit the fire. Placing the bowl over the flame, I waited for the water to heat.
“What can we do?” Toya leaned over my side, watching me work.
“Just follow my lead.” I smiled up at her. Carly came and settled next to my side, like a tiny kitten needing warmth. Ipicked up the herbs and handed them to her. “Drop them into the water.” I nodded to the bowl, softly simmering.
“Me?” She looked up at me with shock on her face. “I don’t have magic.”
I nudged her. “We both know that isn’t true. Your gifts are just different from mine.” I nodded towards the water again. “Go ahead.”
She dropped the herbs one by one into the water. The steam changed scent and the smoke from the fire changed direction against the wind towards the house. I picked up the hair and dropped it into the water, Carly watched quietly. I pulled the knife I’d grabbed from the box and I sliced my hand, dripping blood into the water as well. Then I turned to Toya with the knife.
She cut her hand, and we all watched the blood flow into the water. The bubbling liquid shifted to soft pink. One by one, my friends followed suit, turning the water to a deeper pink as the blood boiled with the water. Finally, I grabbed the knife and looked at Carly.
She took a deep breath and then held out her hand. “You are so strong.” I kissed her temple as I grasped her tiny hand. I held the knife, but Wendy screamed.
“WAIT.” She waved her hands. “Wait.” Then she took off. She ran to the house and came back with a first aid kit. “She doesn’t have her wolf yet. She won’t heal.” She pulled out everything she would need and laid it on the case. Then she nodded to me. “I’m ready.”
I turned to Carly. “This will hurt. But as soon as I say go, I need you to run to Aunt Wendy, okay, baby?”
“Okay.” She nodded. And then shut her eyes tight. “Go ahead.”
I took a second to steady my hand, and then I sliced across her palm. She yelped, but held steady as I watched her blood join ours in the bubbling pool. After about twenty seconds, theblood magic took hold, and the water flashed from a dark pink liquid to silver. “Go to Aunt Wendy.” I released her hand and her eyes flashed open. She ran to Wendy, who cleaned the wound. Everyone else was watching me as I grabbed the statues and dropped them into the molten silver liquid.
Micca moved closer to the bowl. “What’s happening?”
I sat silently. My entire focus on the bubbling liquid. The timing had to be perfect. I watched as the silver slowly disappeared, the magic sucking it away. Once the last flash of silver could be seen, I pushed the bowl from the rocks, dumping the dark black liquid over the grass, smothering the fire, and dumping out silver statues.
“What the fuck?” Micca pointed.
Hanna’s mouth dropped open. “Those were wood.” She walked over and stood over them. “Can I touch them?” I nodded, hiding my smile. She bent over and grabbed the first one. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Toya walked over and grabbed another. Her gaze snapped to mine. “It’s metal.” I nodded. “How?”
I gave her a look, lifting my eyebrow. “It’s magic.” I laughed as they all looked at me with the same look of disbelief. I waved them off and stood, bending to grab the other two statues. “They aren’t really metal. It’s magic. The blood coated them in the magic that I needed to create the barrier and shield for the cabin. For Carly.” I studied the metal sheen. “I’ll be able to check if the spell needs to be renewed by the look of the statues.”
“The dark spot.” Toya gasped as she noticed the ground.
Everyone looked at the ground. The pool of dark rust that was over the ground before I started the spell was gone, leaving nothing but the charred bits of wood. “Where did it go?” Hanna snapped to me and I wiggled the statues.
“Then run on sacrifice.” I repeated.
“And nothing is a greater sacrifice than giving up your life to protect your pup,” Wendy whispered as she stared at Carly.
I nodded. “Exactly. Carl was a smart man. He knew he wouldn’t live past last night.”
“So he made it to this spot where you needed to fuel up this spell?” Hanna whispered and shifted her look to Carly.
“He must have seen it all.” I nodded.
“He knew he was going to die, so he made sure his life and his death would keep Carly safe.” Micca’s voice was full of awe.
“Like I said, he was a smart man.” I finished as I looked at Carly. “And his entire life is you, baby girl. He did everything to make sure you grew up into an amazing woman.” I bent down and met her tear filled eyes. “You were his entire world. Never forget it.”
She sniffled, but nodded. “What now?”
I nodded towards the house. “Follow me.” I started to the north corner, and realized when we got to the garden bed, Carl had left a decorative tree stump for the statue to sit on. I placed the first, and then moved to the next. In every bed, there was a decorative stump to place the statues.
“I don’t know why I expected anything less.” Wendy shook her head as she held on to Carly’s bandaged hand.
