“Where are you going? We were going to offer our lands for your people.”
“I appreciate that, but we’re already on the interstate. We’re headed toward my uncle’s pack. He’s got an underground bunker. He founded his territory at the height of the Cold War. It’s big enough for all of us. It’s fairly out of sight. We’ll cross our fingers and hope for the best. Honestly, there’s tons of room. Tens of thousands of square feet. You guys are welcome to join us there. Hit the road, and we can meet up on the way.”
I smiled to myself. Six months ago, this guy had been my biggest enemy and rival. Now we were both looking out for each other, desperate to see the other safely through the crisis. It was strange how the world could twist things. “Thanks for the offer, but we’re all set here. You and your pack be safe on the trip. Be careful. There won’t be many safe places for shifters right now. And keep your eyes on the news the next day or two. I can’t get into it, but I think the tides might be getting ready to shift in our favor.”
“Seriously?” he asked. “Right now, it seems like the world is ending. I can’t see much light at the end of the tunnel.”
I knew what he meant. “Just keep your eyes open. The light is coming. I have faith.”
102
MADDY
Sinthy spent nearly twenty minutes pouring over her book of spells before she found what she was looking for. “Got it. I can do this. It’s honestly not a difficult spell. I’ve never done a protection spell on such a big area, though. Still, it shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll need some dandelion root and a dozen dead wasps, but everything else I should have in my bag.”
“Dead wasps?” Nico asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Sinthy smirked at him. “Stay in your lane, mister wolf man. Let the witch do her thing, and don’t worry about the ingredients. Besides, there’s a nest on your roof outside my window. I’ll be able to take care of it.” She looked at me. “First, though, we need to see what we can do about your mother.”
A little flutter went through my chest. I had faith in Sinthy, but I was still worried her plan wouldn’t work. The alternative was that Gabriella would live the rest of her days as a zombie—staring into space, not eating or drinking, and slowly wasting away until she died. I didn’t want us to succeed in defeating the royals only to lose her before we had really ever gotten to know each other.
“Okay. Let’s get started. Before I lose my nerve.”
Nico still looked anxious. I understood that. My anxiety was through the roof. He headed down the hallway. “I’ll bring her. You stay and get ready.”
A few minutes later, Nico had Gabriella sitting in a chair, and Sinthy took the woman’s limp hands in her own and closed her eyes. Nico and I watched as she murmured something under her breath. Her lips moved fast—the quiet susurration of the strange language barely audible. Finally, Sinthy’s eyes snapped open, and she smiled. She looked toward me and nodded once. “The wolf is still in there, along with your mother. It’s… very deep, though. I never knew consciousness could be pushed so far under the surface. It’s no wonder I couldn’t sense it the first time. It’s almost as bad as trying to feel a pebble underneath a pile of thick mattresses. But I can feel it. And that means we have a chance.”
I took a deep breath. “All right. What do I need to do?”
Sinthy grabbed another chair and slid it over until it was right next to Gabriella. “Sit here. If you’re ready.”
“Yeah. I’m ready.” I squeezed Nico’s hand one more time before letting go and sitting down.
Tiago had returned and stood beside Nico. Sinthy looked at the two men and gestured toward the sofa. “You all will probably want to sit. This is going to be a powerful and precisely targeted spell. It’s probably gonna get a little crazy.”
Tiago and Nico shared a look of concern but did as she asked. It did nothing for the anxiety Nico felt. I could sense both him and his wolf getting anxious. My own fear was bubbling right beneath the surface, but I closed my eyes and took a breath to steady myself.
Sinthy pulled out a small leather bag held closed by a drawstring. She held it up so I could see it better. “These are Casting Bones, similar to Fortune Stones.” The vacant look onmy face must have been more obvious than I realized. Sinthy sighed. “Fortune stones? For divination?”
I shrugged and shook my head. Sinthy rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Okay. The stones are used to divine answers to questions or cast spells to affect the outcome of an event, things like that. Not very powerful, really. Kind of like a gateway totem. The bones are much more powerful. They’re used to cast spells that affect the body or mind. Very rare. Isme told me these bones had been passed down to her through many, many generations.”
“Whose… uh, whose bones are they?” Nico asked, looking ever more uncomfortable.
Sinthy raised an eyebrow and shook the bag. “A collection. A very special collection. They’re all finger bones. One finger from a Master Shaman of Babylon, another was cut off the hand of Judas Iscariot as he hung from the rope that killed him. Still another was taken from the Celtic priest who first blessed the boulders of Stonehenge when it was completed, and the final comes from the Great Stranger himself. The original Wiccan who developed the first spells and harnessed the energies my kind use. His bones are ancient beyond knowing and have become like stone.”
I stared at the bag, and a thousand more questions erupted into my mind. I pushed them away and simply nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Sinthy smiled. She produced a needle and held it in front of me. “A single drop.”
I extended my hand toward her, proud that it only trembled slightly. In a single swift motion, Sinthy jabbed the needle into my fingertip. I hissed in surprise and pain. She took hold of my finger and held it above the open bag. Sinthy squeezed, and a single drop fell into the bag. That was it. She pulled the bag away and released my finger. I put it in my mouth and sucked at the wound, my mouth filling with the coppery taste of blood.
Sinthy cinched the bag tight and shook it several times, muttering more strange words. At last, she locked her eyes on me. “Sit in front of Gabriella. I want you to hold her hands together and form a bowl.” She put her palms together, then opened them like they were a book, showing me what she wanted.
Nodding, I slid my chair in front of my birth mother and took her limp hands in mine again, doing as Sinthy had asked. Before we got much farther, the door opened, and Felipe and Sebastian walked in. Their eyes went wide as they took in what was happening. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. “Uh… what’s going on, guys? We’re not… like… about to sacrifice a goat or anything, right?”
“Go sit down and shut up,” Sinthy hissed.
Felipe and Sebastian hurried to the couch, looking abashed. “Jeez, sorry,” Sebastian muttered as they flopped down beside Tiago.
