He was chaos incarnate. The harsh lines of his face were devastating to her, causing her heart to beat erratically. The dips and whorls of hisonataalong the sides of his head and neck were dark and untamed in the glow of the firelight.
She could feel his barely contained rage vibrating inside him, ready to spill out, and she drew on that too.
She took the athame from Cris, who held both it and the chalice, and examined it with intention. She wanted to Know it.
The knife’s silver blade was waved and deathly sharp, and the handle felt cold and unforgiving in her hand. The metal was like stone—it had no intention but to maintain its state, but it was ancient and malleable, having changed forms many times over.
Next, she took the golden chalice from Cris too. It was one she recognized—the same one she’d used during her Summoning. The symbol of Gaia shone on the front, the gold metal it was etched into gleaming in the firelight, and Ena was filled with a fresh clarity—she Knew in her bones that this was Gaia’s will.
She offered the blade to Ty handle first, and he took it. He held it above his wrist, hesitating for just a second before slicing deeply into his skin.
Ena held out the golden chalice, positioning it below his wound, and watched with fascination as his blood welled up and dripped willingly into it.
She couldn’t help but contrast the vision of it with what she’d seen in her vision from Gaia—when the daemon woman’s blood was forcibly taken as she cried out in pain. Because here was Ty, sacrificing all that he had to give for his people, for their future, and she felt her heart swell with pride and awe of him.
After several minutes, she removed the chalice, now half-full with his crimson offering. Turning to her right, she nodded to Mel, and the witch opened the wooden box containing the amulet, revealing it to the night air.
The dark purple of the uncut amethyst looked almost black in the moonless night, but the lighter white-purple at the edges seemed to glow, reflecting more light than was available. She gently traced her finger over each of the four symbols etched into the silver setting in turn—the ones representing Gaia, Iblis, the three Covens, and the binding rune. Ena felt the way she always did looking at it—filled with awe and inexplicably drawn to its power. Usually, she held back, but this time, she let that power pull her in.
Reaching out, she picked up the amulet, holding it delicately by its braided silver chain. She lowered it intentionally into the chalice filled with Ty’s blood, submerging it as deeply as she could. Something about the way Ty’s blood looked, deep red in the chalice, contrasting with the silver and purple of the amulet, the way the thick substance dripped and moved as she lifted the amulet back up, enthralled Ena, and she found she couldn’t look away.
Handing the chalice back off to Cris, she slipped the amulet over her neck. It hung heavy atop her chest as Ty’s blood dripped down her skin, and instantly, she felt its power vibrate through her, filling her with…more. All at once, she Knew its intentions, as if it were its own entity, rather than just a sum of its parts. It was blessed and powerful, and wanted to flow through her, making her the vessel through which it would enhance her spell. Gaia’s magic, Iblis’s magic, the three Covens’ magic—it wanted to give herallof it. And she would let it.
Reaching out, she joined hands with Cris and Mel. She couldn’t help it—her Knowing felt them, too—felt their unique combinations of wariness and righteousness, excitement and dread.
She nodded to them, indicating that it was time. They’d rehearsed the words, and together, they did the unimaginable—they summoned Iblis.
{Diabolus vocare} they chanted as one.
Instantly, she felt a dark void bloom within her. It was infinite, endless, and nothing, but at the same time, it was blinding in its intensity. Ena was filled with a bone-deep terror, feeling as if on the precipice of a reckoning, on the edge of losing complete control to the unknown. She wanted to cry, to scream in horror as she tried to pull away from whatever it was, but then just as swiftly, the terror was replaced.
There was peace. There was contentment. There was gentleness—and above all, there was purpose.
Her eyes flew open, landing on Mel and Cris. Their faces were stricken with awe just as hers was. She had no idea what was going on. Had something gone wrong with the spell? Was this Iblis? Because somehow, it felt like…
Mel nodded to her once in reassurance. This was okay. They had to continue the spell.
Ena nodded in return, locking eyes with Mel and Cris in turn. Both of their faces were filled with determination as all three of them reached into the entity they’d summoned and spoke again.
{Tellus restore}
Ena heard Ty gasp—like he was taking his very first breath—and her eyes fell to where he knelt before her.
His eyes, normally that beautiful light green she loved so dearly, were drenched in black. They appeared almost as dark as the void she’d felt within her—almost as if the void was now within him, flowing throughhim. He seemed frozen in fear and awe as his eyes stared into the pitch black.
What was he seeing? What was he feeling? He didn’t seem to be in pain, but he—
Just as suddenly, his eyes changed back. The light green with the dark ring returned, but there was a sheen to them now.
It was tears. His eyes were filled with tears.
“Ty,” she asked, suddenly concerned. She dropped Mel and Cris’s hands, and moved to cup the sides of his face, drawing his gaze to hers. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“No, I—” he spoke, his voice choked with emotion. “I can feel her,” he said. “She’s here. She’s…everywhere.”
“You can feel her? You can feel Gaia?” Ena asked, emotion overwhelming her now too at the look of utter rapture on Ty’s face.
“Yes,” he said, breaking into a smile. “Yes, I feel Gaia. You—” He paused, bringing his hand up on top of hers where it rested, looking deep into her eyes. “You did it, Ena.”
