I let my magic flow outward until it intertwined with my sisters' power like a braided rainbow rope. Dre's magenta fire burned with fierce strength. Lia's amber flames blazed with determination. Dani's yellow light flared with protective fury. Kota's light pink energy pulsed with stubborn refusal to give up. Phi's green fire crackled with analytical precision. All their powers combined with my purple flames into a shield that held back the darkness.
The protective barrier that erupted from our joined hands was unlike anything I'd ever channeled before. It shimmered like heat waves and crackled with electricity that tasted of ozone. We directed the magic to encompass every tree when the barrier expanded outward.
The darkness recoiled as if it had been burned. Black leaves began to lighten at their edges, the creeping rot retreating inch by inch as our protective spell pushed back against the malevolent influence. "It's working!" Kota exclaimed, pointing at the trees.
With the foreign darkness neutralized, the pixies' efforts finally began to make a real difference. Within minutes, the oaks were returning to their normal, majestic state. The Faeries' delight filled the air as they worked. Trails of triumphant sparkles followed in their wake.
As soon as the trees were stable, Dea stepped back from our circle and closed her eyes. Her power expanded out of her. I watched the agitated spirits to see what would happen. "Most ofthem aren't malevolent," she said after a moment in a distant voice. "They're refugees—souls fleeing from something terrible. But there are a few..." She opened her eyes, and they glowed with an otherworldly light. "Three of them are definitely corrupted by the Collector's influence."
Purple and silver energy began to swirl around Dea's hands as she reached out toward the corrupted spirits. A shriek echoed across the property as her cleansing magic touched them. My gaze skipped around until it landed on three writhing, twisting ghosts. Darkness rose off of them like steam.
“That should do it,” Dea said, swaying slightly from the effort. “The remaining spirits are just scared. They'll settle down now that the corrupted ones aren't agitating them.”
“Well,” Lucas said, surveying the restored trees with a grin, “I guess that's one small step for the Twisted Sisters, one giant leap for oak-kind.”
I snorted despite everything. "Did you just make a Neil Armstrong joke about tree-saving?"
"Hey, if the moonwalk fits," he replied with a shrug.
CHAPTER 9
DEANDRA
The supernatural chill creeping through Willowberry was connected to the ancient, hungry creature trying to turn our city into its personal feeding ground. I could feel the Collector's influence spreading like a malignant tumor around the plantation's protective wards. Every corrupted inch of it made my empathic abilities scream in protest.
"How long do we have before this place becomes completely compromised?" Dani asked, as she stared at the ancient oaks that were still slowly recovering from their brush with supernatural blight.
"Hard to say," Phi replied, consulting her tablet where she'd been tracking the intensity of the Collector's assault on our defenses. "At this pace, maybe six hours before our wards fail entirely."
"Which means we can't wait for tonight," Dre said. Her voice carried the tone that meant she was about to suggest something incredibly dangerous. "I’ve been thinking, and I think we need to contact the original Guardians while we still have some protection here."
"Attempt contact how?" Kota asked. “I assume you’re talking about Dea using her gift.”
I took a shaky breath, knowing what had to be done but dreading it more than I'd ever dreaded anything. "Yeah. She’s talking about me doing a spirit calling ritual. I think we should do it at Congo Square during the witching hour when the veil is thinnest. That’s where we are likely to get the best results."
“Absolutely not,” Dani said immediately. “That place is ground zero for the Collector's power. It'll be like painting a target on your back and then doing interpretive dance in front of a supernatural sniper.”
“It's the only way,” I insisted, even as my stomach churned at the thought. “The original binding circle is there. If any of the Guardian spirits can still manifest, that's where they'll be strongest.”
“Dre is right,”Adèle projected into all our minds. “Congo Square holds the deepest spiritual resonance. I don’t think it’s a stretch to think some of the guardians are there trying to preserve their binding. However, it will be dangerous. She will need you guys to protect her.”
Our sleek, grey familiar sat perched on the porch railing. Her coloring was reminiscent of a Siamese. She had striking light blue eyes that reflected an intelligence far beyond her age. Though Adèle was barely over a year old, she carried the accumulated knowledge of her ancestors.
Lia checked her phone. "It's already eleven PM. We need to leave now if we want to be set up and ready by the witching hour."
"Shit," Dre said as she ran toward our magical kitchen. "That barely gives us enough time to get there and set up proper protection." It was our Sanctum where we kept all of our magical supplies and brewed our potions.
"What kind of protection are we talking about?" Kota panted as she tried to keep up. "Because last time we were at Congo Square, that thing nearly turned Dea's brain into supernatural soup."
The memory of the empathic assault I'd suffered there made me wince. I pushed the fear aside. "We'll need a full ceremonial circle. Salt barriers, blessed candles, protective totems from every magical tradition we can access. And all of you anchoring me while I make contact."
"This is insane," Dani muttered as she pushed through the door. "But I suppose dying heroically is better than dying while cowering under the bed."
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Kota countered as she began stuffing things into the bag she still had over her shoulder.
“Kaitlyn is on her way to help Cami reinforce the wards while you're gone,”Adèle interjected. “I had Cami call her while you were gone. The High Witch's power combined with Cami's knowledge of the plantation's defenses should strengthen the barriers against the Collector's attacks. But you must move quickly. Each hour weakens our position as it tests our wards.”
We spent the next twenty minutes frantically turning the magical kitchen into a supernatural war room. Books were hastily spread across surfaces, ritual supplies were thrown into bags with military precision, and Adèle supervised the entire operation. "The protective circle will need to be large enough for all six of you," she projected while perched regally on the table. "Deandra will be at the center, channeling the spirit communication, while the rest of you maintain barriers against interference."
