Killian stood with his arms crossed, a pensive look on his face as he surveyed the others. Ever the lieutenant, even without the title. Manny carried a burlap sack of salt, which he let pour in a slow drizzle, while Sera scooped and guided the wayward crystals back into a neat pile. Corin and Nina stood together near the door, their arms entwined at their elbows. They’d gone, along with Killian, to visit the priest who’d performed the exorcism, and the man had kindly written down the incantation for the spell. It looked as if the mission had somewhat rejuvenated the women. They seemed less frail than they had in the morning, though their postures were still slumped, and their eyes were still lined with dark shadows.
When the circle was completed, Killian strode to Elyse. Though he offered a smile, his gaze held a glint of concern. Perhaps she wasn't hiding her fear as well as she thought.
He laid a hand on the small of her back, and she felt the warmth of his energy. Something about his presence soothed the frantic hammering of her heart into a placid drumbeat.
“You okay?” he asked, voice barely a murmur so that the others couldn't hear—a gentle secret shared between the two of them.
“No,” Elyse admitted. She shifted closer to him, the movement a silent addition to her answer:But I'm better because you're with me.
“Want to get it over with?” he asked her.
Elyse nodded as she stared at the circle of salt. Such a ridiculous thing to fear—nothing more than a simple spice. She noted how flat it was. No sheen, no reflection of sunlight. Just little pellets of white, like the absence of everything.
When she looked up, she realized all eyes were on her. One by one, her friends, who had stood by her side through so much, gave her an encouraging nod. Corin slid her hand from Nina’s and stepped forward, ready to speak the incantation.
Elyse blew out a breath and stepped forward as well, but paused when she felt a gentle touch at her elbow. She twisted her head to find Killian smiling down at her. Even before he spoke, the glimmer in his golden eyes gave away his message.
“I love you,” he said, this time loud enough for everyone to hear. "I love you now as you walk into that circle, and I will love whoever comes out."
Elyse had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. Being vulnerable in front of others was something she’d grown more accustomed to, but grand declarations of love still made her feel…
Well,gooeywas the word that came to mind.
“I know,” she said with a wink, then pivoted back to the circle.
As she stepped toward the thin line of salt—no thicker than her thumb—she knew Killian was still watching her. Still pouring his adoration into this space, still confident in his decision to love her unconditionally.
Elyse toed her way into the circle, careful not to disturb the salt. Nothing changed as she crossed the threshold. The breeze continued to offer a mild reprieve. The clouds above drifted lazily across the expansive sky.
Anticipation brewed heavy within her. She was extraordinarily aware of her body—of all the places her clothes stuck to her skin, of the sweat on the back of her neck, of the cool stone and rough grout beneath her bare feet. She took slow, steady breaths, though her heartbeat was rapid in her chest.
“Do it,” Elyse declared before she lost her nerve.
Corin’s throat bobbed, but she complied. “Aspurnum al jupari,” she uttered. Though her voice was quiet, it captivated the courtyard.
The world seemed to shimmer and warp for a second—or maybe Elyse imagined it. She couldn’t tell if the others had seen it, or if their wide eyes were merely anticipatory.
Elyse peered down at the salt. It hadn’t changed, hadn’t shifted or caught fire or melted into the stone. She let out a huff, something like a laugh. She gazed past the circle to Killian, who peered back at her with curiosity and pinched brows. The smile she gave him was a quivering, confused sort of thing.
Then, she felt it. It started in her toes, her heels, spreading inward and up. A subtle throbbing that pulsed along her legs in aslow wave, leaving her skin prickly and her muscles shaky. When it reached her core, she doubled over as the foreign sensation seemed to clamp onto her heart.
It wasn’t painful so much as it was wrong. So wrong, as though her very life was being siphoned away. She’d endured something similar before, when Longfellow had trapped her in his study. She’d felt woozy, almost drunk then, and equally as debilitated. But this time, it was accompanied by a harsh emptiness.
Killian was instantly moving toward her, his curiosity replaced with a determination fueled by fear.
Elyse held out a hand to stop him from entering the circle. “No, don’t,” she barked at him, but he ignored it.
He crossed the threshold of salt and placed his hands on her upper arms. “I’m right here,” he said.
Elyse leaned into him, allowing him to bear some of her weight. The oppressive grip on her chest had already begun to subside. It faded nearly as quickly as it had come on, leaving her feeling disoriented and drained.
She raised her eyes to Killian’s face. His brows were knotted together, his full lips pursed, but otherwise he was calm, steadfast. “Are you okay?” he asked. “What’s happening?”
Her stomach sank.
“You don't feel anything, do you?” she managed to ask, the world still spinning around her.
Killian’s gaze was unwavering as he shook his head.
