With my free hand, I lifted the stick of incense and blew upon it too. It caught fire and I blew a second time, this time without my dragon breath. The flame winked out and became an undulating swirl of smoke. I set the stick in its holder, then drew the ring through the smoke.
“I consecrate this ring with Air.”
I sprinkled salt over the gold.
“I consecrate this ring with Earth.”
I dropped the ring into the water.
“I consecrate this ring with Water.”
Then I shifted one finger into a claw—a lion's claw since I was in the South Tower—and used it to cut the ring finger of my left hand. I held my finger over the bowl of water and dripped my blood into it. The girls leaned forward to watch the blood swirl around the gold band as if waiting for a command. And it was.
“By Fire, Air, Earth, and Water, and by the magic in my Spirit, I consecrate you to be ever alert to Viper. To feel what he feels and know where he is at all times. When he is scared or hurt, when he is in trouble or needs help, you will convey this to your fellow rings and show us where your master is.”
The blood sank into the gold as I removed my diamond ring (the diamond had been formed with locks of hair from my god husbands and had a star pattern inside it) from the same finger I had cut and dropped it into the water, directly atop Viper's ring. Even underwater, the clink of their collision was audible. Physical. It vibrated up through the water—through air and smoke—and rippled the surface before it shivered across my skin. I drew the spell through me and released it into the Aether. With my mind focused on that realm, I saw the spell burst and expand. The fireworks of creation.
I opened my eyes just in time to catch the glow as it faded from Viper's new ring.
“So mote it be,” I whispered and fished the rings out of the water.
“That was awesome!” Lesya declared.
“I thought it would take longer.” Zariel scratched at her face absently.
I chuckled and rumpled her curls. “Some spells do but this one is pretty straightforward.”
“It was still really cool,” Zariel assured me. “Thank you for letting me watch, Aunty.”
“Well, thank you for helping.” I slid my ring back on and tucked Viper's in my bra.
“We helped?” Lesya asked eagerly.
“You are both lions and this is the South Tower. The South is the direction associated with lions,” I explained. “Having you here gave the spell more potency. You two just helped protect your Uncle Viper.”
“Yay!” The girls jumped to their feet and kept jumping.
“Easy now,” I chided. “We still have to open the circle.”
They went still and stared down at the salt ring on the floor as if it might burst into flames. Well, fair enough. In their world, that was entirely possible. But the salt didn't combust. It remained dormant, it's job now complete, and after I thanked the elements and the watchtowers, I brushed a toe through the salt and declared the circle open. The girls danced over the remaining ring and started for the door.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I stopped them and handed them each a hand broom and dustpan. “You've got one more job to do.”
The girls grimaced at me, and I chuckled.
“I told you that witchcraft is work.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Austin woke up before Viper. He stumbled into the dining room while we were finishing dinner. Sleepy, pale blue eyes blinked at me, then at the empty plate before me.
“Do you want dinner or breakfast?” I asked him.
“Yes.”
I laughed. “There's coffee in the kitchen, a whole industrial-sized pot of it. Help yourself to it and the food.”
“You are a saint,” Austin declared and headed toward the kitchen.
