“Don’t let it happen again.” His eyes softened on Pandora before he cleared his throat. I wanted to gouge his eyes out for it. “Back to the topic at hand. Protection charms can be created out of regular items. We went over this in theory, but we’ve had a term between theory and practical, so can someone tell me if we can do ceremonial magic for protection on an already enchanted item?”
Voidfire’s hand shot up, and he nodded at her.
“Yes, you can. Ceremonial magic isn’t an enchantment. It’s just a layer of magic, whereas enchantments have magic imbued into the item.”
“Correct.” He smiled. “Now, everyone, take out your personal item you wish to place protection magic on.”
“It’s in here,” Nebula told Pandora from her bag.
She reached in and pulled out the ring her dad had given her that just randomly showed back up, infected with dark magic. “Thanks,” she whispered.
I took out my lip ring, and Bram took out his septum ring.
Jenni placed a ring on the desk in front of her before winking at Pandora. “It’s my fated ring from Daryl.”
Fated ring?
I’d never even thought about a fated ring. It was a centuries-old tradition that was lost about seven decades ago. It was just a gift a supernatural would give to their soulmates after mating, and it symbolized their love just like a mate mark did. Though, it was lost to time.
Now, a mate mark was all that was necessary.
Pandora smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
Did we need to get her one?
Bram and I shared a look, and it was clear we were thinking the same thing.
“I consider this necklace to be the same meaning the fated ring is to you,” Pandora told her, letting her fingertips brush against the necklace we’d all put our blood inside for her that Reed got her. “It symbolizes all of my mates.”
“You should do protection magic on that instead,” Jenni told her. “It’s special.”
“You’re right,” Pandora agreed, dropping the ring back into her bag.
“I’ve got it.” I reached over and unclasped the necklace for her.
“Thanks, Skel.” She caught the pendant from around her neck as the chain unclasped and smiled as she gently laid it on the desk. The chain pooled under the pendant itself, and the stones set within it held my focus. Six in total—one for me, four that symbolized her other mates, and one for her. Each birthstone was a symbol of our fate together.
“Anything for you, princess.” I lit the candle on my desk, and it cast shadows over my lip ring.
It was difficult to focus on the ritual because I couldn’t keep my eyes off Pandora, like usual. I watched her—entranced with the way her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed them to the pendant, how her magical essence wove into the stones like strands of liquid light. The glow reflected in her eyes as her power sank over the necklace, sealing her intent for protection.
She had placed protection magic over it. The magic settled, quiet but potent, a hum that resonated through the pendant.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to pick up my simple silver lip ring and keep it in my palm. I searched inward for that well of power beneath my ribs, where my magic pulsed in sync with my heartbeat. My fingers closed over the lip ring, and I let my magical essence flow with the intent of protection. It seeped into the silver, slow and steady, like a ribbon of visible heat spreading through the metal.
It vibrated in my palm, absorbing the magic before it stilled.
The glow faded from between my fingers, leaving behind a whisper of warmth in the metal.
I rolled it between my fingers before lifting it to my lip, slipping it back into place. Smirking, I ran my tongue over the ring’s familiar shape. The magic tingled faintly against my skin, letting me know I actually managed to do it right.
I glanced over at my mate again, catching her gaze as she went to grab the pendant. It slipped from her grasp. It clattered, sliding off the desk and onto the stone floor, right in front of Ironwood’s feet.
“Careful.” He bent down and plucked it up, handing it out for her.
Rage spread through me at him holding a pendant that symbolized our relationship with our mate.
“Thanks, sorry,” she replied sheepishly, reaching out and placing her fingers on it to pull it away.
