Too much. Way too much.
I hold my hands over the worst of the wounds, magic sparking at my fingertips. But I’m not a healer. Spirit magic affects the dead, not the living.
I can'tfix this.
Tears blur my vision. “Asher, hold on. I’ll get help.”
But my phone is back at the house and up in my room. I’ll never get there in time.
“Rowan!”My scream echoes through the trees, but I know she’ll never hear me.
We're alone. Just the two of us at the back of the property, the last of Asher’s life soaking into the earth.
The standing stones.
The thought crashes through my panic like a lifeline.
I look toward the clearing where they stand, ancient and powerful, humming with Hallowind magic. I've channeled spells through them and connected to my ancestors.
Could I use them to portal us out of here?
Ihaveto.
"Hold on." My voice cracks. "Just hold on, Ash. I’ve got an idea."
I close my eyes, reaching for the stones with everything I have. My magic floods outward, connecting to their power, weaving through the ancient ley lines that pulse beneath Hallowind soil.
Goddess Mother, please. Give me the strength and the skill needed to save him. Please.
The stones hum.
Energy ripples through the air.
I open my eyes.
Nothing has changed. We're still here, and Asher's breathing is worse. It rattles, shallow and wet.
I slam my fist into the ground. "No, no,no—I can’t lose him! After all this fucking life has taken from me, give me this. Let me save him!”
The stones remain silent.
My chest heaves, tears streaming down my face. I press my forehead to Asher's, his skin cold beneath mine.
A sob rips through me. "I can't lose him. Please. Please, Goddess Mother, I'm begging you?—"
My voice breaks.
"I won't survive without him."
The words hang in the air, raw and true.
And then?—
I’m filled with power.
Pure. Ancient. Infinite.
It floods through me, lifting every hair on my body. The standing stones blaze with golden brilliance, and the ley lines beneath ussing.
