Dark blue blood welled under the knife, but I’d been hurt by far worse in the past. Nerissa stood next to me inside the circle, chanting and making her own markings. I tried to block out the sounds of Perri happily puttering around the dark cave, picking out rocks.
The ground underneath us gave a loud rumble, but then stopped just as quickly.
“It’s working. The others have started as well. Hurry, but do not make a rushed mistake,” she chastised me.
I carefully followed the blood runes she’d marked on me, finishing my shoulders and chest. I paused at my wings.
“Ooh! This one isperfect!” Perri’s small voice echoed around me.
I would do it for her.
I cut down into my wings, hand shaking at the pain.
It was worse than when I’d had a lance driven through my wing membrane. Worse than when I’d broken my leg in a clean snap. Worse than?—
That doesn’t help. Think of Perri. Think of her hugs.
Nerissa paused in her chanting, knife hovering over her left shoulder, waiting for me to finish with begrudging respect in her eyes.
My body hurt with a fierce, deep ache I’d never felt before. Was that the blood magick working? I fought to keep my hands steady, the pain digging deep into my bones and shaking. Nerissa reached out with a free hand and steadied mine, providing support.
Our eyes met.
“Good. Just one more on the other wing. Go across your shoulders to connect. You don’t need to cut, just keep contact.”
I let her help me guide the blade, my legs now trembling.
“Easy. Go to your knees. We can’t have you fall out of the circle. That will destroy the ritual.”
I went forward, focused so hard on keeping the blade touching my skin I didn’t even register my knees hitting the rock.
“Veskor? You’re bleeding! What’s wrong!”
I tried to block out Perri’s worried voice as Nerissa scooped her up, holding her in her arms as she struggled, continuing to instruct me.
“You wanted to be involved with grown-up things so badly, now you are here,” Nerissa chastised her. “Now be quiet, or you will cost him his life. Stand here, and do not move while I help him.”
I didn’t like her tone, but I needed to focus on what she said next.
“Good. The last wing. If you can’t see, I can guide you.”
I nodded, sweat dripping down my face. It was difficult to hold onto the knife. She guided my arm, squeezing my wrist.
“There. Breathe out, push down. I will guide you.”
A guttural gasp of pain left as I cut into the delicate membrane of my wing. Right at that moment another tremor rushed through the lava tube, shaking both of us. The blade on the knife jerked and tore a hole through my wing.
I screamed and twitched away on instinct, letting go of the knife. Nerissa’s grip on the knife was iron, and she held me down, the pain doubling.
“Veskor, focus. I will need to do a patch rune to keep the ritual stable. This will hurt. I’m sorry. You need to stay still. Crouch down, scream, cry, do whatever you have to do.”
Before I could prepare myself she made precise cuts on the membranes of my wings. I didn’t know what she was doing. I didn’t care. It just needed tostop.
My body tried to curl my wings into my back to protect them, but she pushed me down to the ground and held the one she needed open with her knee, one hand still holding her knife to her own shoulder, the other buried in my wing.
I couldn’t stop it.
I screamed.
