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“Both. But if you hadn’t done it, Cerise would be dead. So, I’m grateful.”

Cerise appeared by my side clutching a book on Wolven Mage history she’d gotten from the library. “Sasha says Tavik is awake. How is he?”

“A little grumpy, but he’ll be fine,” I said. Tavik huffed in dismay at my assessment.

“You had a visitor earlier.” Cerise dropped two gold trinkets onto my desk with a clink.

I gaped at the amulets. One had a dragon sigil, and the other a fox. “How did you get these?”

“Chief Cartier dropped them by. He seemed really uncomfortable that I was the one to answer the door.” She laughed. “But apparently, Chief Ramathos offered his willingly and requested Chief Cartier be the one to deliver them.”

I snorted and shook my head. Ramathos was a bloody coward. It seemed he couldn’t face me himself just yet.

But that was fine. He could take all the time he needed, so long as he wasn’t colluding with a murderer who wanted to depose me.

I eyed the totems, my heart quivering with anticipation. “Are you well enough to use magic, Tavik?” I asked.

“Oh, go ahead,” he said gruffly.

I gestured to the other two amulets on the table. “Let’s start with the Rabe tribe.” It was only fitting that Chief Korvus’s totem should be enchanted first.

Cerise gave me a giddy smile before grabbing the totem and settling in the chair next to mine.

“How do we do this?” I asked, shifting in my seat.

“He didn’t describe it verbatim,” she said slowly, turning the gold totem over in her hand. “I… honestly think a lot of it is done by intuition. Sense the magic between us. Feel our way through the enchantment.”

I frowned. This was not how I was taught to use magic. Then again, perhaps that was the key—utilizing a foreign and unfamiliar side to our powers. I cleared my throat and nodded. Cerise extended both hands to me, one still holding the amulet. I clasped her hands in mine, feeling the cool metal against my palm.

“Summon your magic, but start with just a small amount,” she said, her voice low and soft.

I obeyed, conjuring my shadows. They cooled the space between our hands. Cerise’s magic joined in, making the air smell like cloves. When our magic met, a hot, charcoal scent stung my nose, and black smoke wafted between our hands.

I stiffened and tried to jerk my hands free, but Cerise clutched them more tightly.

“It’s all right.” Her voice was soothing. “I’m not in any pain. This is normal.”

“I can feel it,” Tavik reassured me. “I can feel her magic. It feels… right. Like my magic had been incomplete before, but now it is whole.”

“Give it a bit more now,” Cerise said.

I obeyed, and more shadows poured into our joined hands. The charcoal smell intensified, and the dark smoke billowed around us as if we had set the room on fire.

We continued feeding more energy into our hands until the smoke was so thick it was difficult to breathe. I choked as I inhaled and mentally asked Cerise, “How much more?”

“Try to focus on the amulet alone,” she said. “Channel all your energy into that singular spot.”

I did as she said, clenching my fingers more tightly around her hand and the amulet. I pictured the gold surface, the raven sigil, the hard metal edges against my skin.

The totem grew hot against my palm. I gritted my teeth but pushed onward. The smoke churned around us, swirling like we were in a storm.

A sudden burst of white light pierced through the darkness, forming a gleaming orb around the amulet. I squinted against the brilliance of it, but just as quickly as it came, it vanished. The smoke subsided, and the magic between us faded. I released her hands and sucked in a long breath of clean air, grateful the room was clear.

Cerise was panting, her face flushed as she turned the totem over in her hands. Then, she looked up at me with a wide grin. “Do you feel it?”

I brought my hand to hers again, running my fingers along the amulet. It thrummed with power, the intensity of the spell quivering under my touch.

“By the gods,” I whispered, gazing at Cerise in awe. “It worked.”