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She cracks her knuckles. “Let’s get that god juice.”
I shudder. “Essence. We’re after essence.”
“Here goes nothing.” Savannah sprinkles a handful of herbs into the brazier, releasing a pungent, earthy scent that she inhales.
My eyes water from the smoke, and Orianna presses closer to my side, her tail flicking in agitation.
Savannah inhales again, and the tattoos on her arms glow purple, an otherworldly light entering her black eyes.
The hum of magic sends shivers down my spine. Words drop from her lips as she traces the lines of the spell into the smoke, transforming it from gray to solid black.
With a deft flick of her wrist, she casts the spell into the sand circle, and the air within shimmers with an iridescent light, pulsing as the magical symbols act like magnets, attracting specific energies. The black smoke lightens as it sucks in the essences, turning transparent gray once more.
Like a fisherman reeling in a catch, she swings her arm backward, and the first of the symbols returns to her hand. As she stuffs it into the fire, eradicating it from existence, goose bumps rise all over my body.
One by one, she plucks out the remnants of those who had stood within the circle, and the shimmer lightens like an oil spill washed out by the rain.
“That’s all the known factors.” Savannah turns glowing eyes to me. “You’re turn, old man.”
Biting my lip, I step up to the edge of the sand and reach out my magic.
The fox god’s essence holds a slippery texture of otherness, familiar but no less difficult to grasp. It splashes all over the circle, resisting my summons.
Sweat trickles down my temples, and a metallic taste fills my mouth from the amount of magic funneling through me. I ignore the discomfort and stay focused, chasing down and gathering the fox god’s remnants together and drawing them toward the vial in my hand.
Slowly, an opaque, iridescent essence somewhere between a gas and a liquid swirls into the glass.
When the last of it slips inside, I cap the vial and sag with relief.
“Don’t celebrate, yet,” Savannah calls out. “We still have to double-check our work.”
I turn to Savannah and spot Orianna sitting beside her, tongue lolling out as she pants happily. I’m so used to Orianna being at my side, ready to draw from the ley line, that I didn’t realize she stayed behind.
Savannah ruffles my familiar’s pointy ears. “Looks like you finally got the hang of distance drawing. Good job.”
I look inward at my magic reservoir and shock ripples through me to find it still full.
Savannah winks at me. “Next up, you do it consciously.”
“Such a good teacher.” I walk over to join them. “Will I get a gold star?”
“Don’t tempt me to pull out my sticker book.” The brazier’s flame casts an orange glow on Savannah’s face as she places a tile over the metal grate.
The spell inked on its surface stands out starkly against the natural umber clay before she covers it with a thin piece of animal skin.
Without looking, she extends her hand.
I place the vial on her palm. “Be careful. We only get one shot at this.”
“I’m aware.” With a deep breath, she murmurs the incantation as she pours the essence onto the leather.
Smoke rises from it as the tile beneath heats, and then the skin catches on fire. A sharp, tangy scent, mixes with the acrid stench of burning flesh.
We step back out of range, and Savannah grabs the extinguisher from her bag just in case.
After several minutes, the smoke dissipates, and we put out the fire.
I waft a hand back and forth in front of my face, a metallic, smoky flavor coating my tongue. With a fine metal brush, we sweep away the ash from the tile to reveal a perfect, complex symbol emblazoned into the stone.
