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"The same goes for materials," Greta said. "We've done away with all the nonessentials. Gemstones with symbolic meanings. Incense for mood. Candles for atmospheric lighting. All they do is complicate and prolong a ceremony."
"Maybe," Savannah said. "But don't you think they make it kinda ... fun?"
Greta laughed. "Cabals don't have a budget for fun."
"Modern witches have made witchcraft modern," Olivia said. "You'll come to appreciate that, Savannah. It makes things much easier if we discard the baggage, both literal and figurative."
"And here we are," Greta said.
She stepped off the path, then pulled back a bush and waved us through. Savannah stepped into the clearing first. Through the bushes, I saw her walk forward, eyes on the towering trees. Then she stopped short and yelped. I dove through the bushes to find her standing over a prone figure. It was a boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen. I hurried forward, then saw the steady rise and fall of his chest.
"He's sleeping," Savannah said. "Weird. He must live around here, huh? Guess we should find someplace else--"
"He's supposed to be here," Greta said.
Savannah stared at the young man. He wore a faded denim jacket and jeans. He had light brown hair tied at the nape of his neck and the kind of soft, pretty face that markets so well to teenage girls.
"Who is he?" Savannah asked.
"Prince Charming," Greta said. "You've heard of Sleeping Beauty? Well, this is the girl-power version."
Savannah gave a half-laugh, turning away as her cheeks went scarlet. "No, really, who is he? A sorcerer?"
"He's nobody. Just a human boy." Greta grabbed a small bag from the side of the clearing. "Now, as I've said, we skip all the ritual preliminaries, so you can just go right ahead and kneel beside him."
"What? Why?"
My gut went cold. "What's going on here?"
"The protection ritual, as we said. Savannah, kneel beside the young man and put your hand on his chest."
Savannah hesitated, then started to kneel.
"No," I said. "Get up, Savannah." I turned to Greta and Olivia. "We aren't doing anything until you tell us exactly what this ritual entails."
Greta turned her back on me.
"Hey--!" I said.
I was cut off after the first word, frozen in a binding spell. Savannah started scrambling to her feet, but Anton put his hands on her shoulders and pressed her down.
"Hey! Don't--! Paige!" Savannah swung her gaze up to Olivia, who stood behind me and was undoubtedly casting the binding spell. "Let her go! Now!"
"Paige is a Coven witch," Greta said. "She doesn't understand."
She pulled a thin-bladed knife from her bag and knelt on the other side of the boy.
"Wh--what are you doing?" Savannah asked.
"A top-level protection spell requires an exchange. A life protected for a life lost. You should know this, Savannah. Your mother did."
"No! My mother never--she wouldn't--" Savannah looked at the boy, then wrenched her gaze away and struggled against Anton's grip. "You can't do this! I forbid it."
"You forbid it?" Greta's lips twisted. "Did you hear that, Mother? She's giving orders already. Well, 'princess,' it's your father who gives orders around here, and he told us to do whatever was necessary to keep his little girl safe. Anton, put her highness's hand on the boy's chest. Over the heart, please."
Anton forced Savannah's hand to the boy's left breast. Greta moved the blade to the boy's throat.
"No!" Savannah said. "You can't do this! You can't! He didn't--he didn't do anything."
