“Direct it where?”
“Into the wands.” Lizzy wiggled hers. The crystal winked in the light of the moon.
Raya had never worked with another witch before. She would have to trust both of them to know what they were doing.
The sound of Nathan’s footsteps carried from the direction of the stairs. He reached the top and surveyed the preparations. “Ready?”
“Almost.” Lizzy lay on the floor, face-up, her arms slightly away from her body and her palms open to the sky.
Nathan took out a compass. “Can you orient your head here?” He gestured.
Lizzy scooted herself around to match his position.
Raya watched them. “Does the direction matter?”
“It does for this.” He bent and checked Lizzy’s position relative to the compass.
Lizzy looked up at him and smiled.
Raya frowned. “Why? I thought you were directing the magic into our wands.”
“Most of it.” He straightened. “I have a side project.”
“Nathan always has a side project,” said Lizzy.
“I have another power source I’m working on. If I can get a sighting on it from here, I might be able to track it down.”
Lizzy clapped her hands. “Such fun!”
Nathan’s lips pressed together. Clearly, he was done with chitchat. “Raya, kneel next to Lizzy.”
Raya lowered herself to the floor.
Lizzy gave her a broad wink. “Here we go!” From her position lying on the floor, she flipped her hands palm down.
Nathan checked his watch and Lizzy’s position one final time. “Put your hand over hers.”
Raya touched the wand in her hair once, then laid her hand over Lizzy’s. “When I draw the power, what do I do with it?”
“Imagine you’re filling a hot air balloon above your head,” said Nathan.
“And if something goes wrong?”
He cocked one eyebrow. “Don’t let it.”
Lizzy closed her eyes. A faint smile touched her hot pink lips.
Raya felt Lizzy questing for the signature of power lingering around them. Minutes ticked by as Raya knelt, her legs beginning to cramp, her hand sweating lightly on Lizzy’s perfectly manicured fingers.
Lizzy gasped.
It was like striking a vein—a vein made of gold lava. A wave of nausea passed over Raya as the sheer size of it barrelled into her consciousness. To make a mistake while drawing on this source would be catastrophic. She was not prepared for this. Nathan should have told her. This was no artifact sitting quietly in a museum, to be lightly drawn on to replenish subtle magics. This was a power substation—no, a nuclear reactor—of pure, chaotic magic.
No wonder the original building had been blown to smithereens.
She’d be surprised if the witches hadn’t been, too.
11
