Magick blood.
“You did good, Ani. Really good. Great, actually.”
Ani returns my smile, his own warming me from the inside out. “Nothing says ‘you did good-really-good-great-actually’ like an A, Cass.”
“Noted. Now, I need you to focus your attention on Stevie, Kirin, and Baz. She’s the one I need to reach, but they’re likely together, and the strength of their bond will amplify their power just as it does ours. Kirin and Baz can act as receivers, helping her to tune into our message even if they don’t yet know we’re sending it.”
“And if we can’t reach her after all this?”
“We’re the Sun and Moon of the Major Arcana, Ansel McCauley. Keepers of the Grave. Sworn protectors of magick. And most importantly—two of the four mages on whom Starla Milan’s life depends. Wewillfind a way.”
He nods and closes his eyes again, doubtlessly calling up images and memories of Stevie and our brothers. I do the same, and after a few moments, when I’ve got them clear in my mind, I hold my palms over the moonlit pool of blood and chant my spell.
Magick of Moon, magick of Sun
Bonded by light, let two become one
From this realm to hers, the channel is clear
Our message is sent, allow her to hear
On the second recitation, Ani picks up the spell, and together we chant, over and over until we’re both entranced. I open my eyes, and the cave around us begins to fade away.
“It’s working,” I say, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “Keep going.”
We repeat the verse, faster and louder, our words echoing across the cave. With a final flicker, the cave vanishes, replaced with a vision that brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.
Ani seems to sense it too, and opens his eyes, gasping as he takes in what’s undoubtedly the same sight.
“It’s hers,” he says, and I nod. Overhead, the night sky glitters with an endless field of stars, the air clear and crisp. A deep, calm pool of water shines below, the reflection of the sky so clear it looks like a bowl of stars. Behind it, the familiar standing stones keep watch, huddled in their eternal circle.
It’s the Star card, save for only one missing element.
The Star herself.
Ani and I are still kneeling in place, and though our stone floor now looks like a grassy clearing, the blood we spilled remains.
I begin the chant again, nodding for him to do the same.
Magick of Moon, magick of Sun
Bonded by light, let two become one
From this realm to hers, the channel is clear
Our message is sent, allow her to hear
On our seventh recitation, the dark blood sizzles between us, spinning into a tight circle of red, then swirling outward into ribbons of glowing silver and gold, finally exploding in a supernova of light. Mist rises from the center, and as the light recedes, a new vision emerges.
Stevie, lying in her bed.
Wrapped up in the arms of our brothers.
And… gasping with pleasure.
Her cheeks are flush, her lips parted in ecstasy, her body glistening with sweat as her two lovers shower her with all manner of shared affections.
Jealousy flares in my chest, but Ani only laughs.
