“I promised you I would kill him, Ani,” I say, soft and low and menacing, my voice a tremor in the mist. “I have no intentions of breaking that promise.”
“We’re all with you, brother,” he says, and the others nod, their jaws set with grim determination.
“She’s not gone,” I say, needing the assurance as much as I need to assure them.
“No fucking way,” Baz agrees.
Behind us, the discarded pack Judgment took from Kirin lies spilled on the ground. I grab a dagger and make a quick slice on each palm, passing it to the others to do the same.
They do it without question, knowing exactly what I’m about to propose. Sharing our magick—combining it—might give us a shot at overpowering Judgment.
We clasp hands, forming an unbroken circle before the spiral cave. Magick courses through us, hot and crackling, alive with our shared Arcana power. Never have I felt so connected to my brothers, so united in purpose and passion.
Judgment emerges from the holly thicket, momentarily taken aback by our formation.
“What do you think you’re doing, unworthy filth?” he demands.
Ignoring him, I say my piece, rage fueling my words:
I am the Moon, the pull of the tides
Fierce as the ocean, our power collides
Baz is next, his red-brown eyes fiery with intention:
I am the Devil, the horned god of old
Fierce as the darkness, our power is bold
When Kirin speaks, his body trembles with the force of his conviction:
I am the Tower, the clash of the storms
Fierce as the thunder, our power reforms
Ani goes last, his inner fire shining bright in the gray haze:
I am the Sun, the flames in the pyre
Fierce as creation, our power is fire
“Your little chants won’t help you,” Judgment says. He raises his hands, calling up a path of raging fire that barrels toward us. But it’s too late for him. The magick is already rushing through us, strengthening us, amplifying our natural gifts.
As one, we recite our final spell:
Called to protect, to serve, and to fight
By flood or by fire, by storm or by might
We are the magick, the power reclaimed
We are the mages, Arcana untamed
A surge of power courses through my blood, mingling with the rage and grief and desperation, all of it making me feel strong and alive and utterly fucking unstoppable. Judgment’s flames finally reach us, fizzling out at our feet as if we’d just doused them with water.
Enraged, he raises his hands again. “All of you are unfit to carry such power. Worthless. Shameful. You allowed your precious Star to sacrifice herself for you like cowards. All of you will burn!”
The mention of Stevie’s sacrifice only emboldens us. Heat races up and down my arms, making my skin tingle, my hands itch. The magick inside me is quickly gathering strength, eager for an outlet.
