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But I could tell from a few glances throughout the evening, she was overwhelmed by so many people. She and Mari were the first to duck out.
I didn’t want Mari or any of the rest of the pack seeing this, anyway.
I’m nervous enough, complete with sweaty palms and pits. But knowing my twin and the majority of the pack doesn’t have to watch me go through whatever takes thirty-six witches to accomplish…
“The magic is straightforward. Simple, really,” Emilia says as she guides me to the lone chair in the center of the thirty-six chair circle. “It just needs a lot of power.”
I nod, sitting while keeping half of my awareness on Belle, who is behind me. After what happened during the processional, the other bloodlines did their absolute best to keep us apart, but there’s only so far you can get from someone when you're locked in a circle with them.
“What can I expect from the process?”
“I won’t sugarcoat it, Willa. This is gonna suck. That plane Lily spoke of? Well, that’s a safeguard to keep the ancestral witch knowledge from falling into the wrong hands. It’s only activated if someone who’s not a witch tries to use it, and we have to extract not just the knowledge but the entire plane from your energetic body.”
“So basically, it’s gonna suck, and I did this to myself. Got it.”
Emilia’s gaze softens. “Any of us would have done the same in your position. Removing the plane will hurt. A lot. But hopefully, with all of us here, it won’t take too long.”
I nod, shoring up my squishy omega nerves and wiping my palms on my thighs. “What’s the longest it might take?” I ask, bracing for her answer.
Again, Emilia’s face takes on a softer, empathetic quality. “I don’t know, Willa. I’ve never had to do this before, but I’ll try my damnedest to get in and out.”
I nod and ask one last question. “Can I have my guys with me?”
She presses her lips together. “I’m sorry. They can’t be in the circle. It will interfere with the casting.”
I dip my head to keep her from seeing tears well at the thought of doing this alone and open the connection to my guys.You can’t be in the witch circle,I say to all of them at once, which seemed faster than trying to do it individually.
I lock eyes with Rook, the only one of my guys I still don’t have a mental link with, and shake my head. He nudges Jonah next to him and says something to him.
Rook says we’re right here with you,Jonah breathes into my mind, and a flood of calming energy whooshes through me.
Rafe and Drago turn to stare at Jonah.
Did you just hear that?Rafe says in my mind.
I sure as hell did,Drago says.
Jonah’s eyes go wide.Our girl is the best girl. Making pack links where there weren’t before!
You can all hear each other?I ask.
Sure can,says Rafe.
I grin at them, sharing in their excitement, but if all my guys aren’t in the link…
My eyes lock on Rook, who whispers to Jonah.
He says it might still happen. Don’t give up on him.
“Everyone take their places, please,” Emilia says as she sits in the chair directly across from me. My guys line up right behind her, all their gazes locked on me.
The meeting hall is large enough to have several feet between me and the circle of witches, but I can’t shake the stifled, claustrophobic feeling all of them circled around me evokes.
“Are you ready, Willa?” Emilia asks, joining hands with Ness from the Air Bloodline and Katelynn from the Fire Line.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”
I expect a chant or some Latin or something that sounds like an ancient language that I can’t quite place.
