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Maddox shouted it out as clearly and as concisely as he could. Energy burst beside him, creating a shimmering portal. More opened until the night sky was as bright as day and people were disappearing inside the portal in the blink of an eye. He didn’t hesitate to jump into his and landed on the other side, where he was greeted with even more residents who had arrived at the destination first—and a scene made out of nightmares.
The barrier had gotten bigger, expanding past its earlier point because the hole inside had gotten bigger, too. He tried to count the demons but couldn’t as they teemed inside the sheen, climbing on top of each other to try to scratch it. A few slashes had already made their mark, and his heart dropped when he spotted Emerald with Pearl and Moon, but not Ruby and Sapphire. He raced toward them, but another sheen was protecting them from the outside.
“Let us in,” a voice boomed out, amplified by magic. A council member he recognized as Anthony Moor tapped the outer sheen repeatedly until Pearl turned. White-gray eyes widened when she finally noticed their audience, her chin flying up. “You need help.”
She hesitated, unsure who to trust. Then those eyes spotted him. Maddox nodded, and it seemed that was all she needed as she did her thing and released the outer sheen.
The council member stepped in, then more. They formed a concave line and joined hands, chanting words that didn’t make sense to him. It poured energy out of their bodies and to the ground, passing by Pearl and Emerald and slipping into the inner barrier with ease. More people stepped behind them until rows of concave lines were formed, slapping their hands into the ground to join the starting glow. The rest of the residents stayed back but also placed their hands down, either to assist the glow or thicken the inner barrier.
The collective assistance amplified the magic until it became one and he could taste it on his tongue. He shivered, then took Moon’s hand when the boy reached out, overwhelmed and dazed as the energies kept brushing their bodies. But what was more overwhelming was how no one asked questions and just helped. The silence was powerful and eerie.
“Where’s Ruby?” he asked.
“I don’t know. We haven’t seen them since Em went out. She had to help with the barrier.”
The fear returned twice fold, creating a hole in his heart. It also pulsed in his body until he felt numb and helpless, understanding he couldn’t just barge in there and disrupt the ceremony. But fighting the urge was the hardest thing, and he had to close his eyes to keep himself from moving. The longer the silence went on, the bigger the fear grew, his mind at war.
She couldn’t have survived that. Not her, not Saph.
No. She is still alive. She has to be.
She is dead. You are too late. You didn’t save her.
Please be alive. Please. I love you. I can’t live without you.
Someone screamed and his eyes snapped open. He watched in horror as a small hole opened up at the inner barrier, where one of the demons’ heads tried to poke out. A punch of magic from someone outside pushed the demon back, and then—
Maddox sprinted when he saw the next head. He dove under the rows of feet and crawled his way in, gritting his teeth against the force of magic as he reached out. A hand clasped his, weak and trembling, and he pulled with all his might. Someone took Sapphire from Ruby’s other hand to help her to her feet, but he didn’t let go of Ruby as they stayed where they were. Ruby leaned against him, breathing hard. Her free hand curled on his cheek.
“You did it,” she whispered. “You got help.”
“I promised you that I would.”
He rested his head against her as the war waged on above them. He didn’t stop soothing her when the magic above them finally made its mark.
And Maddox didn’t stop holding her when the residents of Broom’s Isle finally defeated the demons and closed the portal for good.
Chapter 16
Sapphire was the only one who could attend the ceremony, both as a witness and a representative for the Sutton household. The other sisters had a lot to say about this, of course, starting with Pearl, who had grumbled the minute it was announced.
“That’s unfair. We helped out. All of us pulled our weights before they got there. And he is our brother!”
Emerald frowned, agreeing with her. But being the more logical sister, she searched for the right words before she spoke out, too.
“I don’t like it, either, but I don’t think now is the right time to get on the council’s bad side. They asked for one representative, and Saph is the best one.”
Pearl harrumphed. “It’s still unfair. We are cleared of charges, and our good name is restored. They confirmed the evidence.”
“I know.”
“Not that I’m not grateful for their help because I am. We were doomed until they arrived.”
Doomed was right, and the four Sutton women shivered. Then Emerald nodded.
“I know. But this is their decision. As much as I would like to see what happens…”
The silence stretched on longer as they envisioned what they wouldn’t be attending: the ceremony of the council members and the most powerful residents of Broom’s Isle combining their powers to finally get Silver out of Hellhole. It made hope swell in Ruby’s heart, and she knew her sisters felt the same. On cue, Pearl and Emerald glanced at her.
