AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well,” Fordham said after the translation was as complete as possible, “This is as good as I can put together. And some of it …” He paused, as if unhappy that he had to suggest this. “Well, some of it I’m not certain of.”
“Let me see,” Keres said. Danae passed her the paper with the translation on it. “Most of this seems rudimentary. A full moon, an Alfheim crystal, and a pool of blessed water.” Her eyebrows rose. “Thirteen to undo what was done. Is that thirteen people or the power of thirteen?”
Fordham shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“I’m not sure the Fae would have considered that one person could have the power of many,” Vera said softly.
Keres met her gaze and nodded. “I don’t think we should include anyone else in this. And just hope that our combined powers will suffice. What is the rest of this?”
Fordham frowned as he took the paper back. “It’s about the circle of thirteen itself from the original ritual. They call it the Star in a Constellation. Apparently, when it was done back during ancient times, it was used as a means of protection. It wasn’t punishment, as what was done to Kerrigan. Rather, it was a way to hold back magical ailments and curses or sometimes done to children who had expressed magic before they had the means to control what they had been given. Sometimes, it was done to volatile individuals, but it seemed to be with their consent.”
“And then bastardized,” Vera said with distaste.
“Yes,” he said with a broody expression on his face. “The reversal spell is called a Star Release. Much of it describes the need to be in touch with nature and the cosmos as well as self. There’s even breathing and stretching practices recommended to empty the mind for the person receiving their magic again.”
“Receiving?” Kerrigan asked. “Like it’s been kept elsewhere?”
Fordham glanced back at the original again. “From how it reads, they make it seem as if your magic is more of a part of your life force. The energy of a star housed in a physical host. And when the magic is removed to be returned to the cosmos, it is but a star in a constellation.”
“Flowery,” Vera quipped.
“Beautiful,” Danae whispered.
“And so, when I draw it back into me, it’s taking it from the universe?” Kerrigan asked in disbelief.
“Once the Star Release is triggered, your energy is once again in touch with nature, the moon, and the stars and can be received into the host,” he translated. “In short, yes. We are all but vessels of the power of the universe. Any push or pull of the magic from our bodies is only done from the divine right of our connection with the world around us.”
“Could I pull back … more than I was originally given?” Kerrigan asked carefully.
Fordham frowned. “Possibly. Though I wouldn’t recommend it.” His eyes lifted to meet Keres’s for a second before retreating. “Taking more power than what is bestowed would be the same bastardization of your rights with nature as what was physically stolen from you. You might push yourself out of alignment.”
“Right,” Kerrigan said with a gulp. “Out of alignment with the cosmos sounds like a bad thing.”
“Indeed,” Vera agreed.
“When is the next full moon?” Keres asked.
“Three days,” Cleora said. “I used to have a standing appointment for the full moon. I keep it on my calendar now.”
Kerrigan smiled at her. “I miss our sessions.”
“So do I.”
“Three days,” Keres said with a resigned sigh. “We’ll have to get everything ready before then. I don’t see another alternative. We can’t wait here another month.”
Unless it didn’t work.
She didn’t have to say it. The uncomfortable buzz in the room said it all. They’d have one shot at this. If they had to wait another month to try, then it might never happen.
43
The Ritual
Over the next three days, everyone worked diligently to prepare for the magic restoration. Fordham labored over the Ancient Alfheim book with Danae as his scribe. Cleora went to procure the materials for a Fae blessing. Vera walked the grounds in search of a sufficient pool to bless. And Keres disappeared to find an Alfheim crystal. That left Kerrigan alone to work on the stretching and breathing exercises.
She’d never struggled with meditation before. In fact, it had been a constant part of her training in the House of Dragons. Something that she’d been able to excel at without revealing how deep her powers went. A little half-Fae with too much powers was frowned upon, especially since she already wasn’t supposed to be a Dragon Blessed. That was always reserved for full-Fae children, but her lineage had afforded her a special position within the mountain. Not that it had made it any easier on her.
But today, she couldn’t get her mind to stop from drifting off. She did full-body scans and deep breathing techniques and tried to activate all her senses, but so much was at stake. The impending ritual made her anxious.
