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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jade chose to perform the spell in the clearing where the pack gathered for moon blessings. It was the most powerful area on pack land and would be perfect for helping her channel the energy she needed.
“Please don’t be angry at me. I can’t go into this with you angry at me.” Clay was still upset and quiet making the absence of the bond even more painful and she didn’t want to attempt the spell with them on the outs.
“I’m not angry. I’m worried.” His voice was devoid of any emotion, a carefully blank slate, but she suspected that if she scratched the surface she would reveal a turbulent storm of emotion.
“We have to go into this planning for the best outcome.” Jade grabbed his hand needing to connect to him physically. “I need you to help me through this.”
“Why are you so hell-bent on doing this, Jade? These people were strangers until recently. Why risk your life for them.”
“You were a stranger until recently too, don’t forget. They’re your family but I’m not doing it just for them. I’m doing it so we can have a future too.”
“How can you risking your life lead to a future for us? Don’t you get it? Without you, I don’t have a future.” His frustration was palpable and Jade wanted nothing more than to ease his fears.
The only way to do that would be to get on with the ritual. They wouldn’t know if it would work or not until it either worked or didn’t. Talking about it wasn’t achieving anything other than to ramp up the tension to an unbearable level.
Wanting to sway things in their favor Jade took her time preparing. She ate a light supper knowing that her magic would work better if she was able to tap into it more completely and that wouldn’t happen on a full stomach.
After they ate Jade went to have a bath partially to relax but also as part of the cleansing of the ritual when she was finished she made her way out to the clearing.
Ryan had made certain the pack was not on the grounds only he, Jace, and Clay would stay. Their attendance was only permitted because the magic was tied to their family line. Otherwise Jade would have asked that they stay away as well since having an audience would only serve as a distraction.
Jace had provided her with a large log she placed it in the center of the clearing and set up her altar upon it making sure to include items from both Ryan and Jace.
When she was ready she called the elements as she cast a salt circle then slicing her palm she allowed her blood to mingle with the salt and called on her ancestors.
The guys stayed silent on the sidelines but she could feel them watching her every move because she knew they were watching Jade was more verbal than she typically would have been so that they could follow along. She welcomed them into the space Then cast the circle around where she would work.Then she prepared the cauldron she’d placed on the altar with the earth she’d collected from around the lake it would purify and ground. Then she added sage for purification. Next, she added black salt to ward off evil and malice. She added hot pepper powder to tap into the sex magic and fertility and dried lemon to cleanse what was blocking it.
When she had everything in the cauldron she mixed it and then placed a short black candle in the center. She lit the candle and began chanting.
She was expecting the candle to burn down while she chanted once it came into contact with the ingredients of the bowl the original spell that was cast should have unraveled and dissipated harmlessly.
That wasn’t what happened though Instead when the wax of the candle came in contact with the ingredients of her spell there was a loud sizzle and pop almost as if the entire cauldron would catch fire. It was the only warning she had before the elements of the original spell attacked Jade despite her protection circle. The energy blew her backward with a force hard enough to knock her on her ass. Her head snapped back and bounced off of the hard packed earth before she went still.
She tasted blood and her vision went grey and fuzzy. Someone yelling her name was the last thing she remembered before the world went black.
CLAY RAN TOWARDS her his heart in his throat. Jade had fallen and she hadn’t moved since. It was an unnatural stillness that suggested she was hurt and not just stunned that had him screaming her name again while racing toward where she’d fallen. He reached the edge of the salt circle when someone screamed for him to stop.
“Don’t enter the circle!”
Clay looked up, it was Christine who had yelled to get his attention. How or when she’d gotten there he didn’t know but she was coming toward him skirting the circle where Jade still hadn’t moved.
“She’s hurt.”
“I know but if you go charging in there you’ll hurt her more.”
Clay wanted to ignore Christine. He couldn’t stand seeing Jade laying prone on the ground. The only things that kept him from following through were the fact that he could hear Jade’s heartbeat once he’d calmed down enough to try and the fact that Christine was also a witch and knew more about whatever had happened than he did, and she’d be the best shot they had at helping Jade.
“We’ll get her Clay. I love her too. We just need to be smart about this we can’t just rush in and grab her the area is magically charged and something attacked her in that circle.”
“She’s bleeding.” His wolf could smell the scent of her blood and it was driving him crazy. His wolf was demanding they go to their mate. “What do we need to do? Whatever it is I need you to do it quickly I’m not sure how much longer I can hold my shifter side in check.” Once he admitted that he felt Ryan and Jace at his side. They each laid a hand on his shoulder which was both a restraint and a comfort.
Having family – other shifters there even if they weren’t his pack helped to calm him and he was able to wait while Christine formed a plan.
“Ok, I’m going to siphon the magic from the circle and ground it similar to an electrical current.”
“Wait, if this is a negative energy you can’t put it into the ground here we use this space for our rituals and blessings,” Ryan spoke up.
