Dune, Lucas, Ladre and Samuel finished out our family and friends crowding into the space. Each of the male’s focus was immediately zeroed in on their mate. Samuel gave me a smile and a tip of his head. I was very happy he’d made it this far unscathed.
I noticed that Dune was breathing very deeply. He looked like he was seconds from crossing the round room and gathering Fury to him. But he didn’t. There wasn’t enough space for him to move any closer than his spot near the entrance.
“I need everyone to step back into the hall,” Jedi said, drawing all attention toward him.
The princeps had maneuvered himself so he was closer to Sapha. I doubted the Dronish half even realized how far back she was leaning into his large body. Almost letting him protectively curve around her. She didn’t let many get close to her, only the half-Walkers on occasion, Jedi and Nandia – who was currently perched on her shoulders.
“Out,” Jedi said again, more forcefully this time, since no one was moving.
There were more than a few grumbles and glares, but eventually, just the seven half-Walkers and our animal guides remained. Everyone else filled the long stone hall that led into this prison chamber. Jedi remained behind so he could run through the ritual with us.
“The ritual remains as I told you, Abby. You must join the power of seven, call on the energy of the ancients and Mother of All, and expel both power and blood into the prison. During this you must repeat the words terra, ignis, aqua, ventus, spiritus, umbra, and then lay a seal on the prison with what remains of your joined power. Then you repeat terra, ignise, ventus, spiritus, umbra, followed by coniungere, carcere, postestas, septum.”
He repeated these instructions more than once. Some of the words were difficult to wrap our tongues around; they sounded like Latin but had strange inflections on certain syllables. Eventually, though, Jedi was satisfied we had the correct wording down.
My eyes were drawn across to the Seventine, who were standing in the same positions within the cage. Just standing and watching us. They all wore this identical smirk, which didn’t exactly give me warm and fuzzy feelings. I was starting to think they lacked faith in our ability and power to do this ritual.
My unease only increased when Jedi handed me a large dagger, and left the room. I swallowed hard, my throat and mouth bone dry. My eyes fell on the ornately bejeweled piece in my hand. The twin-edged, thin-pointed dagger was gilded. Its handle was inlaid all the way to the base with shimmering gems, the color of aquamarine.
I wanted to laugh, but in a dark and bad way. This is what the last year had led to: Quarn and Francesca’s sacrifice, all of those who had died on the battlefield, Que, and the Seventine. Now all that was left was to slice into my friends and hope we had enough power to drag the Seventine into the prison and encase them there forever.
“Let’s do this, Supes. We all know you’ve wanted to cut me on more than one occasion. Here’s your chance.” Fury used her talent to break some of the tension.
Smartassery is a talent, right?
I turned, catching sight of Brace. He was beside Jedi, the two of them front and center in the entrance area. His entire body was rigid. He was so tense I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. His black eyes didn’t shift from me, and I knew that it was only his massive control, and Colton’s hand – which I could see on his shoulder – holding him back.
Love you, I said, and then I shut down the bond.
He jerked toward me, but caught himself at the last moment. His eyes lowered minutely, and I knew he was fighting himself again. I needed to hurry.
I wrenched my gaze from him, an act which physically hurt. Facing the girls, I pulled forth resolve from wherever it was hiding, and squared myself.
“Let’s do this. We have the power. We’ll lock them away, and then move on with our lives. The Seventine will be nothing more than a bad memory.”
Delane crossed the space and stopped at my side. “It’s been an honor to fight alongside you all. I count the six of you as my brethren, and if we do die here today, then there are no others I would wish to be with.”
She bowed her head briefly to me and then did the same toward the other girls. The flashes of white light which emerged from the stones and its cage shone off the blackness of her shiny hair.
My heart was full, swelling to a mammoth size, and then my throat and eyes got all tight and stuff. All of a sudden we were in a group hug. I wasn’t sure who started it. Okay, it might have been me. I might have thrown my arms out and basically plowed into the rest of them. We all needed this. The last moment where we fit together perfectly. Friends, sister, originals, and half-Walkers.
“I love you all,” I said, my voice humming with emotion. “I’ll do my best to keep us alive, but know that I couldn’t have picked a better crew of girls to do this with.”