“Terra, ignis, aqua, ventus, spiritus, umbra.”
We chanted the words internally and out loud and, as the last note fell on umbra, I spun our energy into a circle. Similar to erecting a barrier, I laid it across the room. There was a popping sensation and it was as if a seal had just been dropped over everything.
“Terra, ignise, ventus, spiritus, umbra.”
There was a slight pause before we continued the ritual.
“Coniungere, carcere, postestas, septum.”
I remembered that these words were from the old language, that they represented the elements, and that the last part was directly linked to the Seventine.
We were still bleeding and pouring energy into the prison. The seal remained on the room, and then in a strange sort of hum it burst into life. The bright light from the Seventine dimmed in comparison to the light which flared out of our barrier and then, with a howl of noise, like the turbine on an old engine, I felt something tighten in my chest and the barrier imploded.
The Seventine shrieked.
I wanted to turn my head to see them, but it took every part of my concentration to stay over the prison. To keep bleeding and expelling our energy. I was tired. No food or sleep for days. I had fought and lost and more. But we had to hold on. This was the last trial and I refused to fail.
The Seventine started to fight us, using whatever power was at their disposal to directly smash against the energy which was slowly tightening and dragging them toward the prison. The more they fought, the more energy was expelled from us to keep them moving forward.
I understood now why this was so much harder and more dangerous with all the Seventine free. They were strong in this form. They had energy to fight against us. As we weakened I wondered if we would fail. We had failed every other time we’d gone up against them.
Not today. The words were from Fury, and they echoed across our bond.
Not. Today! we all shouted together.
The sacred animals threw back their heads and howled out into the world. Then they moved from our sides. I was scared for a moment, wondering what they were doing. Then I realized that they were circling around us, adding their energy. I felt a strengthening in our barrier.
Blood still ran freely down our throats and power poured from our collective energy. The Seventine continued moving toward us, slowly, breaking through the cage which had been holding them.
It’s working!
We were pulling them toward the prison. We were gaining on them, but we were weakening. For the first time their general confidence was diminished. There was pain and panic on those ugly faces now.
Our struggle continued, and eventually our energy had almost run its course. It was time to draw on the extra from the originals locked in my filing cabinet.
Opening the internal drawer, I flung free the masses of energy I’d taken from Que. It splintered out of my center and, like magnets drawing toward their other halves, zoomed out to the girls. The original power was trying to match up with the essence that rested within each of us. This surge of energy was like a shot of adrenalin. My body energized, blood flow increased, power flow increased, and with help from the sacred animals we had a solid shot to really finish this off.
The Seventine fought us harder, their desperation clear. The strain on our bodies increased, and I knew that it would still be close.
Die, assholes! Seriously, just die. Ria was all fierce now, and I knew she was thinking of Artwon, of all that would be destroyed if we lost here today.
My knees hit the ground. I hadn’t even noticed how truly weak I was getting. The brief burst of original power had only helped for a short time, and I was having trouble keeping myself upright. I fell forward, my hands resting against the roughened ground.
The other girls were in the same position, and I heard the angry growls and yells from our men, who were stuck on the outside of our barrier.
The Seventine were very close to the entrance of the prison now, but I wasn’t sure it was enough. The first’s slash-like eyes were locked on me and, for a being who claimed not to feel, an emotion was clear in his scrunched features: fear. His greatest fear was to end up back in that prison.
Suffer, you bastard.
More weakness filtered along our bond. Would we have enough power left to finish the job? The surge of original energy was fading fast; the Seventine were just too powerful.
Abbs. Talina’s voice was barely a whisper. I’m sorry.
I wrenched my head up in time to see her fall forward. She landed hard on the ground, boneless, as if she had nothing left to give. Panic ensued when I felt for her energy; the water element was barely flickering in our bond. I latched on to what remained of her essence.
Talli. No, you can’t die on me. Don’t give up. I got you.
I held on as tightly as I could to that small spark of life. I clutched it close and tried to bring her back to me, but I had no energy to share with her.