She looked at her arm and gasped, then shielded her face and turned to the sky.
It was raining blood.
“Tiffany, no!” The thunder drowned out Scarlett’s scream as a rush of wind struck her, blowing her off balance. There was a loud crack and she stumbled to the side just in time to avoid being hit by an enormous tree branch. The tornado Tiffany had conjured was stripping the tops off the trees. If they didn’t find shelter before it touched down, they’d be flung into the air just like those branches.
“I call to Death and to the Tower. Call home this witch and give me her power!” Tiffany shrieked. Scarlett spun around and saw Vivi floating off the ground, her limbs as loose and powerless as a rag doll’s. She seemed suspended by an invisible cord attached to her chest. No, that wasn’t right, Scarlett realized with growing revulsion and horror as she watched a dark mass appear beneath Vivi’s white T-shirt.
It was her heart.
“Tiffany, don’t!” Scarlett screamed, but her cry was drowned out by another peal of thunder. “I call to Justice and Judgment, whose vision is long,” she said breathlessly. “Set right to what is wrong.” It was more a plea than a spell, an ancient appeal to two of the most powerful forces in the tarot. But it was also major arcana and required the magic of an entire coven.
The front of Vivi’s shirt had turned red with blood, although Scarlett wasn’t sure if it was from the rain . . . or from the pressure of her heart straining against her sternum as Tiffany did her best to tear it from Vivi’s body.
Scarlett took a deep breath and shouted with all her might, “I call to Justice and Judgment, whose vision is long. Set right to what is wrong.”
But the magic refused to heed her call. It was impossible. Tiffany was able to perform major arcana spells on her own only because of the stolen magic running through her veins, amplified by the talisman. Scarlett was no match for her. In a few minutes, she was going to watch Vivi die.
Something inside Scarlett shriveled. She’d never felt emptier or more powerless in her life. This was it. She’d failed Vivi. She’d failed Dahlia. She’d failed everyone.
Then she felt a pressure on her shoulder like the comforting weight of someone’s hand. Scarlett spun around and saw no one, but the pressure only increased, sending a jolt of warmth through her. She felt her skin begin to buzz with a surge of new energy, the way it did when she cast spells with her sisters.
A moment later, they found her. Mei was the first to sprint into the clearing, Juliet at her heels. One by one, the Ravens streamed into the clearing, their confused or weary faces turning fierce as soon as their eyes landed on Scarlett and Vivi.
Tiffany let out an angry snarl, but Mei and Hazel took Scarlett’s hands, and her fear drained away. She no longer felt the cold of rain-filled night air. She was no longer aware of anything except a growing surge of energy inside her, pouring into her from all directions. Scarlett’s sisters were with her. She could feel the raw, unfiltered power of Juliet’s magic and the steady stream of Jess’s, understated but able to strike with surgical precision. She felt the tingle of Mei’s magic, which felt cool and refreshing whenever she cast a spell. Scarlett even thought she could feel a trace of Dahlia and the intensity of her magic, which always gave off a faintly smoky scent, especially when fueled by great feeling.
“I call to Justice and Judgment, whose vision is long. Set right to what is wrong,” she called again. This time, her voice didn’t get lost in the roar of the wind. She was joined by a chorus of other voices that made the words sound deep and rich, the voices of her sisters.
“I call to Justice and Judgment, whose vision is long. Set right to what is wrong.”
The storm clouds began to fray; a single bolt of lightning cut through the sky. Tiffany was illuminated by the flash, and Scarlett saw her face twisted in agony and her mouth open in a silent scream.
Tiffany was fumbling for the talisman that, while still around her neck, was floating in front of her, pointing toward Vivi. Then the chain went suddenly slack, sending Tiffany backwards and Vivi tumbling to the ground.
Scarlett directed some of her sisters’ magic