then ducked to meet my eyes. “Don’t worry about if this works or not, because it either will work or it won’t. Once that happens we’ll find the next step and the next step until we get what we want.”
“That’s fair.”
“Now, you got the best look and I know it’s burned into your brain…” She stepped to the side and pointed to the water. “Is this the spot?”
I nodded.
She grabbed my hand and dragged me closer to the water, close enough that the waves were crashing over our feet. “I’m going to get everyone in position. All I need you to do is stand right here.”
“Got it. Not moving.”
Cassandra walked around me. “Okay, I need all my Bishops up here now— no, Devon, that includes you too.”
Devon gasped. “What? But I’m not a Bishop, I just married into—”
“Did you carry him in your womb for nine months? Did you give birth to him?”
“Well…yeah before—”
“Exactly. You’re his mother. That’s a strong connection.” Cassandra pointed to the ground at her feet. “In the circle, mamabear.”
Her eyes glistened and her cheeks flushed. She sprinted to where Cassandra stood a few feet over from me.
“Hunter, you’re his father, I want you opposite side from your wife.” Cassandra pointed to my right. “This ritual is creating the wormhole Bentley needs to find his way back. Think of it like trying to blast a tunnel under a mountain. So we’re making a half circle with Saffie at the top point.”
“Cassandra, where do you want us?” Cooper gestured between him and his uncle.
“Coop, between Saffie and your dad. Kessler, on the other side of Saffie.” Cassandra skipped to the middle of our circle. “Tegan, next to your father at the edge of the water. Emersyn, between your mom and the water.”
They all sprinted to their positions, then looked to her like puppies expecting a treat.
“Saffie, place both of your hands on my shoulder blades.” She dropped to her knees in the sand and then reached up and over and tapped on her back. “Tegan, you’ll put your hands on Hunter’s back. Hunter, on Cooper. Emersyn and Devon do the same on the other side. But then Kessler and Cooper will press one palm to each other’s and the other on Saffie’s back. Got it?”
Tegan cleared her throat. “Are we channeling magic from us all the way into Saffie?”
“Yes. I’ll be performing the spell since I’m the past Hierophant, so as soon as I start chanting just give me all you’ve got. Saffie will be pushing all of yours and hers into me. Ready?”
I stepped up and pressed my palms into her back, then steadied myself with one leg in front. Cooper’s warm hand landed on my right shoulder. Kessler’s massive hand dwarfed my left shoulder. I looked to my right – Hunter and Tegan were ready. On my left, Devon and Emersyn were ready.
My pulse quickened.
My stomach tightened into knots and then flipped around.
Every nerve ending in my body was singing. My magic pulsing.
This was it. The moment we actually tried to open up a wormhole into Seelie Realm.
Cassandra took a deep breath, her shoulder rising and then falling. Then she began chanting in the ancient language, so I pushed my magic into her as hard as I could. Golden glitter rained down her back. Pink and purple flowers sprouted from her white t-shirt.
Stars danced in my vision as Cooper’s magic hit me.
My magic pushed out of me harder once Kessler gave me his.
I felt the calm, warm emotional balance from Hunter followed immediately by the sharp protectiveness of Devon.
Black smoke coiled around Emersyn’s body in my peripheral vision. When her magic hit me, smoke billowed out from under my feet. My wings popped out of my back and fluttered.
I felt Tegan’s magic hit my back like a bolt of lightning. Electricity surged through my body, lifting me off of my feet. I gasped and my back arched. Rainbow mist clouded my vision. It was like I’d been plugged into an electrical socket. Every inch of me buzzed and tingled. My bones hummed.
I clenched my teeth and shoved all of it into Cassandra’s back.
She chanted louder and her words grew sharper. I couldn’t hear them over the heavy pounding in my own head. She threw her hands in front of her and held them together. A bright orange beam of light shot out of her hands and into the horizon.
With every passing second the beam of light grew bigger and bigger until it stood over six feet