Blood and Kisses - By Karin Shah Page 0,73

to begin.” Mina stepped up and lit a white candle on the altar. She beckoned to Heath and Thalia.

She hid a deep sigh. This was it.

She wiped her damp palms down her white, rope-girdled silk robe. Sleeveless, it crisscrossed her chest, in Grecian fashion. She’d always thought it looked like a nightgown. Heath was in the white robe mages usually wore which resembled a graduation gown. His bare toes appeared stubby in the shaggy rug. She curled her own in response to the thought, then inhaled and focused on feeling the earth through the layers beneath her.

Mina intoned several words in Latin she couldn’t hear through the thrumming in her ears, then the older woman used the first candle to light the two others on the altar. She gave the second candle to Thalia and the third to Heath. Thalia took up the chant, a plea for protection, the words so familiar to her she no longer needed think, concentrating instead on her intentions.

Together, they lit the four pillar candles representing the four directions while continuing to chant. A streamer of white light formed between the candles as each was lit, until a glowing square enveloped her and the other two witches.

Thalia took strength from the ritual, grounding herself and letting her nerves wash into the vastness of the universe. The spells asked of them would be simple, but it was their very simplicity that made them so difficult, requiring strong personal magic, intense concentration and plenty of practice. She possessed the last two. That would have to be enough.

Mina cleared her throat and spoke to the council. “The first challenge will be levitation, the second illusion, and the third transmutation. The fourth and final challenge will be done only if there is no decisive winner and will be a personal power spell.”

A personal power spell? Once again, Thalia shoved away feelings of panic. She could do this. All she had to do was win the first three challenges. No sweat.

Two younger mages wearing robes like Heath’s stood and brought ten-pound weights from the storage area under the stairs. They placed one weight in front of Thalia and one in front of Heath before retaking their seats.

Mina nodded to Heath. “Although Thalia is technically the challenger, I think it only fair as the former Champion she have the opportunity to go last.”

Heath’s mouth tightened and his lower lip jutted out a bit. “As you wish.”

The older woman waved a graceful hand in his direction. “Please begin.”

He sucked the inside of his cheeks and rolled up his sleeves, exposing tanned forearms covered with light brown hair. “Ascendere,” he commanded with an upward motion of his hands, his hazel eyes focused and intense. Yellow streaks of light emerged from his wide palms and wrapped around the weight, a molded turquoise dumbbell. It lifted into the air and hovered above Heath’s bald head. He lowered his hands and the compact dumbbell settled on the rug like a bird landing. His piercing gaze lit on Thalia, and then he yielded the floor with a swirl of his robe.

“Thalia.”

Heart beating like a over-wound clock, Thalia licked her dry lips and tried to swallow. Her gaze flicked to Gideon. He smiled. His obvious faith lent her a jolt of added determination. She would not let either of them down.

Her eyes returned to her target. Mind filled with a single focused thought, she gestured up with open palms. “Ascendere.” Blue light arced from her hands, and the dumbbell rose into the air. It hovered above her head and she, too, set it softly on the ground.

“Let it be acknowledged that both candidates have successfully levitated a ten-pound weight.” Mina waved to the mages who’d brought out the weights. They removed them and replaced them with fifty-pound weights.

Once again, Heath went first. “Ascendere.” The black disk levitated into the air and sank back to the floor with a tiny clunk.

Thalia’s turn. She inhaled as if about to dive. “Ascendere.” The disk flew up, paused, and then landed feather-light on the plush carpet. Thalia let out the breath she’d been holding in a rush.

And so it went, Thalia matching Heath at every increase in weight. Finally, after they’d each lifted five hundred pounds, Mina announced, “The final element of the levitation portion of the ritual will be the contestants’ choice, but must illustrate their ability to control the object they are lifting.”

The assistants had cleared away the weights and now a pitcher of water and a drinking glass were