I accompanied Amber to the library. Gathered around the fireplace, where a hungry fire lapped greedily at dry wood, were Aidan and Cass. Thrain sat near the window, the farthest place from me.
The carpet had been removed, revealing a gleaming wooden floor. On the coffee table, pushed to the far left, were the things I had ordered together with a bottle with a red liquid. My stomach clenched instantly and I felt all color drain from my cheeks.
"Is that—" I couldn't even get the word out.
"Blood?" Cass raised her brows. "Nope. It's red wine. We thought you might need a bit of a pick me up. Guess we were right."
I felt my pulse steady again, as though a huge weight had just been lifted off my chest. "Right." I nodded and peered down at the floor, wondering where to begin. The chalk. I grabbed it from the table and drew a large circle, about a hundred and fifty inches in diameter, in the middle of the room, then lit several candles inside.
"Do they need to be of a specific color?" Amber asked. "Sorry, you didn't say, so I chose white."
"White's great." I smiled and grabbed the drum, my hand wandering over the tight skin on top, so smooth to the touch. And then the first memory came back to me. A warm summer night. People gathered around a fire and me holding a drum in my hand. A strong sense of peace washing over me as my hand started to pound, slowly at first, then faster and harder. Sweat poured down my back, the sheen layer making my clothes stick to my skin. I closed my eyes to savor the feeling. When I opened them again, I realized the drumming noise didn't take place just in my head. My hand was moving, beating a rhythm I had never heard in this life. The others were staring at me.
I smiled and put the drum aside. "Sorry. I got carried away."
"So that's how it works," Cass muttered.
"She tried her hand at magic," Aidan explained, pointing at Cass. "Didn't work out so well, huh?"
Cass shot him a venomous look, and I turned away, eager to get acquainted with my new materials. I spread the dried branches and herbs around me, then grabbed the white material someone had folded next to a dagger and took my place in the middle of the circle.
"I'll need the body," I whispered. "I can't do this if he doesn't have one."
"Dallas's body is in a safe place. I've brought you something that belonged to him," Cass said.
"Is this it?" I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. My hand hovered over the shirt, but I didn't touch it.
Cass nodded gravely. "It's what he wore when he died."
The brownish stains on the front couldn't be mistaken for anything else. Judging from the amount of it and all the slashes and holes, it wasn't a nice death either. I peered at the dried blood for a few seconds, then peeled my gaze away because just thinking of gore and what else not wasn't doing my stomach any favors. And yet I knew I had no choice. "I need a sacrifice. More blood."
"He's my brother. I'll do it," Amber whispered.
"No. It has to come from me." Cass raised her chin defiantly, daring anyone to disagree, but Amber and Aidan remained quiet. I glanced at Thrain. He peered back at me, brows drawn, lips pressed into a grim line.
"Everybody, step into the circle, please." I raised my hands over my head to signal we were about to begin. Amber, Cass and Aidan sat down in front of me, inches away from the white line around us.
"I'm a demon," Thrain said. "I doubt anything you raise could ever hurt me. Besides, I'd rather watch from here in case I need to step in." Reading his worried expression, I could see my safety mattered to him. The realization made me feel all warm and cozy inside. I wanted to run over and kiss him for good luck, but I feared if I left the circle I might not have the courage to start over.
"Sure. Whatever you see, don't get involved," I said. Thrain nodded and with that I proceeded. Looking at the materials in front of me, I took the bell, which felt cold in my hands, and rang it twice as I began to chant, "The circle is closed." My voice started low but steady and rose in intensity as I gained confidence.