“Like hell,” Tierra said. “We’re in this together.”
“Together,” Moira added. “I’ll bring Cheeto just in case.”
25
“Did you get the prickly ash bark?” Tierra met Claire in the kitchen and then directed her to a covered porch just off the kitchen.
Claire held up the bag of brown wooden crumbles that had been where Tierra had directed her. “Is this it?” The delicious scent of burning wood captured her attention the moment she stepped outdoors.
Fresh flames licked the logs, beginning the first steps in the renewal of life. She inhaled deeply, the smell and heat infusing her lungs, giving her a boost of energy. Being without her power left her exhausted most of the time.
“Excellent.” Tierra opened the bag and extracted a pinch, adding it to the miniature cauldron hanging over the fire.
“This is really how you do spells? It seems so fictional.”
“It’s how we make potions.” She gave her a mischievous smile. “You should know better than anyone that fire is one of the most effective ways of combining elements.”
“And water,” Moira said as she joined them on the porch carrying other ingredients. “Rosemary and ginger. Just like you asked.”
“What exactly is this supposed to do?” Claire asked as Tierra added to her concoction.
“It’s a compulsion potion. It will make Dru want to give you whatever you ask for.”
“Kind of like fire did before?” she said, remembering her long and tainted past.
“What do you mean?” Moira’s eyes flashed with interest.
Claire glanced between her sisters. “Nothing.” She waved her hand. “Just nothing.”
Someday she’d tell them. Moira anyway. She wasn’t sure Tierra would understand. Tierra might have grown up without them, but at least she’d known who she was. What she was.
“How is this supposed to trump a blood oath? It doesn’t seem like it will be strong enough with just plant extracts.” Claire addressed the question to both of her sisters.
“Don’t discount Mother Earth’s babies,” Tierra responded. “Their power might be understated, but they’re the ones to rebuild after all of your devastation. Not to mention, belladonna will kill people just as quickly as fire or drowning.”
“True. I’ve seen Tierra in action. Besides, we’ve already figured out the strength part of this potion.” Moira gave them both a sly grin. “Just add our blood to that little pot over there.”
Claire lifted a brow and deferred to Tierra who seemed to be the expert on the subject.
“I don’t know if it will work,” she said, her tone grave. “But I think it’s our best option. With the three of us in there together, it should give it a boost of power. In return, it might make us weak for a few days. Or so.”
“Or so?” Claire asked. She didn’t know if her body could survive another hit, but she had her choices: wither away or go out fighting. “I don’t have my magic any longer, so I don’t know how my blood will help.”
“Just because you can’t access it, doesn’t mean it’s not there in some form.” Tierra gave the pot a stir before she removed a small dagger from her apron. The sharp silver blade glinted in the afternoon light.
“Are you ready?”
A shiver raced through Claire. She knew so little about the gift she’d been given, but something in her recognized what they were about to do was of monumental importance.
“Hell, yeah,” Moira said and stuck out her hand.
Claire lifted hers as well.
Tierra made a smooth slice in each of their hands. “I think it’s best if we follow the same cut made during the original oath for you,” she said to Claire as the sharp blade followed the festering wound on her hand. Crimson blood rushed to the surface as if it was eager to do its part.
“We should all let a few drops fall into the pot, I think,” Tierra directed.
As each droplet hit the simmering brew, it sizzled and spit.
Tierra stirred as she peered at the mixture. “Maybe a few extra of yours, Claire, since it’s your magic we’re trying to recover.”
Claire forced a few more droplets of blood into the pot, a small voice in the back of her mind questioning whether they should be playing with such serious magic when even the most knowledgeable of them seemed to be groping in the dark.
“It looks good, has the right consistency,” Tierra announced. She closed her eyes and began muttering words beneath her breath.
The ground shook. Cooking pots that hung inside the kitchen clanked against each other. Moira took her hand and