Did Harper know her well enough to hear her voice crack?
She had her hand on the doorknob when Harper called out to her. Ainsley’s stomach flipped.
“How are you going to study without your books?” Harper asked, her voice full of suspicion. “Your bag is sitting on your desk chair.”
“Oh,” Ainsley laughed. “Justin has everything. He told me not to bother bringing my books along. See you guys later.” She closed the door behind her, not waiting for a response—before they could catch her in another lie.
Ainsley was nearly to the edge of the west woods when she saw the six of her—what? Not friends, exactly. Whatever they were, they were crowded together, waiting on her. She steeled herself, not wanting them to see how terrified she was—and not only of the shifter. The thought crossed her mind on the walk over that Sydney could—and very well would—sacrifice her as bait. It might be the real reason she’d told Ainsley to come.
Even if that were true, Justin wouldn’t let Sydney do it, and from what she’d seen of the rest of them, no one else would either—or so she told herself.
The icy December air nipped at Ainsley’s cheeks and nose. She jogged the rest of the way and had barely begun to catch her breath when Sydney said, “Good, you’re here. Let’s move.”
Ainsley didn’t have the energy to question their destination or ask why Jax and Langston were carrying shovels. She didn’t want to know. Instead, she focused on Justin, who nodded and smiled, albeit a fake smile.
He headed toward her and leaned in. Her shyness tried to her pull her head away, but she didn’t let it. A big part of her wanted to shout that she liked him, and an even bigger part wanted to grab him by the collar and kiss him as long and as hard as she could, in case she didn’t survive the night, or he didn’t. But she couldn’t think about that right now.
“You didn’t have to come, you know,” he said. Ainsley’s stomach dropped. Was he trying to get rid of her? He bent to whisper in her ear, “But I’m awfully glad you did.” He put his hand on her back and ushered her down the path into the woods. They stayed behind the others, trudging across the frozen ground, keeping an eye out for jutting rocks and roots. The no flashlight rule was back in effect. Sydney was right; it didn’t take long for Ainsley’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. They were led along by the moon, which seemed bigger and brighter than it ever had before. She took it as a sign that the universe was on their side.
Jax and Khourtney carried a few bags, probably spell-casting implements and ingredients. She didn’t know what was needed to defeat an immortal supernatural entity, but hopefully whatever it was could be found in those three bags.
They walked in near silence for twenty minutes when Ainsley recognized the path as the one from the night they’d summoned Saskia. Her breath quickened. “We’re going back to Saskia’s grave? Why?” She eyed the shovels and immediately felt lightheaded.
“There’s something there that we need to defeat the shifter,” Sydney said with a tone that made it clear they were not going to have a conversation about it.
Ainsley turned her attention to the forest, hoping that concentrating on something else would stave off her bottled up panic.
She focused on the breaks between the trees and the sounds of branches swaying in the wind. The night was clear and speckled with stars. There was barely a cloud in the sky. Each step made the snow-covered ground crunch beneath their feet, and Ainsley was glad for the sound. If the shifter approached in human form, they’d be forewarned.
It was impossible, she found, not to have a one-track mind when she was probably about to die.
The clearing was before them, and Ainsley spotted the small graveyard. Goosebumps spread across her skin, beneath all the layers she wore. What if Saskia showed up again? Could she manifest on her own, even if they didn’t conjure her? She looked around for anything supernatural and realized how easily Saskia or the shifter could hide if they chose to.
Ava walked to the gravestone that bore Saskia’s name. She held a hand out to Langston and wiggled her fingers. “Give it here.”
Langston raised one eyebrow and held the shovel tightly. “You want to dig?” he asked with amusement in his voice.
“What, because I’m female, I’m weak? Give me a break,” she retorted before snatching the shovel from him and plunging it into the snow-covered dirt. A yelp escaped her throat, and she dropped the shovel handle, shaking out her arm.
Langston and Jax both started laughing.
Sydney shook her head. “The ground is frozen solid, you moron.”
Ava, still wincing, said, “Well, how are we supposed to dig her up then?”
Ainsley’s legs nearly buckled beneath her. “Um, what?” Her heart sank, and a sick sensation filled her as their intention clicked into place. “You can’t dig Saskia up. She helped us. She gave us the symbols and the spells!” She looked to Justin for an explanation.
He was the compassionate and responsible one, but even he wouldn’t meet her eyes when he said, “Magic links to a witch’s body. Because Saskia was the witch to bind the shifter, we can use her bones to summon it to us. It’s the safest thing for us to do. This way, it’s forced here, away from campus and the coven. Plus, no one will witness our magic.”
Ainsley had to admit the plan was solid, especially since they had no guaranteed way of telling where the shifter was or who it was impersonating. But she suspected there was still a problem with the plan. “This is Dark magic again, isn’t it? What will happen if you keep using forbidden magic? And what if Saskia doesn’t let you use her bones?”
Sydney stepped between her and Justin, arms crossed. “Don’t worry about us. All you need to concern yourself with is not getting in our way.”
In one swift movement, Sydney turned away, the words to a spell leaving her lips. The ground in front of Saskia’s tombstone glowed red for about three seconds before dissipating. “Ground is thawed. Dig.”
“Well done, babe,” Langston said in awe. “Someone has some fancy new tricks.”
Sydney blew him a kiss.
Ainsley silently fumed. Did they think this was a joke? The entity could kill them all at any moment, or did had that slipped their minds?
Ava broke ground and started digging in earnest.
“Can’t you use magic to dig? I mean, wouldn’t it be easier?” Ainsley asked Ava, preparing herself for a gruff or sarcastic answer.
None came. Ava didn’t stop her momentum, answering between lumps of soil. “Yeah, but we risk changing the magical composition of the bones. We need to be extra careful with her remains, both to protect the bones for our purposes and out of respect for an ancestor. This has to be done by hand.”
Ainsley supposed it made sense. She had no idea how magic worked or how precise an apprentice’s skill was—maybe they hadn’t perfected certain things yet.
Ava and Jax dug for ten minutes, and then Langston and Justin took over. Sydney and Khourtney kept busy reviewing the spells. They couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Ainsley watched. She’d never felt more useless. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Actually, there is,” Khourtney replied, reaching into the black bag. She removed a beautiful glass globe and held it out to Ainsley. “I need a mid—non-magical person—to hold this.” She scrunched up her face in an apologetic smile.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ainsley reassured her. Cupping her hands, she allowed Khourtney to place the glass orb in her palms and cradled it gently. It was much heavier than it looked. “What is it?”
“We’re going to enchant this sphere and trap the shifter inside.” She pointed to one end of the globe.
Ainsley searched the glass and saw a tiny latch. She lifted it, pulling back a small hinged door that led to an open space in the center of the dome. “But it’s so small.”
Khourtney laughed. “It’s all we’ll need once the shifter is back in mist form.” She stopped and swallowed hard. “At least, we’re pretty sure it’ll work. W
e’ll trap it inside, close the opening and magically seal it shut. The glass will ensure we have it inside. No mistakes.”
Magical sparks speckled the air like a private fireworks display. They lit the candle wicks with the wave of a hand. Fingertips around her glowed with untapped energy. Ainsley had no idea how any of this was possible, a feeling she was rapidly becoming accustomed to.
Sydney had the grimoire open on her lap as she sat cross-legged in the snow across from Ainsley. A moment later, Khourtney joined her. The two held up their hands and placed them over the globe.
In unison, they began chanting in a language she thought might be Gaelic. She’d gotten better at deciphering between Gaelic and Latin from reading the grimoires and listening to the apprentice's spells. The pressure of the orb on her palms eased, and she watched in disbelief as it floated a few inches above her hands. It began slowly rotating in mid-air, changing to an electric purple, like sunlight gleaming through a large, round amethyst.
When Sydney and Khourtney finished the incantations, the orb descended gently back into Ainsley’s palms, becoming clear once again.
“It’s ready,” Sydney said soberly before shutting her eyes.
Ainsley could see the fatigue weighing on her, on all of them. She felt it too, but she wasn’t the one who had to be strong enough to wield magic in a battle. “You’re all so tired. Maybe we should do this another night.”
Sydney opened her eyes and glared at her with disdain. “There is no other night. You heard Saskia. We need celestial energy. We can’t wait weeks for the solstice. It’s not worth the gamble; witches’ lives are at stake. It has to be tonight when the full moon is at its most powerful.”
Jax cleared his throat. “Guys…” Jax was reading something on his phone, and by the look on his face, it was serious.
Ainsley’s stomach dropped.
“It’s from Vanessa.” His sister was one year behind Jax in the coven training and a freshman at Ashcroft. “Jasmine Singh and Corey Brighton are dead. A groom found their bodies at the stables about an hour ago.”
Ainsley was glad she was already sitting. She hadn’t known Jasmine, but Corey had been in one of her classes. Her chest tightened, and she fought to take in a few slow, deep breaths, so she didn’t hyperventilate. The panic in her wanted to escape—to burst out through screams and tears.
Sydney was right. They had to do this, and they had to do this now.
She swallowed hard to clear the lump in her throat and find her voice. “They were both witches?” She moved her gaze up and registered the shock, anger, fear, and grief on everyone’s faces.
Finally, Justin said, “Yes. Jasmine was a Lord in the Wildes, meaning she’d already advanced past her apprenticeship. She didn’t go to Ashcroft anymore, and I think you knew Corey. He was an apprentice like us.”
All Ainsley could do was nod at the gravity of what this meant.
It wasn’t lost on the others either. Langston was blunt about it, “The shifter has their power now. It has the magic of four witches. What are we going to do?” He looked stricken.
Sydney bounded up, her face ripe with determination. “There are still five of us, plus Saskia’s magic and the power of the full moon.”
Khourt practically jumped out of her skin, “Oh, and don’t forget that there’s a meteor shower happening tonight too. We could still be okay, so long as we don’t make any mistakes.” She nodded at Ava, who still had a shovel in her hand.
Nodding, Ava and Jax got back to work.
“We need to go quicker, Sydney said in a low, controlled but unmistakably nervous voice. “The shifter could be anywhere. The binding spell is strongest a half-hour after midnight when the moon is at its highest peak. We should do it then. What time is it now?”
Ainsley yanked her phone out of her pocket. “11:18, we have just over an hour.” She prayed she wouldn’t collapse from heart failure, considering the amount of adrenaline coursing through her.
“I’ve reached something,” Ava shouted from deep inside the grave.
Ainsley and the others rushed over. She couldn’t believe the depth already; it had to be at least five feet down. Impressive.
Ava crouched on hands and knees and began wiping the excess dirt away from what she’d found. “Ew,” she said in a revolted voice as she reeled back.
Ainsley and the others perched on the edge, holding their collective breaths.
Sydney jumped into the hole and shone the light from her cell on the find. Sure enough, the beam illuminated a partially exposed skull.
“Oh my God, that’s so gross,” Ava said, covering her mouth with the back of her arm.
Despite Ava’s obsession with perfect lipstick application and a runway-worthy wardrobe, Ainsley had never taken her for the dainty type, especially since she’d insisted on digging up the grave in the first place. What did she think she’d find in there?
Jax didn’t appear phased. “We need bone. I’m guessing that will do.” He reached into the hole and gently lifted the skull out, placing it on a white cloth.”
“What is that for?” Ainsley asked.
“Saskia is our ancestor. Her bones are sacred; we must treat them with respect.” He wrapped the cloth around it as if swaddling a newborn.
Ainsley didn’t understand witch life and norms, but digging up an ancestor’s bones seemed like the opposite of respect.
Ava lowered her head and closed her eyes as Jax passed Saskia’s skull over to Sydney, who said something in Latin.
A burst of freezing air whirled through the woods, threatening to knock Ainsley and the rest of the observers clean into the grave. She gripped the ground, flattening her body to steady herself, but the wind kept rising. “I think Saskia’s angry,” she called out. “Did any of you check to see if this was okay with her?”
Before anyone could answer, a raucous vibrating thunder echoed above them. The trees shook violently, the branches swaying low and threateningly. Lightning flashed so closely it illuminated them well below the tree cover.
Sydney managed to crawl out of the hole and held the skull tightly in her grasp. She looked up to the sky, and cried out, “Please understand Saskia, we need this to defeat the monster. We don’t wish to dishonor you. This is the only way we can make sure no one else is hurt!”
Ainsley looked around for a sign that Sydney’s words had been heard and accepted by the long-dead witch. The air stilled, but no one relaxed. They all stood upright slowly, at attention, waiting for the next warning that might come their way. The intense drumming of Ainsley’s heart filled her ears and pulsated behind her eyes like the precursor to a migraine. A single, massive bang shook the sky, releasing pebble-sized hail through the branches of the barren trees.
“I think she’s still upset,” Ainsley called out, hands uselessly thrust over her head for protective. Even through her cold-weather gear and multiple layers, her body stung from the chunks of ice pelting her. She crouched into a ball, unsure of what to do. She cried out in pain as a piece ricocheted off her forehead. She saw a whirl of stars, and her hand moved reflexively to the spot. Her white glove came back with a red smear on it.
Sydney and Justin flew into action, grabbing supplies from the bags while Khourtney drew a large symbol on the ground, but not the pentagram they’d used before.
“What's that?” Ainsley called out. It resembled the Star of David, but not quite.
“Double Seal of Solomon,” Khourtney shouted back, trying to get her voice above the storm’s cacophony. It was hard to hear through the aggressive wind and hail. “Used to control spirits. Two triangles, the one down stands for ‘below’ and the other for ‘above’.”
“What’s the circle surrounding it for?”
“The witch’s control of both planes—earthy and spiritual.”
Ava and Jax crawled out of the grave and began setting the candles up at each of the star’s six points. Sydney and Langston flipped through the back of the grimoire, where they’d written the symbols and spe
lls Saskia had given them.
“What if Saskia blocks everything from working?” Ainsley asked. “Clearly, she’s pissed.”
Khourtney looked up from her work and met Ainsley’s gaze. “We do what we can. It’s better not to think too much about it. Keeps me calmer, anyway.” She gave Ainsley a thumbs up.
The gesture, although pitiful, made her smile despite herself. She appreciated Khourtney’s approach.
Langston must’ve overheard because he said, “Saskia’s magic is tied to her bones. We have the spells and runes already, so it should be powerful enough to override Saskia—if it comes to that—since her magic is coming from the Skeletal Plane. That’s the side where the dead reside. We can still do this.” He added a light-colored power to a marble mortar and began mixing it with whatever else he’d placed inside.
Ainsley checked the time, praying the witch apprentices knew what they were doing and could manage to do it fast enough.
“It’s only 11:47. We’re too early! What if it doesn’t work?” She called out to no one, feeling panic take control of her mouth.
The wind reared up again, blasting them again. Ainsley balled up on the ground as best she could, icy air cutting through all the layers of her clothes. She shuddered, goose flesh running across her entire body as her teeth began to chatter painfully.
Sydney shook her head, her hair whipping in the wind. She set the last of the candles in a circle inside the Double Seal of Soloman and screamed, “We have to do it now! We can't wait. Saskia might get the other ancestors to help her stop us!”
Hail continued to pelt them, but everyone kept working. Ainsley watched in helpless fear. “Tell me what to do.”
“Be on the lookout while we do the spell,” Khourtney shouted through the chaos. “Keep watch for anyone. We have no idea whose form it will take.”
Ainsley nodded and began scanning the trees around them.
Everything was nearly set up, and the wind had calmed slightly. Maybe Saskia was relenting. Sydney lit the last of the candles with her magic, and the flames flickered.
Sydney moved to the top of the Seal, raised her arms, and held the skull up into the air. She closed her eyes, and her lips moved silently. She appeared deep in meditation. The way she held the skull up to the sky looked like a gesture of sacrifice. One by one, the others began sitting crossed-legged on the remaining points.
Wilde Abandon (Ashcroft Academy Book 3) Page 12