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"Begin," Lachish said

Molly said, "We are protected here We ward our space with the power of the air, the ifted by the Creator, spirit gifted by the Great Spirit, who moved over the dark waters"

I jerked in surprise as fire flickered up, golden areen of the leaves There was so, unlike the workings that she usually performed, and I had to wonder how acceptable it was forin the center of the witches’ working It occurred to ht cause glitches in the functionality of their joined ht about that beforehand And I had stopped listening as hts took me into potential, unexplored problems

Lachish said, "I call Joseph Santana By the fluids of his undeath, by the bodily soil of his captivity, I call hi happened

Sabina took up the working and said, "Joseph Santana, you seek the power of the Lost Diaainst my skin I whipped my head to Sabina, eyes wide And then to Molly, who stared at me in horror

Sabina said, "She who holds the Lost Dia used as bait, but Sabina so it to power the spell, bringing Santana there To us And fro to happen

Sabina said, "You are called, Joseph San--"

In a single instant everything rong The air split open with a burst of wind and a flash of light Thunder cracked Power sizzled through the ground, stingingthe outer chalk circle flared with fla the do s close to me, the one with the blood diamond painfully hot, but at least not yet on fire The fissure in the air was like a gaping wound spilling ropes of light, tongues of fire, and gusting wind instead of blood and viscera I could hear Sabina still calling, though her words were lost beneath the claauze, flat on the ground Lifted ht up and forward, toes beneath ain Sorew in size as if it approached at great speed Thunder crescendoed I narrowed h the rift of light, on the far side of the outer circle Hanging in the air Dangling He screaround

The outer circle split as though cut by an atharass blew in So did Joseph Santana I had an instant of warning and Beast sla y high Beneathrass fire Heat blasted hs and hands I turunt, and rolled, grabbing at the ground to stop ed the outer circle

Predator! Beast screah me

The space where I had sat was now round Walls were rising fro solid, energy that glowed and treical nonwitch Sweat adhered lue Heat radiated fro piece of charcoal in it My heart raced like a broken drum My breath felt scorched on the heated air Yeah This officially sucked

CHAPTER 16

Silver Motes of Power Slo-Mo-ing

The inner circle blazed fire like a flae of thorns, built to work like a trap of power, turning a witch circle into a prison and a cage Snare of thorns was an apt na in the air The clap of thunder was so strong it shook the earth, and I squatted,sainst lowed the color of crystalized blood, frorass up to the top of the do on the inverted ward Inside was Joseph Santana

He was crouched as well, our eyes on a level, one knee up near his chin, one hand on the burning ground The hand wearing the bracelet was held in the air, fingers fisted Flames licked at his skin and clothes The bracelet was fully exposed on his wrist The crystal in the setting spit ain a complicated spiral Beside the clear crystal, the e for the twin of the stone In the sa The stench of burning fabric again increased Santana’s eyes fell on the bag at my side Oh crap

Joseph shouted, "Glacieh the air Abruptly the flarass inside the snare went out There was no srass, the stink of old fire, blackened pants legs, and singed shirt cuffs to indicate the flaround and coated the singed grass inside, the ice crystals taking on the color of the trap and cage The ground looked like frozen blood, sparkling

Santana was partially vamped-out, his eyes blacker than the darkest hells, the sclera looking like gelled and clotted blood But his face was purely hu black hair fell in waves to the ice and covered his hand, his spread fingers already healed of any burns He was dressed in a tuxedo, one so impeccably fitted that, even as he crouched, it conformed to his body perfectly Yeah He had helpers out there, and not just Juwan

Joseph Santana hi ever been hu carved by a ravestone, as slick and save off an aura of power that seeh the veil of the snare of thorns, his eyes settled on Lachish He looked way too cale And my weapons were outside the circle