“Let me grab my kit.” I needed all the help I could get without Colby. “I should be able to do this solo.”
The idea of leaving the girls stuck as they were until Colby recovered was out of the question.
I started by pouring a salt circle around them and sealing it with three drops of my blood. From there, I burnt herbal offerings in a caldron the size of my palm. I lit a bundle of dragon’s blood sage for potency and protection and walked a slow circuit around the cage, filling the air with its heady smoke and earthy fragrance. A few blood crystals placed and blessed at the four corners gave me another boost.
I just hoped it was enough.
With enough preparation time, I could work minor miracles even on my new diet. I prayed to any and all gods and goddesses who listened that this unraveling revived the girls, but they rarely favored me. I made my own luck.
Pressure built behind my breastbone in stark contrast to the easy flow I channeled earlier, but this magic came from me. It was all mine. What remained of it. I could do this, but it would cost me. Lucky for me, I had Clay here to catch me if I fell. And, though ours was a new and tenuous trust, Asa too.
And his daemon.
He would probably save me for the sake of having someone to pet him.
As my chant built to a crescendo, I aimed my wand and unleashed my counterspell on the circle with a tap.
A beat before my eyes rolled back in my head, I swore I heard twin inhales that exhaled on screams.