Chapter 314
I sat silently, my entire focus on the bubbling liquid. The timing had to be perfect. I watched as the silver slowly disappeared, the magic sucking it away. Once the last flash of silver could be seen, I pushed the bowl from the rocks, dumping the dark black liquid over the grass, smothering the fire, and dumping out silver statues.
“What the fuck?” Micca pointed.
Hanna’s mouth dropped open. “Those were wood.” She walked over and stood over them. “Can I touch them?” I nodded, hiding my smile. She bent over and grabbed the first one. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Toya walked over and grabbed another. Her gaze snapped to mine. “It’s metal.” I nodded. “How?”
I gave her a look, lifting my eyebrow. “It’s magic.” I laughed as they all looked at me with the same look of disbelief. I waved them off and stood, bending to grab the other two statues. “They aren’t really metal. The magic, the blood, coated them in the magic I need to create the barrier, the shield for the cabin. For Carly.” I studied the metal sheen. “I’ll be able to check if the spell needs to be renewed by the look of the statues.”
“The dark spot.” Toya gasped as she noticed the ground.
Everyone looked at the ground. The pool of dark rust that was over the ground before I started the spell was gone, leaving nothing but the charred bits of wood. “Where did it go?” Hanna snapped to me, and I wiggled the statues.
“Then run on sacrifice,” I repeated.
“And nothing is a greater sacrifice than giving up your life to protect your pup,” Wendy whispered as she stared at Carly.
I nodded. “Exactly. Carl was a smart man. He knew he would not live past last night.”
“So he made it to this spot where you needed to fuel up this spell?” Hanna whispered and shifted her look to Carly.
“He must have seen it all.” I nodded.
“He knew he was going to die, so he made sure his life and his death would keep Carly safe.” Micca’s voice was full of awe.
“Like I said, he was a smart man.” I finished as I looked at Carly. “And his entire life is you, baby girl. He did everything to make sure you grew up into an amazing woman.” I bent down and met her filled eyes. “You were his entire world. Never forget it.”
She sniffled, but nodded. “What now?”
I nodded toward the house. “Follow me.” I started to the north corner and realized when we got to the garden bed, Carl had left a decorative tree stump for the statue to sit on. I placed the first, and then moved to the next. In every bed, there was a decorative stump to place the statues.
“I don’t know why I expected anything less.” Wendy shook her head as she held on to Carly’s bandaged hand.
“My daddy said something important would stand here.” She smiled. “I watched as he carved the statues every night.” Her words caught. “They are all my daddy. He said he would watch over me forever.”
Her words were soft, but I looked at the last statue in my hand and realized she was right. I roughly carved Carl stared back at me. “Well, I’ll be damned.” I laughed as I placed the last Carl and felt the magic click. I walked back to the remains of the fire and stared back at the cabin. The spell was completed, but something was missing.
“Say the words.” My grandmother’s voice had all of us turning. She and Carl stood next to us, watching, waiting for the last piece to click into place. “Say the words, pup.”
“There aren’t supposed to be any words.” I shook my head, but she just smiled.
“Come now.” She smiled over at me. “I know you can feel the spell unfinished. It’s waiting for you to seal it.” Carl looked over at his daughter. “If you don’t, the spell will just keep wearing off.” His eyes snapped to me. They were filled with resignation, but a hint of anger. He was telling me not to waste his sacrifice. “You need to do it.” To keep her safe. His words went unsaid, but understood. Everything he did was to keep his child safe.
I turned back to my grandma, and she nodded to the house. “Close your eyes. Focus on the spell. The words will come.” I nodded and faced the cabin, shutting my eyes and turning my entire focus to the spell I was weaving. The statues that had sucked in every drop of Carl’s sacrifice stood as beacons, power overflowing from them. The spell, a net cast over the cabin, was strong, but I could feel the weak spots. The spell was left unfinished, and if left this way, the woven threads would weaken, shredding apart at those weak points.
I pulled away from everyone, everything, focusing solely on those weak spots. What did I need to do to make them strong, make them solid? I was about to give up, and Carl’s grave flashed in my mind. Protected. Safe.
“Isla fo int ye per ta na shads,” I whispered, the weak spots weaving stronger. “Yi ka dum.” With my final whispered words, the net solidified, like armor around the cabin.
“Good girl.”