I walked back to the table and opened it to the page I needed. I was reading when Carly came to. “Wait!” She wiggled down from Alannah’s arms. “Amy, wait!” She wiggled harder, and Alannah finally let her down. She ran over to the table and climbed onto a chair. She grabbed Abby’s hand and held on. “It’s okay, Abby. I’m here.” She looked up at me. “This is okay, right?”

I nodded. “It should be okay. But I’ll tell you the same thing I told them. It’s going to look like I am going to hurt her, but I’m not.”

Carly nodded. “I saw.” She looked up at me with haunted eyes. “I saw it all. That’s why I’m here. Abby is my best friend, and I want her to know I’m here.” I nodded once, then looked back at Toya. She smiled. “She is like us—bonded in a flash and completely devoted to her friends.” Toya walked over to Carly and kissed her temple. “Our girl has been talking about her best friend since she came last time. She even told her dad about her.”

Abby’s hand tightened around Carly’s. “You are my best friend, too.” Carly’s smile was wide as she leaned in. “You too.” “Don’t be afraid, okay?” Abby nodded. “I trust you guys.”

I had to clear my throat. I don’t know why, but I started to feel choked up. “Okay.” I stepped back to the bowl and lit the cotton. I added the herbs I needed: dried acorn for protection and personal power; adder’s tongue for healing; ague weed for hex breaking; bamboo for hex breaking and protection. The pit in my stomach grew larger. So many of the herbs were for protection, healing, and hex breaking. Usually, only one herb for each would have been enough, but there were so many layers.

My grandmother’s voice jolted me from my worries. “Focus, girl. Add the barberry.” I grabbed a handful, but she snapped a hand out. “Cleansing her soul from Vince’s manipulation is needed. But only one.” Her eyes met mine. “You have a few souls to disentangle from his strings.” I nodded as I dropped one into the bowl. “Basil, to excise Vince from her soul ties. One is enough. Hold off on the benzoin until the fire dies down. The smoke from it will help purify her. Add in the hydrangea to help with the end of the hex. Last, add in the lady’s slipper to stop anyone from attaching to her again.” She nodded as I finished. The fire burned down, and then she nodded. “Add the benzoin now. There. Now use the feather to fan it over her.”

I grabbed the burning bowl, feeling the heat of the flame, and hissed. “Amy?” My mom stepped closer, but I waved her off. My grandmother turned to her. “When casting, if there is going to be pain inflicted on the victim, the caster also needs to feel it. We do not do unto others without taking it on ourselves. It’s a balance.” My mom nodded, but I could see she was worried.

I moved to Abby’s head and started. I fanned the smoke over her with the pure white feather of a barn owl. I walked around her three times, the fire burning with every step. The flame, once golden, was now a deep blue. I placed the bowl by her head and sent a steady stream of magic to the fire to keep it burning.

I grabbed the bottle of water from the box and poured it into a cup. I sprinkled in a few of the herbs I’d added to the fire and helped Abby sit up enough to drink it. She coughed a little but swallowed it down. I poured the rest of the water into the bowl, keeping the flame burning as the water took on a blue sheen.

I bent over and rolled up Abby’s shirt, baring her stomach. Rick’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing?” I dipped a cloth into the burning liquid. Then I wiped down Abby’s stomach. “I’m trying to cleanse her body. I’ll focus on her stomach, chest, and the brand, but the stomach is first.” I wiped her down, dipping into the bowl periodically. I turned back to the bowl and slid a small dagger into it to purify it.

Rick growled when he saw the knife, but Shelly took a step forward. “Amy?” Her voice was confused, but I quickly wiped down Abby’s chest and then turned to the brand Vince had burned into Abby’s skin. I cleansed the brand, earning a few pained whimpers from Abby. “Are you okay?” She met my eyes and nodded. “Are you ready?”

She took a few deep breaths. “Will it hurt?”

“I won’t lie to you; it’s going to hurt like a bitch, but we need to purify your soul. The brand is the entry point; your heart is the pathway, and the soul is settled somewhere around your center.”

“My tummy.” I nodded. She closed her eyes. “I’m ready.”

I took a steadying breath. This was the part I hated the most. Then I slammed the dagger directly into her heart.