Page 106 of Truly Madly Magically

Zander nods at me, then steps back, but only a little. While the rest of the coven forms an inner circle around us, Zander takes each of my hands. It reminds me of months ago, when we did a ritual in Confluence Books and I sat knee to knee with Emerson while she tried to find answers.

I try not to think of how, thanks to Skip’s mark on Emerson, it didn’t go as planned. Because it still turned out okay, and everyone was all right.

Eventually.

I swallow and focus on Zander. On the feel of Elizabeth protecting my child. Zachariah protecting Zander.

We kneel, as we are meant to. Me on one side of Zelda’s grave, Zander on the other, our hands linked over the stone.

More protection.

Then Jacob begins in earnest.

“By Earth. By Air. By Fire. By River’s Confluence here. With the power of birth, of death, of life, give unto us the magic to heal, to protect.”

His eyes glow, deep and powerful. His gaze meets mine, magic in the air, in our hearts. “Ellowyn Sabrina Good, do you consent?”

Part of the danger of this ritual is that I have to go under a kind of anesthesia spell so they can carefully and correctly collect my blood. It requires giving myself over fully, and since I’m still me, that isn’t easy.

But it’s right. “I consent,” I say, loud and clear.

“With the Revelare’s consent, take care of soul, while we collect from the body the blood of life, of power, of protection, of good and right and hope.”

I let the words lull me, then float away, separating soul body from physical body. Not in a scary or wrong way, because this is what needs to happen. A separation of sorts. My body below—me above.

So that Jacob can take the blood he needs in that good, clean way only Healers can do. With consent. With good intentions.

I’m not separated from my body fully, and my soul is its own body. Both parts of me are tethered together by the ritual, by Zander’s hold on me, by all of these protections I wear and carry inside me. All the same, my soul, my essence is in a kind of magical waiting room. Not fully aware of what’s happening around me.

Until something cold slithers up my spine, causing me to shiver. I try to open my eyes before I remember I’m not supposed to do that. So I squeeze them back shut.

Elizabeth?

Don’t let go, she says, there in my head. But I’m not letting go. Am I?

Then I hear Zander’s voice. Booming, tinged with worry.

Ellowyn. Where are you?

Here. I’m right here, I say at once.

I don’t feel my physical body. I don’t feel him.

And he clearly can’t feel me.

26

DON’T PANIC.

I respond to the voice before I fully realize it’s Elizabeth’s. I feel a sudden sense of calm and well-being that I’m not sure matches the moment, but all I can think about just now is that I’m grateful that I can still hear her at all.

Because I can’t hear Zander anymore, and maybe he’s not talking...but I kind of doubt that.

The cold is spreading. Elizabeth’s don’t panic wears off pretty quickly as I’m floating around in some weird black space.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

We’ve been untethered, she tells me in that same sedate way, though this time it doesn’t have that ghostly Valium effect. We must stay calm.

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