Page 43 of Langiappe & Lost Legends

"There might be a way," I said slowly, my mind racing through the possibilities. "Not to avoid the cost, but to share it. We can spread the backlash across all of us and maybe through the brothers if we need to. We’ve known we need better grounding before dealing with the Legends, perhaps this is how we accomplish that." I was still so new to the magical world that I couldn’t be sure it would work. I thought of it as distributing the shock of a massive injury across multiple systems instead of letting it overwhelm just one.

"That's..." Maeve paused, looking genuinely impressed for the first time. "That's either brilliant or suicidal. Possibly both."

"Story of our lives," Lia quipped, but I could see the worry in her eyes. My sister might joke about most things, but even she knew when we were pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

"We need to decide now," Phi said urgently. Her detection equipment was practically screaming.

"Before we commit to this potentially existence-ending plan," Steve said as his hand landed on my shoulder, "maybe we should discuss the actual mechanics of how you're going to share a magical backlash that could scatter you across multiple dimensions?"

The faith in his touch centered me. It also reminded me why we were risking this. Some things were worth fighting for. Even if the fight might temporarily erase you from existence.

"Oh, that's the easy part," Maeve replied as she extended her hand and pulled what looked like a crystal prism fromsomewhere. Possibly another dimension. "We just need to synchronize your connections to the crystal before attempting to sever their link. Like tuning instruments before deliberately shattering them."

"That's not as reassuring as you seem to think it is," I informed her.

"The good news," Phi said, "is that our existing shield network should help distribute the backlash more evenly. The bad news is that it'll also amplify whatever feedback we get from the crystal."

"The plantation's guardian spirits," I said, thinking of their willingness to help as they taught us about the circles. "Could the circles help stabilize us during the backlash if the guardians agree to it?"

"We will help." Hannah's voice came from behind us, making me jump. I hadn’t realized they were there. "As we have always chosen to protect this place and its power."

The other guardian spirits appeared as well. Their presence created pockets of stability in the chaos. Their power felt like the opposite of the crystal's corruption. “Thank you,” Lia told them. “Your choice will save the world.”

“Let’s do it then,” Maeve said as she began to set up what looked like the world's most complicated crystal array. Her movements were precise despite existing in multiple dimensions. "This will take perfect timing," she warned. "We'll need to sever your connections at exactly the right moment. When their ritual reaches its peak but before they can complete it."

"And if our timing is off?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Best case scenario? Temporary existence failure. Worst case? You experience every possible version of this moment simultaneously until you explode in a shower of goo."

"Remind me to never let you talk to any of my patients," Dea muttered.

Through the tears, we could see the Lost Legends' ritual building toward its climax. The crystal's corruption was almost complete. "Okay," I said, looking at my sisters. "Last chance to back out."

"Really?" Lia scoffed. "After everything we've been through? Please. Being temporarily erased from existence is practically an average day for us at this point."

"Besides," Dani added with a grim smile, "someone has to be around to heal reality after we break it."

"And to stop you from adopting any temporally displaced beings," Kota teased.

"Or starting a collection of interdimensional artifacts," Phi finished.

Steve's presence behind me was steady, as always. "Just come back to me. Or, I’ll make those assholes pay.”

Maeve's crystal array hummed with power. The guardian spirits took their positions. Their ancient power helped to anchor the shifting reality around us. "Remember," she instructed as we took our places, "don't fight the backlash when it comes. Let it flow through you. Like water finding its level. Resist, and you'll shatter instead of bend."

I looked at my sisters. These amazing women who'd faced everything from ghosts to evil loa to Marie at her worst. We'd discovered our heritage, embraced our destiny, and were now about to risk temporal dissolution to save reality itself. "Together?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Together," they confirmed.

As Maeve's crystals began to glow in multiple dimensions at once, I felt the guardian spirits' power flow around us. It helped to anchor us as reality began to buckle. "Here goes everything,"I muttered. "And possibly nothing. And maybe everything else simultaneously."

CHAPTER 16

DAHLIA

Just as we were preparing to stop them (you know, normal party prep talk), the Lost Legends decided to kick things up a notch. And not in the fun Emeril Lagasse way. No, they went full eldritch horror. They manifested bodies that looked like someone had tried to build people out of distorted Legos. Our concentration was disrupted and our plan to attack paused.

"Well," I said as I watched one materialize through a rift, "that's definitely not an improvement on their previous look."

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