Page 72 of Chaos Carnival

“She's our best bet to help get Tess back,” I insisted, stepping between them.

“Is she?” His tone dripped with skepticism, his broad shoulders squaring as he loomed closer. “The last time we trusted a demon's help—“

Lilith rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, entirely unfazed. “Yes, yes, it went terribly wrong. But unlike my dear brother, I actually have some investment in keeping your little witchintact.” Her voice was syrupy sweet, but her smirk was razor-edged.

Stone's jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might actually try to throw her out. Instead, he snorted, a low sound of frustration, and turned back toward the window, muttering something about demons and their games.

Lilith glanced around, her critical gaze sweeping over the group. “Charming as ever,” she muttered. “All right, here's the deal. This isn't about brute force or throwing magic around like fireworks. It's about resonance. Connection. I can act as a mediator, but it's up to the lot of you to ground her.”

Lux frowned, his golden eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “You mean like a shared focus? Emotional alignment?”

“Precisely,” Lilith replied. “Think of it as a choir. If you’re all off-key, she’ll drift further away. But if you harmonize, amplify Maverick’s bond, it might give her the clarity she needs to find her way back.”

Addie’s lip trembled, but she nodded, clutching Tess’s sketchbook to her chest. “What do we need to do?”

“Sit,” Lilith ordered, motioning toward the floor. “Form a circle. Think of her—not just as she is now, but every part of her. Her laughter, her stubbornness, the way she always burns her toast.”

Stone grumbled something, but he sat, his large frame stiff and uncomfortable. Lux joined next, followed by Addie, who placed the sketchbook in the center of the circle like a sacred artifact. I dropped into place last, the sketchbook pulling at my gaze.

Lilith stood over us, her expression unreadable. “Hold tight, kids. This is going to be... intense.”

She stepped into the center of the circle, her gaze sweeping over each of us, her expression sharper than I’d ever seen it. Kneeling by the sketchbook, her fingers brushed lightly over theedge of the cover, as if gauging its resonance. “All right,” she said, her voice quieter now, almost reverent. “This is going to feel strange, but don’t fight it. Let the bond guide you.”

She closed her eyes, her breathing deep and measured. The air around us seemed to thicken, the faint shimmer of energy rippling like heat waves. “Tess,” she murmured, as though speaking to the universe itself. “I know you’re out there. I know you can hear us.”

Stone tensed, his fists curling on his knees. Addie wiped her face, her breaths uneven, but she reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of the sketchbook. I followed her lead, placing my hand atop hers. Lux mirrored us, his touch deliberate and steady. Even Stone relented, his hand resting heavily on the worn cover. The air grew heavier, vibrating with unseen energy.

Lilith’s voice softened, coaxing. “Tess, listen to me. You’re lost right now, floating through the lines, but we’re here. You’re not alone. Follow the sound of my voice.”

A faint tremor ran through the circle, the kind that set every hair on end. My heart raced as the bond hummed louder, pulling tighter like a fishing line being reeled in.

“Tess!” I called out, desperate. “We're here. We're waiting for you.”

The air rippled, and her voice echoed strangely, as if coming from multiple places at once. “Maverick... I see you...”

Addie let out a choked sob. “Tess! Tess, we're here! Please, just come back!”

Lilith held up a hand, her calm a stark contrast to the chaos swirling within me. “Shh. Let her speak.”

The room stilled. Then, Tess's voice came again, layered with enchanted resonance. “The threads... they're delightful and terrible. Each one shows me a different path, a different ending. I'm everywhere, woven into the threads of the universe.”

“Tess,” Lilith asserted, her tone laced with authority. “You don't have to understand them all. Don't try to map every possibility. Focus on this reality. This moment, where we are now.”

“So many patterns...” Tess's voice rippled like water over stones. “I could follow any of them. All of them. None of them.”

“Follow the bond,” Lilith commanded. “Maverick burns brightest, doesn't he? A constant flame across all realities.”

“Yes,” Tess's voice carried an edge of wonder. “He blazes like a star in the cosmos.”

“Good. Now feel Addie,” Lilith continued. “Her thread glows with warmth and home.”

“I see her,” Tess said, her voice echoing with strange harmonics. “Golden light wrapped in morning sunshine.”

“And Stone,” Lilith pressed. “That stubborn, overprotective brute who pretends he doesn’t care but would tear worlds apart for you.”

Stone’s lips tightened, his gaze boring into the sketchbook. “You better come back,” he grumbled.

A soft laugh echoed, almost imperceptible. “Yes,” Tess said, her voice steadier.

---