Chapter 12: Magic's Mate

"Here are the stones you asked for," Josh said, as Ezra and he entered Adira's cabin, both carrying an armload of small ordinary stones. "Planning on hurling them at Bane to drive him away?"

A new day dawned and, so far, Bane's threat was unfulfilled. That didn't mean it wasn't imminent, however.

Ezra chuckled as he walked over to her kitchen table, piling the stones on top. "Might not be real effective, but I'm sure it would be fun."

A cloth covered the table, with various oils and gemstones lined along the edges and circled by a trio of tall white candles flickering shadows onto the cabin walls. A mortar sat in the center of the cloth, the pestle ready for action. At the far edge of the table, sage burned in an incense holder. Soft Native American music played in the background, not because she needed it for the spell, but because it helped soothe her nerves, calming her for what she needed to do. If I can focus long enough to pull the shards of my magic back into a steady pulse of