The Ritual

Lucian's pov

My boots pounded against the stone floor. My wounds screamed so loud and my side burned. But then again, I didn't care. Nothing mattered except getting back to her.

Kade was beside me, breathing hard, his face pale. We didn't speak. There was nothing left to say. We had the scroll. We just had to make it to the infirmary.

We rounded the corner.

And there she was as if she had been waiting for us.

Tasha.

Leaning against the wall like she had all the time in the world. Her silver braids were loose and we're hanging over her shoulders. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were sharp.

We froze instantly.

She looked at me then at Kade. Looked at the blood on my shirt, and at the bandages that were soaked through, at the way I was holding my side.

"I know what you're up to," she said.

My blood went cold.

"I'm not going to stop you," she continued. "I'm not going to tell anyone." She pushed off the wall and stepped closer. "But above all, I hope Cressida is fine. Because if she's not..."

"Move." My voice was low and dangerous.

"Excuse me?"

"I said move."

Tasha's eyes widened. "You don't get to..."

I stepped toward her and she stepped back and her back hit the wall.

"I almost lost her tonight," I said. "I am bleeding. I am exhausted. And I have a scroll in my jacket that might save her life. So I am going to say this one time." I leaned in dangerously. "Move. Or I will move you myself."

Tasha stared at me in fear.

Kade grabbed my arm. "Lucian. She's on our side."

"I don't care whose side she's on."

At this point I wasn't myself. Whether friend or foe, I'll remove and destroy anyone in my way to saving the absolute love of my life.

"She's Cressida's friend."

That managed to make me calm down a bit.

"Cressida's friend," Kade repeated. "She's not the enemy."

I looked at Tasha. She was pale and her hands were shaking. But she didn't look away.

Tough girl.

"I was worried about her," Tasha said quietly. "That's all. I just wanted to know if she was okay."

I closed my eyes and took a really deep breath.

"She's not," I said. "But she will be."

Then I walked past her.

Kade hesitated. Then he turned to Tasha.

"She collapsed," he said. "After the battle and pulling Lucian out, her magic went out of control. Madame Voss is with her now."

Tasha's face went white. "Is she..."

"She's alive. But barely." Kade glanced at me. "We found something that might help. A scroll. From Marlow's quarters."

Tasha's hand flew to her mouth. "You broke into an elder's room?"

"We did what we had to do."

"If you get caught..."

"Then we get caught." Kade's voice was steady. "But at least we'll know we tried."

Tasha was quiet for a moment and then she nodded.

"Go," she said. "I'll keep watch."

The infirmary was different.

I knew it the moment I walked through the door. The air was thicker and heavier. The candles on the walls burned blue instead of orange. Shadows moved in ways that didn't match the flames.

Madame Voss stood at the center of the room.

She had cleared the beds and managed to push them against the walls. In their place was a table that was entirely made out of stone. I had never seen it before. I didn't know where she had found it.

Cressida lay on that same table.

Her eyes were closed. Her face was still white and her lips were still blue.

"Is that the scroll?" Voss asked.

I pulled it from my jacket and held it out.

She didn't take it.

"Put it on the table," she said. "Beside her head."

I walked to the table. My legs were shaking as well as my hands. The scroll was warm...warmer than before, almost hot. I laid it down softly as if scared of what might happen if I did it roughly or carelessly or even made on single mistake. Everyone would be in ashes.

Cressida didn't move.

"Now remove your footwear," Voss said.

I stared at her. "What?"

"Your boots. Your socks. All of it. The ritual requires bare feet. The stone must feel your skin."

Kade was already pulling off his boots and I followed. The floor was colder that I expected. The stone seemed to pulse beneath my feet like a heartbeat.

"Kneel," Voss said.

And we all fell to our knees and the ritual began.

Voss stood at the head of the table with her hands raised and her voice low. The words she spoke were not English. Not wolf. Not any language I had ever heard. They were old. Older than the academy. Older than the council.

The candles flickered and the shadows danced.

But above all, the scroll began to glow.

Cressida's body arched off the table and her mouth opened then her eyes flew open...but they weren't dark anymore. They were white. Completely white...no iris...no pupil. Just white.

"Kade," I whispered.

"I see it."

"Is that supposed to happen?"

Voss didn't answer. She kept chanting. The words grew louder, faster and even more urgent. The glow from the scroll spread across Cressida's body, covering her skin in pale light.

Her back arched higher and her mouth opened even wider.

And then she screamed.

Not a normal scream. This was something else. Something that came from somewhere deep, somewhere ancient, somewhere that had been sleeping for centuries.

Then the candles went out and then the room went dark.

I couldn't see. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All I could do was kneel there, on the cold stone, and listen to her scream.

Then...silence.

Seconds later, the candles reignited.

Then shadows and light returned back to normal.

Cressida lay still on the table. Her eyes were still closed and her face was still pale.

But her lips were back to their usual pink lushness.

"Is she..." Kade started.

Voss held up her hand and we waited.

Cressida's chest rose and fell and I found myself counting.

Then her eyelids fluttered.

"Cressida?" My voice cracked and almost immediately her eyes flew opened.

Dark...confused and unfocused.

She looked at the ceiling, at the candles, at Voss and Kade and then her eyes found mine.

"Lucian," she whispered.

I stood up immediately and grabbed her.

Pulled her off the table and Into my arms. Held her so tight I was afraid I might break her. She was warm. She was breathing. She was here.

"I've got you," I said. "I've got you."

Her hands fisted in my shirt.

"I know," she said.

Kade let out a breath and Voss sank into a chair. And I held her tighter and didn't let go.