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Something clicked in her mind, but her stomach dropped at the thought. The temple was arranged similarly to the demon temples and moon caves in The Darkened City, with a skylight for the moonlight to come through and the formation of the room in an oval. Her heart pounded. If they could unleash the energy, perhaps it would disrupt whatever they were planning. It would give the magic back, and potentially make the witches more powerful, but it would also give Onora untold strength. As a conduit next to a source, she could gohead to head with the witches and maybe get her friends and family out of here.

“Have you experienced any magic while being here?” Enid asked.

Onora shrugged. “A little, I think. Occasionally I wake up to shadows encasing my room.” She swallowed, clearly unnerved by the thought. It made sense with so many shadow casters around her, she would absorb their power and abilities.

“That’s good, really good.” Enid took in a deep breath and looked at the sword. “I’m going to do something that will give you untold amounts of power. You’ll have to learn quick, but I think you can. If I do, promise me you’ll get the others out? Including my brothers?”

Onora’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “You can get them out, Enid. We both can.”

Enid gave a weak chuckle. That simply wasn’t true.

It was the same ritual that her colony had completed, the one where the magic would deplete from each one, reducing the power in the area to nothing, sealing it off. The second part of the ritual allowed the power to be redirected and poured into the demons. At that moment, the demons act as conduits and sinks.

However, it couldn’t be accomplished with only one demon. The colony had to be present. For if only one demon did it, then the power disappears, and the price is their own life.

Rustling came from outside the doors, then a cry of a soldier made her whip around. Hevena had said that the gateway was thinner during the full moon and that creatures would come out. Clanking and fighting began outside. Her gaze slid back to the sword. She knew now how the demon had sealed off the power. And she knew why the demon had died doing it.

“I’m going to perform a demon ritual that should break the enchantments and let you all be able to escape. It will give you enough power to fight any opponents who may come your way.”

Onora gave her a suspicious look. “What’s that?”

“I know how this sword was put in there, and I know how the power was sealed off. I can break it, but I’ll die in the process.”

Surprise lit Onora’s face.

Enid’s hands trembled.

One day, the price will be yours to pay.

It was her turn to protect those she loved with her life. It was her turn to be as strong as Lemia, Kaemon, her parents—to be as brave. But she didn’t feel particularly courageous. Instead, fear and griefflooded her. She was just learning who she was. She had just found her mate. Perhaps it was fate’s cruelty to give her a hint of what her life could be before snatching it away.

Or perhaps it was fate’s mercy to let her taste it before the end. Brief and brilliant as a flash of lightning, shocking her entire world in the seconds it took to burn away to nothing.

Either way, her resolve didn’t falter. She would do anything to save those dear to her. She had outrun fate long enough. Now it had caught up.

Enid drew in a deep breath. “All I ask is that you watch my back while I perform it, so no one interrupts, and if you can survive that, then you’ll find the others to help them leave.”

Onora stared at her for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then she dipped her chin in confirmation. She produced a dagger that had been hidden somewhere on her body, and Enid was both surprised and not by it. Onora held it, ready for combat of any kind.

Enid turned to the sword and placed both hands on the hilt. “Here goes nothing.”

She closed her eyes, then she muttered a prayer to the goddesses, the one she had memorized long ago, the one she had said and had never completed because her family had been attacked.

Goddess of the stars

Goddess of the moon

Take this power

To wither and bloom

Break my magic

Bend my will

Consume it all

Take your fill