Page 24 of Beastkin
“Now then,” Professor Blackwood said, gathering her materials. “I need to retrieve the graveyard clay and blessed water from my private stores. They’re kept in a secure location across campus.” She fixed us both with a stern look. “I cannot stress this enough, do not leave this office. The wards I’ve placed will keep you hidden from any magical surveillance, but only within these walls.”
Phoenix nodded from his position near the far window. “How long will you be gone?”
“Thirty minutes at most. Use the time to rest. Once I return, the ritual begins immediately and cannot be interrupted.” She paused at the door. “And Mr. Emberwood? Try to stay calm. Strong emotions can interfere with the blood magic.”
The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving Phoenix and me alone in the herb-scented office. The silence stretched between us, filled with everything we couldn’t say, everything he couldn’t remember.
“Does it hurt?” Phoenix asked quietly, nodding toward my jaw.
I touched my tusk gingerly. “It’s not too bad. Healing already.” I studied his face, looking for any sign of recognition. “You always used to worry about me getting hurt when we were kids. Even over stupid stuff.”
Something flickered in his eyes but faded just as fast once more. “I wish I could remember,” he sighed.
“You will,” I replied encouragingly. “Once we get this tether off you, we’ll get your memories back. And then you’ll remember just how good of friends we were and all the adventures we used to have.”
He stared at me, his cheeks blushing a deep rosy color. “I’d like that,” he said softly.
It was then I recognized the heat that had been growing in my belly for some time throughout the day. I stared at Phoenix, looked into those flaming eyes of his and thought… thought about how beautiful they were. It caught me totally off guard. Phoenix was a boy after all and that wasn’t really my thing. Right?
I shook my head. One problem at a time.
Chapter 10
Phoenix
The preparation for the ritual had taken the entire afternoon and then some to complete. Professor Blackwood had been meticulous about every detail. The clay from the cemetery had been shaped into a crude human form, no bigger than my forearm. My blood had been mixed with water blessed under a blood moon, creating a viscous crimson liquid that smelled of copper and strange magic. Karrick’s bone fragment lay at the center of the workstation, looking impossibly small against the dark wood.
“The full moon will reach its apex in exactly seventeen minutes,” Professor Blackwood announced, her voice tight with concentration. “Are you ready, Mr. Emberwood?”
I nodded, my mouth dry with anticipation. The pendant burned against my skin, as if sensing our intentions to free me from its grip. “I’m ready.”
“Mr. Laurent, I need you to stand at the north point of the circle,” she instructed, gesturing to a mark she’d drawn on the floor with chalk. “Your connection to Phoenix will help stabilize the energy flow.”
Karrick moved to his position, his amber eyesnever leaving mine. Even with the distance between us, I could feel something pulling me toward him, a connection that transcended the physical, that even my parents’ memory manipulation couldn’t completely erase. There was something there, somethingmeaningful. I just didn’t know what it was yet.
“Now, Phoenix, you must stand directly opposite Mr. Laurent, at the south point. The opposing energies will create the tension we need.”
I took my place, feeling the magic in the room beginning to stir. The air felt thick, charged with potential, like the moment before lightning strikes.
“When I begin the incantation, you must focus entirely on your desire to be free,” Professor Blackwood said, her silver-streaked hair gleaming in the candlelight. “Visualize the pendant’s hold breaking, imagine your true self emerging. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” I replied, though my voice trembled slightly. What if this didn’t work? What if my parents somehow sensed what we were doing? What if I’d been living a lie my entire life?
As if reading my thoughts, Karrick spoke from across the circle. “You can do this, Phoenix. I believe in you.”
Something about his voice, the absolute certainty in it, steadied me. I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the weight of the pendant against my chest, imagining it lifting away.
Professor Blackwood began to chant in a language I didn’t recognize, her voice rising and falling in hypnotic cadence. The clay figure at the center of the circle began to glow faintly, pulsing in rhythm with her words.
The pendant grew hotter, searing my skin until I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I fought to maintain my concentration.
“Now, Phoenix,” Professor Blackwood commanded, her voice cutting through the pain. “Focus your energy on the golem. Direct it with your will.”
I reached out with my magic, feeling for the crude clay figure.It responded instantly, the glow intensifying as I poured every ounce of my being into the connection, watching as tendrils of golden light stretched from my hands toward the small clay figure. The pendant burned against my skin with such intensity that tears sprang to my eyes, but I refused to break concentration. This was my one chance at freedom, at remembering who I truly was.
“It’s resisting,” Professor Blackwood warned, her voice strained. “The binding is stronger than I anticipated. Mr. Laurent, we need your energy as well.”
Across the circle, Karrick’s eyes met mine. Without hesitation, he extended his massive, clawed hands, mirroring my posture. The moment his energy joined mine, something electric shot through the room. The clay figure convulsed, its crude features twisting as if in pain.