Ruler [Blood Magic, Book 3]

Chapter 61: The Suite Life of Mills and Keel

"Give me your hand, Mills," Kristiana said. She positioned my palm facing downward about a foot above the book. "And now yours." She reached out to Keel, and set it on top of mine. His palm to the back of my hand.

Oh god, I'm going to have to touch it again. My whole arm started shaking, repelled at thought. Not even knowing what the book was or the rightness of Keel's touch could break through the suffocating dread.

"It won't be like last time," Kristiana promised, placing her hand on top of Keel's. This time I'm touching it with you."

I forced a tight smile onto my lips and worked to steady myself.

"A couple more things before I begin. The spell will be performed in two parts, the first will open the book to you, the second will bind it to your bloodline. Once bound to you and your descendants, I'll react to it much as you now." She said that last part to me.

"But isn't this an important piece of your family history?" I asked.

"Yes, but it should have some greater purpose than as a relic or a collection of unsavory magical writings hidden away in a vault somewhere. It should be with those who practice bond magic, those who are like Cella and Rook, those it might help." There was tear shining at the edge of Kristiana's right eye.

I slipped my hand from beneath Keel's and went to her, wrapping her in the tight hug I'd wanted to give her from the moment I'd realized what the book was. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"I'm sorry" -she sounded like she was apologizing for a lot more than her tears- "you'll understand better when you read Cella's foreword."

"I feel like I'm probably going to read it a hundred times," I mumbled into the shoulder of her sweater.

"I hope it helps."

"It's already helped. All we've ever had for role models are Garstatt and Etan. We've always believed that at least one of us would go mad and-"

Kristiana's laugh rumbled me clear out of our hug. "You really think that would happen?"

"I did. It was pretty much my hugest fear: that the League was right about us."

Kristiana shook her head, still chuckling. "This, child, is why you need this book. Now, why don't we get on with giving it to you?"

I went back to the opposite side of the table and returned my hand to the stack with Kristiana and Keel's hands.

"The spell is in Romanian, my great grandmother's tongue. Her grimoire contains the most up-to-date version of both casts. You don't need to repeat anything with me, but when we touch the book, please make sure you're open to its energy and that your magic is flowing freely between you, as some will need to pass into the pages. In the second half of the spell, we'll work some of your blood into the bindings and cover to help power the new repellent."

Keel and I were practiced enough at spellcasting that none of this posed a problem and she seemed pleased with that.

"Then let us begin," she announced with the tiniest hint of ceremonial flare.

Kristiana lowered our hand-pile to the book and as soon as my palm landed on the cover, I felt that rumble again, only it was lower now, muted, reaching no further than my elbow. My arm relaxed.

"Good," Kristiana said. "We're ready. Now close your eyes and open yourselves up the magic."

My eyes blinked shut and I gave my attentions over to the ebb and flow of my blood magic before reaching out to Keel and the bond magic and welcoming both into the current welling up inside me. As Kristiana began her spell, I felt a third stream of power, shoving upwards into me: the book's.