A Choir Of The Coldest Hearts

Can We Create Something Beautiful And Destroy It?

Necromancy. The practice of communicating with the dead. It's supposed to be impossible—believe me, many have tried, none succeeding. But somehow, I think I might be able to pull this off.

Not many people know this, obviously, because who other than me tries to summon the dead? But there's a stack of textbooks in the back corner of the library dedicated to the subject. They aren't in good condition, the pages yellow with age, the paint flaking off the spine, but it's enough. There's a faint symbol drawn on each of the covers, a diamond on a few, a circle on others, and random other symbols that are too faded for me to make out.

I light a flame in the lantern beside me, flipping the first one open. It's not in any language I understand, probably Gaelic, so I put it aside, flipping the next one open.

I read until my head is swimming with Latin verbs.

I skip most of my classes for the next week, staying huddled in the back corner of the library. I put an invisibility spell around myself, shielding myself from any curious eyes.

It seems like a tricky spell, but I think I can manage it, at least with some help.

I knock on Jack and Alex's door, leaning against the wall across as I hear a commotion before Jack opens the door.

"Where have you been?" he exclaims. "It's like you disappeared."

"Wow, look who finally decided to appear," Alex says dryly as he pulls me into the room, shutting the door behind him. "So, what's going on?"

"I need your help," I say. I hand him the textbook. "I want to find my brother."

Alex and Jack watch me as I wave my hands, the stones on the ground realigning themselves. I look down at the diagram again, tracing it with my finger before I rearrange the stones again. Satisfied, I take a step back, glancing at my work. There's a circle of stones in front of me, other stones forming a diamond inside. Alex hands me the two long wooden stakes and I step into the stones, placing the stakes in a cross at the center.

"You sure this is going to work?" Jack asks. "5th century magic textbooks weren't the most accurate in spells, you know."

"It's worth a shot," I reply, checking the diagram again. Yeah, that seems right.

"How exactly is this supposed to work?" Jack questions.

"Uh, well the stones will trap any ghost that enters them."

"Why would he enter it?"

"Because he'll be drawn to my blood," I say. "The closer the spirit is to you, the more he'll be drawn. He won't even know it before he's back in this world."

"Your blood?" Alex asks.

I pull out a knife from my pocket and Jack raises his eyebrows.

"What the hell," he sighs. "How am I not surprised?"

I roll my eyes, tossing him the book. I quickly slice the knife down the center of my palm, letting out a hiss of pain. It stings as I turn my hand over, letting my blood drip onto the cross.

"Sana," I whisper. Heal. The cut on my hand burns for a moment before it closes, leaving nothing but a faint line where it once was. Satisfied, I step out of the circle, walking toward Jack and Alex.

"Blood magic?" Alex says, exasperated. "Really, Vic?"

I shrug, grabbing the book from Jack. "What else did you think I'd use?"

"Not a dangerous form of magic," Alex sighs. "Especially when you are involving the dead."

"Whatever," I say, turning back to the circle. As soon as I put my hand out in front of me, the whole thing shimmers a vibrant shade of purple.

"It's still purple?" Jack asks.

"Yeah." I shrug as I tuck my hand into my pocket. "I don't know why."

Alex watches me for a few more moments, but he doesn't say anything as I turn, heading back to the school.