Carly''s words had my stomach dropping. I finally looked around and realized everyone was staring at me, but i couldn''t me them. This ce, this ce was still so fresh in our mind fromst night.


    "We need to move this to a new spot." Ma offered, but hook my head. This was the spot that I needed.


    "We can''t." I looked down at the ground, blood still a dark stain that I didn''t see. But now I understood. "This is the only ce for this spell, and I think Carl knew that." I sank on to my feet and waited.


    "What do you mean, this is the only ce for the spell?" Toya crouched in front of


    me.


    "The spell has to be cast at the north point of the property. The spell, the barrier, stops people from finding those within. My father cast one to keep Carly safe, but since he went into hiding, he wasn''t able toe here to renew it."


    "Renew it?" Ma looked around. "How do you do that?"


    "This spell is powered by a sacrifice. The hair or the cloaked, and blood." I swallowed. "Normally it is the blood of the caster..."


    “But Carl...” Toya started, and I nodded.


    "My daddy, he fought to get here." Cary whispered. We all turned to face her.


    "What baby?" I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.


    "My dad. He fought through the men to get to this ce. And then he stayed here." She met my eyes, and a tear trembled at the corner of her eye. "I watched from the window. But he made sure to be here." She pointed to the ground. Then her eyes bounced back to mine. "He knew, didn''t he?"


    I just nodded. "He wanted to make sure you were going to be safe for the rest of your life, baby girl."


    She sank to her butt. "He did this to protect me?" Her question was soft, and I chuckled softly.


    "Oh baby. Everything he did was to protect you." I kissed her head, and we waited for the rocks and wood. Hanna came back with the wood, Wendy following her with the rocks.


    "I went to grab the rocks for her." She smiled and dropped it all at my feet. I piled the wood and straightened the rocks. I got everything ready, and li the fire. cing the bowl over the fire, I waited for the water to heat.


    "What can we do?" Toya leaned over my side, watching me work.


    "Just follow my lead." I smiled up at her. Carly came and settled next to my side, like a tiny kitten needing warmth. I picked up the herbs and handed them to her. "Drop them into the water." I nodded to the bowl, softly simmering.


    "Me?" She looked up at me with shock on her face. "I don''t have magic."


    I nudged her. "We both know that isn''t true. Your gifts are just different from mine."


    I nodde3d towards the water again. "Go ahead."


    She dropped the herbs one by one into the water. The steam changed scent and the smoke from the fire changed direction against the wind towards the house. I picked up the hair and dropped it into the water. Carly watching quietly. Then I pulled the knife I grabbed from the box and sliced my hand, dripping blood into the water as well. Then I turned to Toya with the knife.


    She cut her hand, and we all watched the blood flow into the water. The bubbling liquid shifting to soft pink. Then, one by one, my friends followed suit, turning the water to a deeper pink as the blood boiled with the water.


    Finally, I grabbed the knife and looked at Carly.


    She took a deep breath and then held out her hand. "You are so strong." I kissed her temple as I grabbed her hand. I held the knife, but Wendy screamed.


    "WAIT." She waved her hands. "Wait." Then she took off. She ran to the house and came back with a first aid kit. " She doesn''t have her wolf yet. She won''t heal." She pulled out everything she would need andid it on the case. Then she nodded to me. "I''m ready."


    I turned to Carly. "This will hurt. But as soon as I say go, I need you to run to Aunt Wendy, okay, baby?"


    "Okay." She nodded. And then shut her eyes tight. "Go ahead."


    I took a second to steady my hand, and then I sliced across her palm. She yelped, but held steady as I watched her blood join ours in the bubbling pool. After about twenty seconds, the blood magic took hold, and the water shed from a dark pink liquid to silver. "Go to Aunt Wendy." I released her hand and her eyes shed open. She ran to Wendy, who cleaned the wound. Everyone else was watching me as I grabbed the statues and dropped them into the molten silver liquid.


    Ma moved closer to the bowl. "What''s happening?"