Chapter 8 #2
"The Collector's influence is spreading," I breathed, watching the pixies' desperate battle against the encroaching darkness. "It's reaching beyond the convergence points."
Even with all their magic, the pixies were fighting a losing battle. For every leaf they managed to restore, two more turned black. The sight of these usually carefree creatures working so frantically with their pixie dust falling like glitter tears made the threat feel more real than ever.
"How is that possible?" Kota demanded. "The wards should protect the property."
"Unless someone on the inside is weakening them," Lia said grimly. Just because three of Cyran’s relatives had fled earlier didn’t mean there weren’t more. "Or unless the Collector has grown strong enough to overcome them through sheer force."
“We have no idea what it’s capable of,” Kota pointed out.
Dea stepped toward the melee with her focus on the spirits. "It could be the ghosts. They aren't the same ones that were here before," she whispered.
"Do you think they were directed here by the Collector's power?" I asked.
"They could have been fleeing from it," she said, shuddering. "Either way, they're bringing whatever darkness they're carrying with them. That is what is damaging the trees."
I looked around at the gathered families.
Their terror was strong enough to choke me, and I wasn’t an empath like Dea.
They were clustered together, trying to get comfort from one another.
These people had trusted us to protect them.
And now even our safest sanctuary was being compromised.
We needed to protect the plantation first. That would secure the wards.
"We need to protect the trees from the darkness and help the pixies," I said as I turned to Dea. "Can you try to cleanse the spirits of whatever darkness they're carrying?”
“Brilliant. That will keep the darkness from spreading,” Lia added.
Dre nodded and countered, “We also need to know if they're the Collector's minions or just innocent souls caught up in this mess. Either way, we can't have them causing problems at the plantation."
Dea nodded grimly. "I'll do what I can once we stabilize the trees."
Without another word, all six of us moved to the lawn next to the main house and formed a circle.
We clasped hands. The familiar tingle as our magic began to sync up traveled through me, making me smile.
The bond between us was unmatched and created a power few could combat.
It was what had allowed us to stop Samedi.
"On three," Lia said quietly. "One... two... three!"
I let my magic flow outward until it intertwined with my sisters' power like a braided rainbow rope.
Dre's magenta fire burned with fierce strength.
Lia's amber flames blazed with determination.
Dani's yellow light flared with protective fury.
Kota's light pink energy pulsed with stubborn refusal to give up.
Phi's green fire crackled with analytical precision.
All their powers combined with my purple flames into a shield that held back the darkness.
The protective barrier that erupted from our joined hands was unlike anything I'd ever channeled before. It shimmered like heat waves and crackled with electricity that tasted of ozone. We directed the magic to encompass every tree when the barrier expanded outward.
The darkness recoiled as if it had been burned. Black leaves began to lighten at their edges, the creeping rot retreating inch by inch as our protective spell pushed back against the malevolent influence. "It's working!" Kota exclaimed, pointing at the trees.
With the foreign darkness neutralized, the pixies' efforts finally began to make a real difference. Within minutes, the oaks were returning to their normal, majestic state. The Faeries' delight filled the air as they worked. Trails of triumphant sparkles followed in their wake.
As soon as the trees were stable, Dea stepped back from our circle and closed her eyes.
Her power expanded out of her. I watched the agitated spirits to see what would happen.
"Most of them aren't malevolent," she said after a moment in a distant voice.
"They're refugees—souls fleeing from something terrible.
But there are a few..." She opened her eyes, and they glowed with an otherworldly light.
"Three of them are definitely corrupted by the Collector's influence. "
Purple and silver energy began to swirl around Dea's hands as she reached out toward the corrupted spirits. A shriek echoed across the property as her cleansing magic touched them. My gaze skipped around until it landed on three writhing, twisting ghosts. Darkness rose off of them like steam.
“That should do it,” Dea said, swaying slightly from the effort. “The remaining spirits are just scared. They'll settle down now that the corrupted ones aren't agitating them.”
“Well,” Lucas said, surveying the restored trees with a grin, “I guess that's one small step for the Twisted Sisters, one giant leap for oak-kind.”
I snorted despite everything. "Did you just make a Neil Armstrong joke about tree-saving?"
"Hey, if the moonwalk fits," he replied with a shrug.