16. SIXTEEN
SIXTEEN
THE SPELL
A melodious voice drifted up from the garden. Drawn by the sound, I stepped past Torin and onto the balcony, the morning air brushing my skin. The sun-kissed vista stretched beyond the Sternwacht Grounds, and the scent of roses and dew filled my lungs.
Below, Seraphina moved around the fountain, scattering rose petals of every hue into the crystalline water with ritualistic grace. Her gown shimmered in shades of sky blue, and the jewels at her throat mirrored the heavens. She lifted her face to the sun, then bowed her head to the grass.
Torin joined me, silent. Though we stood within Seraphina’s line of sight, she never looked up. I strained to hear the words she repeated—in an odd and melodic language.
“By earth and stream,
by Vareth’s tongue,
Bind the bounds no one else may see .
Let the marked one be held,
within these grounds, safely spelt.”
One word rang out in my mind. Vareth. It sounded familiar. I’d heard it before… the day I was taken. It was the name in my head when the mark burned itself onto my skin.
“Vareth...who is he?”
Torin’s jaw tightened. “Not a name you should ask about lightly.” He said.
“What’s she doing?” I asked, my voice caught between awe and unease.
“She’s casting an ancient containment spell,” Torin said, his tone low and unreadable. Old Varethym words. Seraphina’s one of the few who still remembers the rites.
I glanced at him, then back to Seraphina.
“Is this for me?” I asked, though the answer was already clear.
The water in the fountain began to ripple violently. A gust of wind tore through the garden, snatching the petals from Seraphina’s hands. They transformed into gem-coloured butterflies, swirling into a golden vortex that spiralled skyward, carried to every corner of the grounds.
“By sky and flame, by root and stone.
Let no footstep stray alone.
Circlet rise, protection coil.
Seal Sternwacht Grounds in sacred toil.”
The wind whipped Seraphina’s hair and gown,
nearly lifting her off her feet, but she didn’t falter.
“Land and sky, now intertwined,
Guard the soul that fate has signed.
Let none pass, nor spell be shed,
Until the caster deemeth dead.”
Before I could speak, my body tingled, a surge of static energy coursing through my skin. My hair lifted around my head, and firefly sparks of light danced around me. I gasped and tried to step back, but my limbs felt heavy.
“What’s happening to me?” I asked, as the warmth surged through me.
Torin placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Seraphina is casting the spell so you can roam freely. “Torin said. “But you won’t cross the boundary while we’re gone.”
“Gone?” I echoed, lightheaded and unsteady.
“You’re leaving me here alone?”
“There are things we must attend to,” he said, his tone more serious than I’d heard before.
“You’ll be safe. While we’re away, you’re free to do as you please, within the grounds of Sternwacht.”
The tingling faded. The wind was still. The fountain’s water calmed down and I exhaled in relief.
Seraphina finally looked toward the balcony, but only at Torin. Then she turned away.
“Get yourself dressed so we can ensure the barrier holds.” he said, a wicked, mysterious smile tracing his lips as he left the room, leaving the air heavy with his musk and the scent of spicy wine.”