47. Ivy
Ivy
Everything is ready. The magical light is blood red.
Conall grabs the spellbook and opens it to the marked pages.
On the left page is the spell to completely destroy Shipton's spell and revert back to the wards as they've been for the last twenty years.
I look up at Amy, still swiping away with a branch, her purple eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
On the right page is the spell to complete my aunt's changes to the wards, possibly allowing new life to thrive on the island.
Or perhaps blow up the island in the process. Who knows.
Monster fights echo around me. Laz summons incantations that crush some of the oncoming beasts.
The air smells of smoke and earth, courtesy of the dragon who has now shot fire from its mouth in an attempt to keep horrible-looking harpies from clawing my eyes out.
Either spell would lock them off the island.
I take a deep breath and find Conall's eyes.
He knows. He groans. "Ivy, are you sure?"
I shake my head. "Nope. But I think it's right. I think I'm right."
He holds my gaze for a moment before leaning forward and capturing my lips with his. Dolly holds onto the back of Puppy's fur while his enormous claws slice through anything that gets near her. Layla flies up behind a bird with lightning crackling between the feathers of its wings.
God, I hope I'm not wrong.
I start reciting.
The two spells are nothing alike, so the moment the words leave my mouth, Laz's face shoots around toward me. "What are you doing?" he calls, looking panic-stricken.
I ignore him and continue the incantation, praying to anyone who will listen that I'm pronouncing these words correctly. Otherwise, who knows what I'd end up with? As the spell continues, the magical light from my blood begins to sparkle.
"Ivy." There's an edge of concern in Conall’s voice.
I want to say I'm okay. I want to say everything's under control, but neither is true.
I can't take a breath or stop saying the spell.
It seems to be taking everything in me just to get the words out.
Laz has marched over, and his hands grab the book, trying to wrench it free from Conall.
Conall holds tight and pushes back. But it doesn't matter, the words keep coming, and I'm not even trying to say them anymore.
As they pour out, I feel the island spin under my feet, faster and faster and faster, until the last word comes out and I collapse into the grass and lose consciousness.