Emma’s POV
“Be careful, Emma, please,” Anna mumbled as she watched me light the candles.
I glanced at the book, checking the spell once again. I had to be careful and do this right. Not because I could get hurt, but because I needed to find out if my daughter was okay.
The name of the spell was The Elemental Binding Spell and it was used to bind the elements together. I twisted it a little bit and made it bind elementals, not elements. I was hoping that it would bind Sophia and me long enough for me to know if she was okay. I was hoping it would help me connect with my daughter. I was hoping that it would let me know what I was yearning to know.
I lied to Logan earlier. Well, lied was a harsh word. I didn’t lie, but I didn’t tell him the whole truth either. I didn’t find the spell I was going to use. I found a similar one and twisted it.
I knew that what I was doing was dangerous, but I just couldn’t live with the pain of not knowing if Sophie was okay. I needed to know.
I lit the last candle and looked up at Anna.
“Are you sure about this, Emma?” she asked worriedly.
“Yes,” I said as I walked into the middle of the circle I made. “I need to know if my daughter is okay.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I envisioned my beautiful little girl and my heart clenched painfully. I missed her so much. I needed to hold my baby in my arms. I needed to tell her how much I loved her. I needed her in my arms. It was the safest place she could be. I would wreak havoc on anyone who would try to take her from me.
I felt the tears in the corners of my eyes and I took another deep breath. I didn’t have time to cry. I needed to do the spell now.
I heard the door opening and I opened my eyes.
Logan and Andrew entered the room.
Shit.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I watched my brother close the door behind him.
“I am not letting you do this alone,” Logan said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “I need to be here.”
I gulped. I didn’t want him here if something went wrong.
“Continue, Em,” my brother said softly.
I gave them a small nod. I didn’t have much choice. If I told them to leave, Logan would know that something was wrong.
I turned my head back and closed my eyes again. I took a deep breath and I saw my little girl’s face again. She was smiling at me.
I focused on my magic, feeling it begin to flow around my body like a warm current. I let it take possession of every part of me, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, and I reveled in the sensation of it. It was like a living, breathing thing, pulsing with energy and life, and I let it wash over me, feeding me its power.
As it spread throughout my body, I felt my limbs growing warmer and more limber, my muscles relaxing, and my mind becoming more clear.
I focused on my magic even more intensely then, willing it to do my bidding. I could feel it responding to my thoughts and emotions, becoming even more potent with every passing moment. It was like a flame that I was stoking, feeding it with my will and intent until it roared to life, blazing with a bright and intense light.
The air crackled with energy. The scent of dried sage filled the air, cleansing the space and preparing it for the powerful magic that was about to take place.
With the four elements before me, each represented by a small piece and a resonating crystal, I felt their energy coursing through my veins, calling to me to use their power. I focused my mind and channeled my intentions, using the sage as a conduit to channel the energy and bind the elements together.
With my intention set, I chanted the incantation, calling upon the elements to work together as one. The words spilled forth with power and confidence, causing the vortex to grow stronger and brighter with each syllable.
“By the power of the elements four, I call upon your ancient lore. Earth, air, fire, and water, unite, and be bound together in power and might.”
As I finished the incantation, I felt a sudden surge of energy flowing through me, like a current of electricity. I opened my eyes, and the world around me was different. I was in complete darkness.
I gasped and tried to focus on the area around me. I knew that I was still in my office. I could feel Logan close to me. I could hear him, my brother, and Anna breathing. But I couldn’t see anything.
“Emma?” Logan called me. “What do you see?”
Nothing. I saw nothing.
But there was another sound. It wasn’t coming from the room I was in. It was coming from somewhere else.
And it was a sound I would recognize anywhere and everywhere.
It was the sound of my daughter crying.
My heart broke and I had to hold back my own sob. My maternal instincts kicked in and I wanted to run to my daughter. I wanted to pick her up like when she was a kid and protect her from every harm.
But I knew that I couldn’t. I didn’t know where to run.
So I forced myself to focus on the sound of her cries. I forced myself to focus on what she was feeling.
Her cries got louder and I knew that whatever I was doing was working.
“I don’t want to…” I heard my daughter’s quiet voice. “Please don’t make me…”
My heart raced and I felt the anger inside me grow. What the hell were they doing to my child?!
“Please, no!” I heard her scream. “Don’t make me!”
I tightened my jaw to stop myself from screaming.
“Please!” she screamed again. “Lex!”
I felt my soul shatter into countless tiny pieces, and a sense of helplessness overwhelmed me like never before in my life.
Her cries stopped and I was afraid that I lost her.
But then I was suddenly engulfed by a darkness that snuffed out all the light from my body. The air seemed to vanish, leaving me gasping for breath as I fell to my knees. The chill flowed into my bones, and I had never felt so cold in my entire life.
No.
“I am sorry,” I heard my daughter’s quiet voice. “I tried to fight it. I tried to fight them. They won.”
I felt something cold against my cheek and the world around me disappeared.
