I did not like the sound of that one bit. I tried to yank my hand back, but it was as if my blood was the strongest glue in existence. The wind picked up, howling as it shifted between the iciest cold I’d ever felt to the heat of a hundred suns.

“Summon, arise, you are called. Larkspur!”

They finished on a shout and suddenly my palm was burning and I still couldn’t pull it away. I slipped my free hand onto my stomach again. I had to try the spell, I needed help.

This was about more than a freaking scepter, the power here was off the charts.

“Who are you calling?” I shouted. “Who is Larkspur?”

My hand was on Louis’ spell again, and as I asked my question I mentally screamed for Braxton. I needed him, I needed my mate. The spot on my stomach flared to life.

The compass image started to shake, the entire wall trembling. Just when I thought my arm was going to vibrate right off, I managed to wrench my hand free, cradling my burning palm. After a few moments, when the pain didn’t subside, I unclenched my hand and examined it.

What the shit?

Imprinted on my palm was the symbol that had been etched above the north divot, burned into my skin. Orange shoved me backwards. I hadn’t been expecting it and hit the deck hard. Mischa followed, tossed at me by Lemon.

I caught my sister, before locking in on the bitches again. I gasped. One of the twins held a weapon. Did that just appear from the compass? Was this the weapon? The scepter was aptly named, looking exactly like the ones held by ancient rulers. Gold, with a giant stone on top, sort of like an opal, shot through with many different colors, the other end tapered down to a point. While I was examining it, Lemon leaned herself back and slammed the opal right into the center of the vibrating compass symbol.

A blast of energy shot us all back; it took all of my strength to keep hold of Mischa. My entire body was aching as I reached up to push my hair from my face. The rod remained lodged in the center of the compass symbol, the vibration increasing, the walls around us shaking. Lemon had fallen next to me.

“What have you done?” I screamed over the noise.

She smiled, her teeth a little bloodstained, but her joy apparent. “We freed the king.”

“What?” My whisper was lost in the noise. “But we still have a few days.”

She heard the last part, flashing those bloody teeth at me again. “That thousand years had nothing to do with Larkspur, and everything to do with you.”

I know I was straining to hear her over the noise, but did she just say it was to do with me?