Trent sat down where he could watch both me and the statue. Satisfied he wouldn’t say anything else, I balanced the tongue-depressor-like stick of wood on the pyramid, the two ends hanging over the open loops of the Möbius strip. I was trying really hard not to think about what he had said about twisting a curse this close to sunup. This was bad. I mean, really bad.

“Okay,” he said, startling me, and I looked up, incredulous that he thought I was waiting for his permission.

“Well, I’m glad I have your approval.” Fingers shaking, I took the red candle for Al and placed it in the loop farthest from me, setting it with the word “alius.” The gold one I set in my loop with the word “ipse.” Gold. My aura hadn’t been its original gold in a long time, but to use a black candle would just about kill me.

I poured a handful of salt into my grip, and after muttering a few words of Latin over it to give it meaning, I mixed it back and forth before dividing it equally and sifting it around the base of each unlit candle with the same words. Quickly, before Trent could distract me, I lit the candles with the hearth candle, again using the same words a final time. They were set three ways with the same strength and were immutable. It was a very secure beginning.

“Who taught you how to light candles with your thoughts?” Trent asked, and I jumped.

“Ceri,” I said brusquely. “Will you be quiet, please?” I added, and he stood, stiffly going to stand beside the statue and out of my sight.

I felt my blood pressure drop, and moving slowly so as not to unbalance the stick of redwood, I snapped the tip of the ampoule off and tapped three ruby-black drops from it onto Al’s side of the stick. The scent of burnt amber rose, almost chokingly thick. My eyes watered while I fumbled for the ceremonial knife. Almost done. It wasn’t that difficult a curse, and hardly any magic was involved. The tough part had been in getting the samples. And I had mine right here.

While Trent watched from behind, I pricked my index finger. My heart pounded at the sudden jolt, and I massaged three drops out to land on my end of the stick. My shaking increased as I pushed out a drop more of blood and smeared it on the red candle. The curse was done but for the invocation. No demon would sense what I had done. I wasn’t tapped into any line. The energy would come from the spindle in my chi. I looked at my watch, then Trent. I had to do this. I didn’t like it, but I liked my other choices even less. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “Evulgo,” I whispered to start it.