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in a wide circle. The symbols looked familiar, not unlike Atlantean. I opened my mouth to question her but thought better of it. I didn't need to distract the woman who was about to open a portal to the Otherworld. Good way to end up on the hell planes. Not my idea of fun.
    Within the circle of symbols, Emory sketched another, this one larger and far more intricate. It looked somewhat like a labyrinth but with a lot more swirls. I'd never seen anything like it. She returned the chalk to the curio cabinet and returned carrying several white candles. She placed one on each of the outer symbols, plus a single one in the very center of the circle. Another trip to the cabinet produced a clay jar, which she opened, pouring the contents on the floor in a wide circle around the symbols. Salt.
    Placing the jar on the floor next to the circle, she eyed us sternly. "Whatever happens, do not cross the salt line until I tell you. Got it?"
    We nodded obediently. I guessed she was fine with our answer because she moved toward the center candle. Closing her eyes and holding her hands above it, she began to chant. The candle sparked, and then the wick flamed. Emory faced each of the four corners in turn, and while I couldn't understand her words, I knew she was invoking the elements. The powers inside me stirred restlessly. I tamped down harder on the metaphorical lid between them and the outside world.
    Once the elements were called, Emory slowly walked the circle, her athame tracing each symbol. As she passed each candle, its wick burst into flame. I swayed to the rhythm of her chant, the powers inside me straining to get out, wanting the warmth of the circle and the energy that lived there. Inigo grabbed my arm, and I realized I'd taken a step forward. I nodded in thanks, and he removed his hand. Haakon never took his eyes off Emory.
    I felt the moment the circle slammed shut. The final candle lit, and there was an invisible rush of…something. I couldn't see it, but the powers in me stilled, no longer called by whatever the hell was inside with Emory.
    Returning to the center flame, Emory once again held her hands above it, chanting. The flames leapt higher as her chanting intensified. Then she pulled a small vial from between her breasts. I hadn't even seen her put it there. Still chanting she uncorked the tiny bottle, waving her palm above it in a circle. Then she swallowed the contents in one gulp. Tucking the empty vial away, she continued chanting.
    The air around the circle began to spark and sizzle like a downed electrical cable in a storm. Except there was no cable, and there was no storm. Colors rolled across the barrier in shimmers like the Aurora Borealis. Pinks, blues, and finally greens. Every green you could imagine from the palest celery to the deepest forest and everything in between. Golden sparkles drifted across the colors and away from the edge into the center of the circle, coalescing into a shimmering orb above Emory's outstretched hands.
    Golden light from the orb bathed her face, highlighting her high cheekbones and casting her eyes into dark shadows. The sparkles flew faster, turning into streaks of light slamming into the orb as it grew larger and larger.
    Something shifted in the room. Like pressure before a thunderstorm. Or your ears after takeoff when all they needed to do was pop.
    Everything went still, and I realized Emory had finally stopped chanting. She was staring at the orb swirling above her hands. It was now the size of a basketball, pulsing like a heart.
    "Oh, crap…" I whispered.
    The orb exploded.

Chapter 6
    I ducked instinctively, convinced the entire room was about to disintegrate around us. Inigo threw himself over me as if he could protect me from the blast. His skin shimmered into blue scales as he half morphed into his dragon form. Maybe he could protect me at that.
    As we crouched there, I realized the explosion had had no sound. The room was quiet. Nothing was out of place. The walls