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“By blood and moon, by bond and breath,

What was given shall now be undone.

Release the body, yield the blood,

Let poison return to the earth.”

The tattoo on Ria’s arm grew hot. She gasped and looked down, but the sensation quickly spread beyond her skin. She could feel the magic moving through her arm, following the connection she’d created and flowing toward Korinnae. When it reached the poison, the darkness began to recede, and, piece by piece, it disappeared.

Ria concentrated on keeping the flow steady. Every attempt to push harder made the energy surge, and she remembered Hecate’s warning not to force it. Instead, she allowed the spell to work at its own pace, drawing the poison out without overwhelming Korinnae’s body.

But then her strength began to wane. Asterion noticed before she said anything, and he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, supporting her while she continued the spell. Ria leaned back against him, drawing on his warmth and the steady presence of his body while she kept her hands on the calf.

“You’ve got her,” he murmured.

Ria nodded, though she wasn’t sure whether he was reassuring her or himself.

The poison continued to fade until only a small amount remained. Ria could barely sense it now, but she knew better than to stop before it was completely gone. She gathered what remained of her strength and prepared the final incantation.

“By the mark that binds, by the blood we share,

Carry this corruption from her.

Let nothing remain.

Let her be whole.”

The tattoo flared and power surged through Ria so suddenly that her entire arm trembled. The magic traveled through the mark and into Korinnae, reaching the last traces of poison and consuming them. Asterion grimaced behind her, his arms tightening around her as the force of the spell passed through them both.

Then it was over.

Ria waited, afraid to trust what she was feeling. She searched Korinnae again, moving her healing magic through her body and checking every place where the poison had been.

She opened her eyes and looked at Asterion. “It’s gone.”

For several seconds, he didn’t speak. Then the relief on his face transformed him, wiping away the worry and exhaustion that had been there since they’d discovered what had been done to his niece.

“She’s safe?”

Ria nodded. “She’s safe.”

Asterion lowered his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “Thank you.”

Ria smiled, suddenly too tired to do anything except lean into him. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do.”

She reached up and touched his cheek. “Then you’re welcome.”

He kissed her brow before looking back at Korinnae. “When will she wake up?”

“I’d let her sleep for a couple of hours,” Ria said, checking the calf’s breathing and making sure the magic had stabilized. “She needs the rest. Besides, once she’s awake, I doubt she’ll sit down for more than five minutes.”

Asterion laughed, the sound carrying some of the tension away from the room. “She’s a good kid.”

“She is.”

His smile lingered as he looked back at his niece.