The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6)(58)
Author: Richelle Mead

Sydney groaned. “Really? That’s so barbaric.”

Eddie leaned over and propped his arm up on the table that had previously held the canteen. “Come on, Mrs. Ivashkov. Let’s do this. Besides, if you’re squeamish about arm wrestling, how are you going to handle going head-to-head with the Warriors?”

He had a point, at least based on the stories Sabrina had told us. Sydney stood opposite him at the table and mirrored his arm position. Their arms clasped, and Marcus counted them down, looking nearly as excited as Eddie. To my astonishment, when they started, Eddie didn’t immediately slam her hand down as I’d expected. His eyes widened, as did his grin. He increased his effort and began making progress. Gritting her teeth, Sydney pushed back, and amazingly, she soon took the upper hand, so to speak.

“It’s so strange,” she said. “I can feel the strength within me . . . as though it’s both part of me and yet not part of me. Like it was something I put on. Like clothing.” Ultimately, Eddie pushed his strength to its limit and finally defeated her, but not without her holding her own for a while. I held up her arm triumphantly, like a victor at a boxing match.

“My wife, ladies and gentlemen. Beauty, brains, and now brawn.”

“Awesome,” said Eddie, in a rare moment of delight. “How long will that last?”

“Four days,” said Maude, looking apologetic. “Like I said, we can’t create gods.”

“Four days,” Sydney repeated. “Sabrina’s taking us later tonight. So we’ve got three and a half days to find out what the Warriors are hiding about Jill.”

“Or just kick everyone’s ass the first day so they leave you alone after that,” suggested Marcus helpfully.

Noting the second tote bag the witches had brought, I asked, “What else is there besides super strength?”

Maude began unpacking the bag’s contents. “Jackie says we need to do some appearance changes too.”

“I’ve done those kinds of spells before,” Sydney told them. “You don’t need to do anything more.”

“Hush, girl,” snapped Inez. “You need to conserve your strength for whatever madness you’re getting involved in. Besides, maintaining a sustained spell of change is no easy task. You ever done it for a week?” She glanced at Eddie. “For two people?”

“No, ma’am,” Sydney admitted.

Maude tossed Sydney two boxes of hair dye in “Burnished Chestnut.” “One for each of you,” she said. “You can do it after we leave. The less we have to change with magic, the better.”

Eddie took one of the boxes and raised an eyebrow. He made no complaint, however. Some guys would’ve thrown a fit about having to dye their hair, but not Eddie. I supposed when you vanquished evil undead creatures as part of your normal life, a little salon treatment in no way threatened your masculinity.

The rest of the bag contained what I recognized as standard spell components: herbs, crystals, powders. Maude and Inez began building a spell circle on the table, and I realized I was watching another complicated act of magic that had required multiple people and parts. Sydney realized it too.

“So much,” she murmured to me. “They’re helping so much.”

“Take it,” I replied, squeezing her hand. “You’re worth it. Jill’s worth it.”

When their materials were ready, Inez set two silver rings in the middle of it all. She glanced at Maude. “Are you ready?”

Maude nodded and walked over to Sydney, wielding a wand. Reluctantly I stepped away from her, remarking, “How come you never wave a wand?”

Sydney smiled back. “Despite the clichés, witches rarely use wands. They’re necessary for detailed work or if part of the wand contains an element that can focus or amplify the magic.” She eyed the crystals on the wand Maude held up to her face. “I’m guessing focus here.”

“Correct,” said Maude. “Now hold still and close your eyes.” She recited a Greek verse, and a faint glow lit the wand. A moment later, she touched the tip of Sydney’s nose with it. Slowly, carefully, Maude moved the wand around, going on to Sydney’s eyelids, then her cheekbones and chin. Each place the wand touched, it was like Maude was airbrushing a picture, changing each of Sydney’s features. Her cheekbones rounded a little, her face grew narrower. They were small, subtle changes, but taken all together, the results wholly altered her. Even with her normal hair color, I doubted anyone would’ve recognized her. Soon even Sydney’s tattoo disappeared. The biggest shock of all was when Maude stepped back and told Sydney to open her eyes. What had once been brown were now as vivid a blue as Marcus’s.

I couldn’t help a gasp, and Sydney turned to me with a sheepish smile. “Still recognize me?”

“I’d know you anywhere,” I said gallantly.

“I wouldn’t,” said Eddie.

Immediately, Maude directed her attention to him. “Your turn. Close your eyes.”

He did, and she repeated the spell. I watched in wonder as his face changed appearance every place the wand passed. When she was finished, he no longer looked like the Eddie I knew, but he certainly looked like he could be related to the new Sydney.

“Can I see?” asked Eddie excitedly.

“Wait,” said Inez, taking the wand from Maude. “We have to act quickly to save the spell.” She waved the wand over the rings and chanted in Greek again. Sparks jumped between the wand and the rings. When she finished, she gave one ring to Eddie and one to Sydney. They slipped them on, and Sydney’s breath caught.

“Strange . . .” she murmured. “I feel like something just locked into place.”

“Those rings bind the spells to you now,” said Maude. “Take them off, and your original appearances will return. Otherwise, they should last for about a week.”

“That’s your real deadline,” added Inez. “You can probably hide when your strength’s gone. But when your face comes back, the jig is up. Then you really will have to rely on your smarts to explain that away.”

Her voice was as sarcastic and crotchety as always, but underneath, I could tell she was worn out. A quick aura check proved as much. The magic they’d just performed here had been substantial, and it was only part of what had been started earlier today with the help of other witches. Sydney turned to Maude and Inez.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. Really. This means so much to me and—”