33.

As Ariana helped Angelina to her feet, she couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at her. She’d seen Angelina struggle before, but never this badly. Her sister was barely standing, her face pale, and her usually bright eyes dim with exhaustion. Ariana knew that they needed help, and there was only one person who could provide it.

“Ariana, what are you thinking?” Angelina asked, noticing the intense look in her sister’s eyes.

Without answering, Ariana closed her eyes, centering her energy. She whispered an incantation, her voice steady and soft, calling out to someone who was never far from her thoughts.

“By the light that binds us, by the blood we share, I summon you, Aria, our sister, our strength.”