He sighed and leaned back so he could look down on her face. Only a glimmer of light made it through the trees from the tent in the clearing, but even still, he could see her expression. Her beautiful smile took his breath away.

“We made it.” She blinked as a drop of water landed on her eyebrow. She shook her head to get the water off. “I was worried, but we did it. And this…” She snaked her hands up so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “This feels…like perfection. Utter perfection. And…magnificent. I feel like I am the holder of the universe. That sounds weird, but—”

“No.” He kissed her, harder than he’d intended, and was relieved when her reciprocation was just as ferocious. “That magic you shoplifted is…incredible.” And it was. It felt like it spanned space and time, limitlessly. Awesomely complex in a way that was mystifying, while still simple enough to be effectively used in their everyday magic. “Hanging out with Reagan has been good for you, Fast Fingers.”

“I did not mean to steal it,” she said in a grumpy voice. “Wait—I didn’t steal it, I meant.”

“Too late. You admitted it, klepto. Come on; we have a spell to finish.” Feeling lighter and more jubilant than he had…maybe ever, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back to the clearing with the cauldron and the canopy.

His mood died quickly.

The other dual-mages and Penny’s mom stood near the cauldron, looking down in confusion.

“What spell did they use?” Dizzy asked. He bent to look under the cauldron. “There’s no fire.”

“Well then, how is it bubbling?” Callie bent to check what Dizzy just had.

Reagan was at the binder containing the spell. “Your potion didn’t bubble when you did this spell?”

“Of course not. There’s no fire.” Callie stomped over to the spell stand. “But it’s the same spell.”

“Well, clearly they’ve gone off track, hon.” Dizzy crossed his arms.

“Are we sure this Emery boy is playing for the right team?” Ms. Bristol stepped away and put her hands on her hips.

Dizzy turned to survey her. “You think he’s gay?”

“No—that’s not—” She dropped her hands, and Emery wondered where her shotgun was. “Is he really against the Guild? Would he have any reason to change the spell to something else?”

“Oh no, I don’t think that’s the case. That boy is smitten. No, but this wouldn’t be the first time Penny altered a spell.” Callie flicked through the pages. “Hey…what are these—”

“They are here,” Darius said quickly, and he walked faster than was humanly possible to the spell stand to capture the binder.

“Just what are you hiding in there, vampire?” Callie centered her weight and lifted her chin. “We never did hear how you got Vlad and Roger to come on board. Maybe you don’t play for the right team, huh?”

“It’s the right spell,” Penny said. Having slowed when he did, she now strutted forward again. Unlike usual, she wasn’t hunching under the combined stares of everyone in the tent. And when she glanced up at Emery, he knew why.

She had a teammate for life, an equal who’d agreed to stand in her corner, no matter what. Having always felt singular and solitary, different from the world around her, she could now feel the proof of her inclusion through their connection.

Likewise, he’d gained a more inclusive, consuming connection than he’d ever experienced. The dual-mage connection with his brother hadn’t been this strong, and not nearly this balanced. He felt…at peace. Finally, for the first time in his life since his parents had died, he felt contented. Calm.

“It’s the right spell.” Penny put her hand out, and Darius filled it with the binder. “And the rest are spells Darius must’ve collected from the most advanced spell books in the world.”

“I had them translated by the best,” Darius said.

“Notice he never answered your questions,” Ms. Bristol said to Callie.

Callie’s eyes narrowed. “I did notice that, as a matter of fact.”

“Mother, quit stirring up trouble,” Penny said.

Ms. Bristol’s stare swung around. “Young lady, just because you and that boy have come to an arrangement, doesn’t mean you can sass your mother.”

“Yes, Mother,” she said, slinking up to the cauldron. Emery slunk along behind her like the coward he clearly was. Some things transcended confidence, it turned out, and Ms. Bristol was one of them.

“Clear out, everyone. Head to the house. The vampires can take over security.” Reagan walked through the tent, waving her arms. “Looks like the danger has passed for the moment. Let’s let them finish up.”

“I still don’t know if this is a good idea,” Ms. Bristol muttered.

“Well, it’s not a bad idea, you said so yourself.” Reagan shooed everyone along.

“Yes, but we still haven’t answered the question as to why it is boiling…” Dizzy checked to make sure there wasn’t a fire again before allowing Reagan to move him along.

Darius lingered at the edge of the canopy, and Emery knew what was on his mind.

“You would not believe what she has been storing inside of her,” he blurted out, unable to stop himself. “You wouldn’t believe it.”

Darius blinked, and a knowing gleam lit his eyes. Without a word, he turned and followed the others.

“You think he was right?” Penny asked, replacing the binder on the stand.

“I don’t know if he was right about the godly power thing or not, but I do know this added magic is going to give us an incredible edge over any other magical workers. Thievery becomes you, Turdswallop. Who would’ve thought?”

She scowled as she flicked the binder open. Her expression cleared as she leaned over the page. “We have to self-mutilate and then drop our blood into the suspiciously bubbling cauldron.”

“Now who’s going through the motions instead of sinking into the actual spell?” Emery took a deep breath before ducking to a duffel bag under a poncho in the corner. He extracted a case and took it to Penny. “I’d like to use this, if you don’t mind.”

She lowered her Swiss Army knife and waited while he opened the case. Gold and jewels glinted under the glare of the battery-powered lanterns. The six-inch blade was slightly curved, its length inscribed with intricate scrollwork.

“We found it among my parents’ things,” Emery explained as her eyes traveled the weapon. “My brother and I used it for our dual-mage spell, and I know he’d want me to use it for this. To keep my parents’ memories alive…and his memory alive.”

Tears glimmered in her eyes as she looked up at him, deep and soulful. “It’s perfect.”

They got into position, side by side and facing the cauldron. Ghosts of Emery’s past soared around him, reminding him of when he’d done this last, of everything that had happened before and since. Underneath it all was the deep, throbbing peace that he now felt. The unity and oneness with Penny and the world around them. The past was there, and the hurt was there, but he wasn’t afraid of it anymore. He didn’t want to run from it.

He wanted to take her hand and embrace it.

“We can make the Mages’ Guild something just and good,” he said as he brought up the knife. “We will tear it down, but we can make sure it is rebuilt properly. With better checks and balances. With less power in the hands of a few, and more power in the hands of many.”

She smiled at him, holding out her finger. “Yes.”

He pricked her finger with the tip of the blade before doing his own. A crimson drop welled up. Meeting her gaze, he tipped his finger over the cauldron. She tipped hers.

“May we bind our strength, our power, our essence, and our magic. What is mine is yours, and what is yours I will cherish, until the sands of time call us home,” he said, and waited for her to repeat the line.

But when she spoke, it wasn’t the line from the spell.

“The Fates have brought us together, and in their image, I will cherish and honor you as my natural partner in this life and the next. With you, my life will truly begin. Our whole is more powerful than the sum of its parts.”