The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 71

Katherine

Mend the tear. Close the portal. Since the portal sucked away the Evils and Lord Victor, it made sense that we had to close the portal in order to destroy them for good. But how do we close a portal?

Indigo was pacing in front of the portal again. I could practically see the gears in her brain turning as she thought. "It's all coming together," she said to us, or perhaps to herself. "What was captured must be freed. That points to the magic that was kept in the orb. Madeline told us it was ancient magic that had been possessed by evil, and we had to release it by destroying the orb. We know that 'In opposition the tear will mend' means we have to close the portal. So what does 'Blue and gold shall seal the deed' and 'Ancient summons bring home a friend' mean? Do they have anything to do with closing the portal?"

"Blue and gold..." A memory flashed in my brain. We discussed this specific line before. "Indigo, do you remember how we tried to decipher the prophecy very early on in our journey? Ashley said that 'blue and gold' sounds like some sort of magic, perhaps two different spells. Do you know of any mending spells that manifest with blue and gold?"

Indigo tilted her head in thought. "I don't know that many spells, and I only know one mending spell. I don't know anything about the color, though."

Aaron was listening to our conversation with a pensive look. "Guys, I have a wild idea. What if 'blue and gold' were not referring to spells, but to specific people?"

Indigo and I both looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Indigo asked.

"Well I was just thinking back to the battle, where your spear glowed gold and Kath's sword glowed blue." Aaron said slowly. "So maybe, you and Kath have to be the ones to seal the portal."

"Or...our weapons are the key to sealing the portal." I continued Aaron's train of thought. "But how exactly would we seal the portal?"

"I suppose we could try a mending spell," Indigo said finally. She pointed her spear at the portal. "Sarci."

The inscriptions on the spear of light began to glow. As we watched in awe, the tip of the spear emitted a gold beam of light. Wisps of golden magic danced along the light beam.

I unsheathed Retribution and directed it at the portal as well. "Sarci."

Nothing happened. The sword didn't even glow. Frowning, I repeated the spell. Still, nothing. I looked at Indigo for help. "I'm pronouncing it correctly, right?" Indigo nodded.

"Maybe you have to activate your sword again?" Aaron suggested. I quickly brushed my palm against the blade, drawing a thin line of blood on my hand. I smeared the blood down the blade, hoping it would glow blue like before. Nothing.

"Why isn't it working?" I was very frustrated. "Did I break the sword when I destroyed the orb?"

Indigo waved her hand and dismissed the spell she cast. Her spear stopped glowing. She joined me as I held up the sword and peered at it from different angles. "Can I try?"

I handed Indigo my sword. Indigo struggled to get a good grip. "I forget how heavy your sword is," she remarked. I smiled a little. Indigo said the spell. She also smeared her blood on the blade in hopes of reactivating the magic. In a fit of desperation, Aaron dropped some of his blood on there too, praying that the mixture of all of our blood would do something. Nothing. The sword refused to glow.

"I don't get it. My sword is the only weapon that glows blue. So why wouldn't it work?" I wanted to throw Retribution against the wall and yell at it to work. We were so close to finishing this quest. We just had to seal the portal, and we would have won for good. We did not come this far just for Retribution to fail at the last step. The rosestone turned red, as if it, too, refused to turn blue.