There was a mighty whoosh! and whipping wind swirled around us, lifting my hair and making Thanatos's cloak Bill ow.

"To fire," she told me, and I walked doceil or clockwise to Shaunee. Her brown eyes were big and round, and she was staring behind us.

Remembering Grandma's warning, I glanced back and gasped in astonishment. A glowing length of scarlet light snaked from Damien, outlining the circle and tracing our path from him to Shaunee.

I was used to the silver thread that often appeared when I cast a circle, but this was different. Yeah, it was powerful, but it also felt ominous. I didn't know if Thanatos saw it or not; I didn't know if it was a good or bad sign that it was there, but I didn't want to interrupt the High Priestess's spell as she was already beginning the fire invocation.

"Come fire, your blaze must be strong, sure, and true

Strike, burn, destroy what would prevent our sight

Force violent death revealed to us anew

Your illumating flame expose with truth's light."

At her gesture, Shaunee lifted the red candle and I lit it saying, "Fire, please join our circle." It was as if we were suddenly standing inside an inferno. Flames shot from Shaunee's body, filling the already charred circle, but this fire didn't add to the destruction. Instead I heard a massive hissing and from everywhere that had been dead and blighted mist lifted, as if fire had met ice and not earth.

Then air joined fire and the flames and mist flew up into the sky to streak and flash.

"Lightning." Shaunee's voice sounded hushed and awed. "Air mixed with fire is making lightning."

"To water," Thanatos said.

The thick rope of glowing scarlet followed us.

When we stopped in front of Erin I thought she looked scared, but she nodded and said, "Bring it on. I'm ready." Thanatos spoke:

"Come water, flow throughout this circle space

With tide of truth wash clear sight-stealing time

Allowing us to see death's tear-streaked face

Violence cleansed sets us free of evil's grime."

Erin lifted the candle to meet my match as I said, "Water, please join our circle." There was a roar as if we'd suddenly been transported into the middle of a waterfall. The night turned brilliant shades of blue and turquoise and sapphire-all the colors of water. The element gushed into the blackened circle. Water swirled around like an angry whirlpool and then, just like air and fire, it gushed straight up into the lightning-streaked sky. Clouds Bill owed and roiled-thunder clapped, growling with such fierceness that I cringed.

"No," Erin said quickly. "Water's not mad at us."

"Neither is fire," Shaunee said.

"Nor wind," Damien added.

"The elements are outraged at the act that was committed here," Thanatos said. "Prepare yourself, circle. We move to earth." With thunderclouds multiplying above us and lightning ill uminating the gathering storm, I moved to stand in front of Stevie Rae.

"Time to cowboy up," she said.

Thanatos nodded and spoke the earth invocation:

"Come earth, rich, verdant truly Goddess blessed

Your bosom nurtures and keeps this spell's key

Open here and dark death will be confessed

For the wound in your heart, justice we'll see."

Stevie Rae lifted the green candle to my flame. "Earth, please join our circle." The ground beneath our feet began shaking as if we were standing in the middle of an earthquake. I couldn't help the little shriek that slipped from my mouth.

"Zoey!" Stark yelled. I could see him staggering, trying to reach the circle, which was now completely ringed with a thick rope of red.

"Wait, it's okay!" Stevie Rae shouted above the cacophony of angry elements. "Like the other element, earth isn't mad at us. It's not gonna hurt us. Look, it's making the ground new."

I looked down and saw that she was right. The ground that had been washed clean by water had shifted, rolled, until instead of ashes and the remnants of blighted plants, the rich red Oklahoma earth lay newly exposed.

"See, it's being made right," Stevie Rae said. As she spoke, the tremors gentled and then stopped completely.

"We must finish the circle and the spell," Thanatos said. "Call spirit, Zoey. Now." Aurox

From his hidden place within the orchard Aurox watched the glowing scarlet circle form. Its power was awe-inspiring; the might of the elements was incredible to behold. He could feel the emotions air, fire, water, and earth evoked in the fledglings and vampyre who embodied them. Joy and courage and righteous indignation filled the circle and boiled over to wash through him.