"The red world and corresponding red breezes went on [he] did not."

Autobiography of Red (Carson 14)

It had been raining since Tuesday. The sky was a dark gray. The kind of gray only encountered when rain and desolation mix. Jo looked out of the car window at the dark sky and thought it appropriate; dark day, dark deeds. The old dirt road in front of her swerved and bended in the familiar ways old dirt roads tend to do. Nothing had really changed since the last time she'd come to Portland, and for that she was glad. Not that it made up for why she was there but the familiarity was welcomed.

The group hadn't met since that day and she hoped they never would again. In a sense she blamed herself. Knowing that everything that happened was her fault and knowing that one day it would all come undone. Jo hoped it wasn't today but by the sound of Norma's voice on the phone, her hope was futile. Kai was back and they knew it was always a possibility that with his return the spell would break. Surely it wasn't broken yet or she would have received a much different phone call.

The car turned at the bend in the road, pulling up to a red farmhouse. A white picket fence decorated the outer edge of the grounds, encircling willow trees and a field of golden wheat. As Jo stepped out of the car she picked up a straw and swirled it between her thumb and index finger, enthralled by the beauty of it. The front door opened and darkness loomed from within. Jo dropped the straw and with heavy feet went inside.

"Were you followed?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

"Damn it Jo. You need to be careful."

"If this is falling apart it doesn't really matter, does it?"

Norma ran a hand through her mousy brown hair and sighed. "The rest are down in the vault. Come on, we don't have much time left."

"Is she awake?"

Norma shook her head. "She's dying."

"How is that possible?" Norma lead her through the house. It reeked of humidity and rotten apples. No lights were turned on and the way was dark. Jo knew it well though.

" Must be because of Kai getting out the prison world. Joni thinks that because he's out it'll collapse and she'll go with it."

"What do you think?"

"I don't think the prison world is collapsing that's for sure. She would have started to deteriorate ages ago if that was the case."

"Then what?" They stopped at the top of a narrow stairway. It lead into the depths of the house's underground. Jo could see the flickering of candle light at the bottom of the steps. She went down.

"I think the spell is dying and therefore so is she."

"I don't understand." Jo said, "What do you mean it's dying?"

"Of course she doesn't understand." Casper's voice bounced off the hallow walls and rang in her ears. "It's not like she's been a practicing witch all these years."

"Just explain." Jo didn't care about Casper's judgment. She touched the swell of her belly and felt the baby stir, she needed to protect her family.

"We connected the spell to Kai's life in the prison world. To make sure he could stay there eternally, without aging or dying we had to create a separate life force for him. One that wasn't part of this world and could only exist in the other. The ascendant has the power to terminate any life force on that plain so —"

"When Kai got out his life force ended and the spell is breaking." Jo finished for him.

"Not quite." Norma said "The spell itself links life and death. Since the life part of it is gone all that's left is death. Now, the only thing preventing it from coming apart is the only living thing still connecting it to this world."

"So it'll kill her to free itself."

Norma nodded. "We can't let that happen."

Joni stepped forward, "Why the hell not? It's not like we need her."

"Of course we need her."Casper said "If she dies and the spell breaks that prison world is gone and who knows if the other one will go with it. Maybe the other side too, for all we know."

"So you suggest we wake her?"

"There isn't another way. "

Norma pushed open the cracked wooden door that lead into the vault. Inside the room was dark except for her faint glow. The stone walls dripped with humidity and a slight fog pushed from the walls, encircling their feet. The four of them walked towards her. Her body lay floating in an ethereal sepulcher, her white dress hanging from the side. She was cold to the touch and her white skin gave off a moonlight glow. The only colour on her body red. The red of her lips and the thin lines of blood that dripped from her ears. Even so, she was beautiful. She almost reminded Jo of Snow white, both being black of hair with creamy white skin.

"I can't help you." Jo said. The words burning in her mouth "I'm sorry."

"You have to!" Joni screamed "Four witches made the spell, only four can undo it."

"You don't understand, I don't have my magic anymore."

"You gave it to Kai, didn't you?" Norma said, pain in her voice and water in her eyes "We're screwed."

Jo began to pace, her hands continually rubbing her belly. There had to be a way, she had to fix this. I have to protect my family. Then it dawned on her. She knew a witch, powerful in her own right and perhaps strong enough to break a Gemini spell . "I know someone that might be able to help."

"Can we trust them?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We need to wake Ella."