Illyana had been sensing the signatures of whoever had done this to Kayla. Selene was the first and most obvious suspect, of course. There was another, that was harder to pin down. Familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Perhaps Illyana would discuss it with Rachel and/or Doug, after the ritual was over.

She took a bag of chalk out, the kind sometimes used to draw the lines for an impromptu baseball field, and began slapping it on the floor in a circle around the gurney, chanting under her breath. The circle completed, she directed the donor students to sit equally spaced apart around it, then tossed each of them one of the stones.

She picked up the basin filled with bloodsap, and sloshed the contents around for a final mix, then approached the students.

"Who's first? Don't worry, it only eats through metal."

The mixture popped and hissed.