I sprang to my feet, fighting the lingering terror, knowing I had my salvation in my magical arsenal.
I pounded everyone with another nasty spell. The dangerous parts didn’t make it through their shields, but the sheer power battered them around the field. Niamh was up first, never down for long, and I sent a magical explosion her way. I’d always been good at blowing things up. She zoomed sky-high from the concussion, her gremlin form almost comical as it zipped through the treetops. The shifters followed.
Cyra stepped forward, slipping out from behind a tree. I knew immediately that she was on the offensive. She must have decided I might not go for her plan unless she goaded me into it, because it was obvious she didn’t intend to wait for a surprise attack.
So be it.
I yanked all of the others’ protective shields away, leaving only mine. Power surged through me, like I was a ship freed from an anchor.
Cyra bent a little and brought her hands together, readying what I knew would be a thick stream of white-hot magma. She wasn’t pulling any punches.
Watching Austin fight her, I’d worried for his life. I’d forged my blood bond with Ivy House after months of hesitating, in the hopes that it would make me powerful enough to intervene and help him. He hadn’t needed me in the end, and although I’d thought it remarkable that he’d defeated such a strong adversary without any help, I hadn’t realized how remarkable. It turned out Austin was the only shifter in recorded history to have dominated a phoenix. Learning he’d knowingly risked his life for me, again, had nearly made me throw up (I’d ignored the primal part of me that had been incredibly turned on).
Now it was my turn. Cyra was one of the most powerful beings in the magical world. Would I measure up?
She pushed her hands forward, sending forth a thin stream of glowing red and white flame that shed smoke as it cut through the air. I fortified my shield with everything I had, as much power as I could wrap around myself.
Her magic hit my shield like a Mack truck. The point of contact couldn’t be larger than the head of a pin, but she’d condensed a staggering amount of power into it. Flame coughed out at the point of contact and black smoke drifted up.
I gritted my teeth and took a step forward, which seemed counterintuitive, but I felt the need to take some sort of action, and stepping back was not an option. Her magic burrowed into my defensive spell, incredibly potent. Cyra shook with the effort, her thin brows low and her jade eyes focused.
A surge of emotion welled up through the link. Austin clearly sensed what was happening and was sending his encouragement.
I held firm, taking another step forward. Ready for my turn. Ready to attack.
“Rip her magic away,” Hollace yelled, watching from the sidelines, holding his injured arm. “Don’t let her sap your strength—fight back!”
“I don’t know how—”
Cyra tore away the magical magma and blasted a thick stream of fire at me, like a flamethrower. I sucked in a breath, ignoring my fatigue, and soaked in the magic. The flames looked terrifying, but they weren’t anywhere close to touching me. A moment later the magical magma was back, the pinprick focus digging into my shield. She was mixing it up to throw me off guard. Apparently she thought I had enough versatility to do more than doggedly focus on my best shield. Joke was on her.
This blast didn’t make it any deeper than the first. I could withstand her most powerful magic.
I would’ve rejoiced if she didn’t rip the spell away and sprint at me.
“Oh crap—”
She slammed into me, flash-heating the air around us and knocking me to the ground. I couldn’t feel the heat on my skin, my defensive spell soaking it in, but I could definitely feel her fingers wrapping around my throat.
I supercharged my defensive layer, which was incredibly potent from all the power she’d fed me. The spell pulsed, turning red as it did, and zapped every square inch of her body where it was in contact with mine. She convulsed against me, but her hands were still wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air. I pulsed my power again, then fed a mini-explosion into my defensive layer, trying to force her off.
Her grip tightened around my neck, holding on. Black dots swam in my vision. Surely