Magnus growled. “Would someone please fucking explain what’s happening?”
Brand tried to call his rage, to rail at his brothers, but all he could do was gag as nausea like he’d never felt brought a rush of stinging bile.
“Brandir, son, you must calm yourself. Breathe.”
“Da, no,” Araxis hissed. “You need to get Mum out of here right fucking now.”
His father was there, waving Araxis away as he knelt in front of him and Luna. “You control the bond, it doesn’t control you. You need to fight through her overwhelm or you’ll only make it worse.”
“I can’t mist,” she gasped out. “I can’t mist.”
Brand clawed through the spiral of her fixation, following his father’s instructions as he inched himself out of it. When he finally found his own mind again, his greater half surged to the surface.
His markings flared, the transformation almost instantaneous. His father leapt out of the way as Brand went to his own knees to gather her close.
“I’m here, little moon. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
“No! Get away!” Luna screamed, the harsh cry ripping through the room as a pulse of raw power rippled from her body and shoved him back.
Then another.
And another.
“You have to get away from me.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes both wild and apologetic as the others were forced backwards, furniture and feet scraping across the floor until they were pressed against the walls and windows, gasping for air, books and knickknacks falling from their shelves.
Vann uttered a curse, his vines and branches rising up from the floor along with their father’s, flora reaching for everyone else.
“She’s right.” Somehow, Araxis was resisting her power, his hand squeezing Brand’s forearm. “You don’t understand?—”
Brand reached over and threw Araxis. His brother disappeared into the ether mid-air, popping up right where he’d been before. “Arsehole, I’m trying to help.”
“Then fuck off and getthemout of here while I helpher.”
Brand locked his arms around the settee and blocked everyone out. Leaning in to the jagged blasts as they surged from her to batter against him, he gritted his teeth and commanded the stone to rise from the floor and form a protective dome.
Darkness swallowed them as they were encased within. It wouldn’t hold for long—not against this—but it would give the others a chance to get to safety.
His muscles strained as he tried to lift his arms against the sheer force of her. If he could just touch her, snap her out of it.
Prismatic light flashed, near blinding as it poured from her to join the wind and pressure, building and building. He locked his jaw, calling on the Sisters’ aid, and his rage multiplied. Red flooded his vision, his body growing even larger, bulkier. The warm sunlight of his power flared to join with the moonlight of hers, twilight and dawn crashing together to form something else entirely.
Blessed, fucking Solyrian—even like this, he struggled. It took every ounce of his considerable might to propel himself through the field of her magic, finally colliding with her. She didn’t seem to notice when he lifted her into his arms, clutching her against the hard plain of his chest and pressing his face to the side of her head.
“Shhh,” he rumbled against her ear. “I am here. You are safe.”
Luna let out a sob and a crack formed on one side of the enclosure, crawling up from the floor to arc over their heads. “No one is safe,” she cried, pebbles crumbling from the rounded ceiling and pattering to the floor. “I’mnot safe. You have to get away from me.”
Her skin was hot and cold against him, electricity buzzing from her in waves, and he had the sudden, terrifying thought that she was about to scatter apart. That the pieces of her would be thrown out into the Unknown and lost to him forever.
No, not his thought.Hers.
Brand tightened his hold, whispering little nothings and quiet everythings into her ear. Whatever was happening… “I’m never going to leave you.”
As time passed, her rigid body shaking within the vice of his hold, the tempest began to settle.
Her power dissipated piece by piece, threading itself back into her. The wind died, leaving the tousled strands of their hair to float down in haphazard knots like a blanket around them, and Luna crumbled on a ragged sigh.
