Panic pooled deep in my belly as we continued our fight. The hopelessness threatened to take over, pushing me near a full-blown panic attack, back to a place I’d worked too hard to overcome.
My breathing shortened, becoming shallower with each passing millisecond.
Worthless.
Counting my steps to ground myself, I continued my frenzied dance, letting my rage fuel me forward. I’d done so much to overcome these panic attacks, and here I was, yet again.
Andras’s voice had no place here. Not anymore. I knew myself—knew the truth.I am not worthless.
The dark one in front of me hissed as his block missed its mark and my dagger sliced into his thigh.
I am Illiana Dresden.
I am worthy.
And I have a magic my enemies should fear.The flicker from earlier pooled in my stomach, wild, untamed.
I would not lose another friend to such evil.
These new friends made up some of the only family I had left since Thames and his darkness took everything from me. He took my parents, my birth parents, Elisabeth, Hale.
No.No, I would not allow another death by his hand, or his minions.
The power inside of me seethed, angry, filled with vengeance and fury. It pushed through every part of me until I screamed, losing all control.
Blinding white light exploded out of my body. I stabbed my attacker straight through the heart.
A seeping cloud of black mist left his body as he collapsed, another dark one eliminated.
Then, silence.
I trembled, looking around at the bodies strewn on the ground—all of the remaining Guardians. Stumbling to the side, energy zapped out of me, like the light had taken my last bit of strength with it.
“Lana,” Storm said, breathless as he ran toward me. He reached out his hand but quickly yanked it back. A small burst oflight shot onto the ground next to his feet and he jumped out of the way.
“I’m sorry,” I whimpered. “I don’t think it will hurt you, but I don’t know if I can control it right now.”
“Take a deep breath,” he said softly.
I fell to my knees, body shaking uncontrollably. This time when Storm reached for me, he didn’t hesitate.
“Magic takes time to understand. You haven’t trained it yet,” he murmured. “But you will. We will help you.”
Storm’s magic drained into me and, pulling from a depth inside of me I didn’t know I possessed, I rose to my feet.
“I’m okay,” I reassured. “I’m all right.”
Jax stood in front of me, a tired smile gracing his lips. “There she is.” He winked.
“I could say the same to you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling me into a hug.
I nodded against him.
“Raya is my family. With her this injured, and Kade gone, I lost myself for a minute,” he whispered. Then he stepped back, with a contrite look. “We’re going to get through this. Come on,” he urged. Some of the lightness in him returned, like he needed a victory, even a small one, to remind himself of who he was. “The safe house is a few more miles.”
“Jax,” a voice cried out, and a woman ran toward us. Opal. She must have hidden herself well during the fight; she looked uninjured.
