I nodded. “If I say stop—even if I beg—don’t. I want this done. No . . . Ineedit done. Do you promise?”
A flicker of discomfort rushed across Alex’s perfect features, but he nodded as he sat in a chair next to my bed. “I promise.”
Sure he wouldn’t let me down, I leaned back and laid my head on my pillow
“Eva and Hunter, stand at my sides. Be prepared to block any wayward power.” He gulped. “When Odette’s magic is finally free . . . well, results vary, but most say that it’s like a small explosion.”
I shot back up. “An explosion?! You’re just mentioning this now? Why are we doing this in my bedroom?”
“Not like a bomb,” Alex amended. “An explosion of light and vibrational energy is most common. It will be intense, almost blinding, and it’ll shake up every cell in our bodies. Thankfully, all the bedrooms in Spellcasters are warded against destructive magic, so the room should be fine. I just wanted everyone to know what to expect, and maybe Hunter and Eva can save your stuff from getting damaged if the vibrations are too much.”
The pair nodded, although the tightness of Eva’s lips told me that worry still clung to her.
“You two don’t have to stay,” I said. “I understand if you want to wait it out in your room.”
Eva shook her head. “No way in hell am I leaving my best friend to do this by herself.” She stepped forward and grasped my hand. “I’m right here with you, Dane. And don’t you forget it.”
Tears pricked in my eyes. “Thanks, girl.”
I laid back once more and closed my eyes. “Let’s do the damn thing.”
A soft chuckle floated from Alex, and the tightness in my chest loosened at the sound, only to cinch up again a mere second later.
Magic filled the surrounding air—Alex’s—but different from his usual energy. He was tapping into something more powerful than normal. For what felt like the billionth time, my boyfriend impressed me. Hopefully, after the unbinding was complete, my power could rival his.
“Breathe, Odie,” he whispered, and I realized I’d been holding my breath.
Literally and figuratively.
A long-fingered hand decorated with rings rested on my shoulder, grounding me. Eva’s. My lips lifted in a small smile, and I began reciting a mantra.
Everything will work out as it should. Everything will work out as it should. Everything will work out as it should.
Soft murmurings filled my bedroom. Alex had started the incantation. I braced myself for pain, but a dozen heartbeats later, I felt normal.
He stilled, but I could not discern anything different going on inside me. Maybe, like everything else in this damn school, I was an exception.
Does this mean I’ll never be unbound?
Frustration spiked at the thought, then vanished just as suddenly as my ribcage constricted, pushing out the little air that remained in my lungs. I gasped, and my eyes flew open as my hands flew to my chest.
“Hold tight, sweets,” Alex said, his palms hovering over my heart as crimson magic poured from them. “We’re almost there. The bind’s weave is loose. I just have to pull it out of you.”
I squeaked, fighting for air.
“Hurry, Alex!” Eva whisper-shouted as she grasped my hand and squeezed it. “She can’t breathe!”
“Calm her down. Her heart rate is too high, she’s burning through oxygen,” Alex countered.
He was right. My heart was pounding so hard that it wouldn’t surprise me if it actually shot out of my chest. Every beat pushed blood through me faster and faster, until the desperate thrum of it filled my ears. Someone grabbed my hand and began rubbing the webbing between my thumb and pointer finger.
“Shh, Odie, it’s okay. Try to breathe,” Hunter said, his normally exuberant tone calm as he leaned close.
Easy for him to say. It didn’t feel like an elephant was sitting on his chest.
I tried to retort, but a sensation so powerful came over me that all thoughts disintegrated.
Instinctively, I gazed down toward my navel and loosed a scream. My ribcage was opening like a set of double doors. It hurt like hell, but what was worse was seeing my bones in the unnatural position, bending as though they were noodles and not hard flesh.
