“You can,” she whispers.
I swallow hard. Even now, her presence steadies me like nothing else can.
“Sebastian, we have to get her away from here,” I say. It suddenly registers that he came out of nowhere to save Natalie’s life. “Wait, where’s Millie?”
“Resting. They’ve separated her from the magic, but it’s taken a toll. They’re trying to heal her before she…” Pain crosses his expression, and he waves me away. “Go. You need to stop this. I’ll get her out of here.”
“No,” Natalie grits out.
My skin prickles, the sensation growing more intense until it burns. I rub my arm as the dark energy pulses overhead. The chimeras growl, and their fear and anger trickles into my veins.
“I don’t know how to stop this,” I say, my voice shaking. The wind grows stronger, unnaturally hot, whipping my hair around my face and tugging at my clothes.
Lucy’s voice slices through my mind.“Stand with us against those who wish to harness our power, Guardian. Your blood remembers.”
My stomach twists. Rememberswhat? What am I supposed to do if I can’t do magic?
“You won’t be useful if you get swallowed by their spell,” Sebastian says, grunting as he puts Natalie’s arm across his shoulders to support her weight.
There’s an electric hiss like a lightning strike, and a wave ripples down from the vortex above, making the air shimmer. A fox yelps. Another wave ripples, and more chimeras cry out. The stag paws the ground and shakes its head. Others snarl and crouch lower.
I stand up straight, my nails digging into my palms. I glance back at Natalie one more time, finding courage when she nods. We’ve been through so many impossible situations together, and I have to keep fighting.
This is what I was meant to do. Not to hunt chimeras, not to trap them, but to protect them—just as Natalie has always protected me.
I walk toward Fiona and the other Directors, gaining confidence with each step. “Stop!” I shout, my voice carrying across the cove. “I won’t let you kill them!”
Fiona’s eyes narrow. “Stand aside, Miss Alexander.”
“No. This magic isn’t meant to be caged or destroyed. These are the forces that make up the natural world, and to destroy them would be to make a huge mistake.”
“They’re dangerous!” Agnes snaps.
The strength of all the chimeras wraps around me like a blanket, holding me in place. “Only because you’ve made them that way! You’ve trapped them, consumed them, used them as weapons. Of course they fight back!”
The Shadows chant louder, and another wave ripples down, zapping my skin like I’ve touched an electric fence. More yelps and snarls of pain erupt as it hits the chimeras.
“Come on, you can do it,” Sebastian says behind me.
And though I don’t entirely know what he’s talking about…I also feel deep inside me that there’s so much I don’t understand about myself and about magic.
My breath hitches as I look back. Natalie’s face is drained and blood soaks her clothes, but she’s standing with Sebastian’s help, and her eyes are clear and focused on me.
“I love you,” I mouth to her, needing her to know in case this all goes wrong.
“I love you too,” she mouths back.
I grit my teeth and face the witches once more. “I am a Guardian. Not the kind C.S.A.M.M. created, but the kind that came before—those who protected the balance between magic and humanity.”
Some of the Shadows exchange looks, whispering to each other. The enchantment falters, the vortex flickering.
“Enough of this,” Fiona roars. “Shadows! Finish them!”
The witches’ song comes to an abrupt end, and they sweep out their arms in unison. A thunderclap splits the air. The vortex surges downward, closing in on us all. My skin burns so fiercely that I grit my teeth to suppress a cry.
Every chimera reaches out, their consciousness entwining with mine like grasping fingers. Their panic and pain floods through me, making me gasp—but so does their power, flowing into my veins and keeping me steady as the ground trembles beneath my feet.
If the witches won’t listen to me and they won’t let the chimeras go free…they leave us no choice.
