Angel strains to hold the barrier. The magic inside Anisha is far more powerful than the body it’s trapped in. The darkness is pushing closer to the surface with every new crack in our shield.
Anisha lets out an inhuman sound from deep in her chest, and we instinctively stagger back, trying to distance ourselves from the ticking time bomb.
Black cracks split across her skin, the power inside Anisha fighting to escape her weak body and latch onto the barrier to fuel itself.
Angel’s barrier won’t hold against the blast. Not unless my Divine absorbs most of the impact. My essence claws at myinsides, recognizing the pain I’m about to drag us through, but it’s our only option.
I scan the barrier, searching for a weak point. “Angel, let me out. And don’t lower the barrier, no matter what happens.”
He grips my shoulders, spinning me around and wrapping his arms around me. “Don’t. Just… give me a minute. I’ll come up with a better plan.”
I beg Harvey to back me up, but like Angel, he’s bent on finding another way.
“There is no better plan. We can’t be Visha’s accomplice in a fucking genocide.” I hold Angel tight, trying to calm him down. “Trust me, I can do this. My Divine can consume her magic. I’ve survived it before. At least this time it’ll be for something good.”
There was a reason Visha saved her cruelest spells for me, never Harvey. She didn’t want to risk accidentally killing him.
Angel holds my face, desperation roughening his voice. “I can’t lose you, sweetheart. I won’t survive it. Please don’t make me do this.”
I hate that I’m putting him in this position, but fear is clouding his reason. He knows this is the only way, but he doesn’t want to admit that saving everyone might mean potentially losing his mate.
I pull him in for a kiss. “You won’t lose me. I’ll be fine. I promise I can do this.” His arms tighten around me, holding me close.
I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him until his grip eases.
When I open my eyes, Hazel’s there. She gives me a firm nod, a signal that she has my back. She’s the only one I can count on right now to think rationally and not get tied up in her emotions.
At my cue, Hazel tackles Harvey to the ground, and I push away from Angel.
Angel’s anguished scream rips through me, but I don’t stop, quickly crossing the barrier and colliding with Anisha.
My essence surrounds us just as I slam into Anisha. The force of the impact tips her over the edge, and the magic inside her explodes in an earth-shattering blast, driving me to my knees.
Swirls of raw, unmatched dark magic rip from Anisha and spear into my chest, tearing a scream from me.
My Divine absorbs every last bit of the tainted magic as the vessel crumbles to ash. Darkness swallows me whole as I fall back, my head cracking against the ground.
When I blink again, I’m under a sky full of bright stars and… is that the giant gates of our kingdom?How did I get here?
I yelp when I try to sit. The slightest movement feels like I’m melting into the ground. I feel the dark magic settle inside me, draining me, slowly fusing with my life force.
I turn my head and see Angel rising slowly, face streaked with fresh cuts and covered in ash. Relief floods me when I see Harvey and Hazel pulling themselves to their feet as well.
Mission successful. Everyone is alive and breathing.
They run toward me, shouting something to each other, but I don’t hear anything over the sharp ringing in my ears. Angel looks up at the watchtower, and whatever he sees only fuels his anger.
Turning back to the sky, I take a deep breath and whimper when it burns my lungs. Once the stabbing pain in my chest eases, I blink against the haze, and my favorite pair of green eyes appears above me, tears lining his lashes and fear carved into his face.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but we can’t wait. I need to get you to the medical bay right now,” Angel whispers hoarsely before lifting me into his arms. I can’t stop the scream that escapes me when his hold scrapes the burns on my back.
My Divine is still struggling to absorb the flood of dark magic inside me. The pain slowly burrows into my bones, and I know I won’t heal without my Divine’s help.
Angel does his best to avoid my burns, but it’s impossible atthis point. I’m covered in blisters. I bury my face in his neck to muffle my cries when the sound makes him flinch.
Hazel runs ahead, shouting at people to clear the way, while Angel moves as fast as he can without jostling me.
Years of torture have made my Divine resilient. Some of the wounds have even started cauterizing, but I’m barely breathing through the pain.
