It responds.
Fierce, prepared, and…deadly.
My command to spread through me barely crosses my mind before it soars beneath my skin. From my scalp to my toes, it expands.
Disgust bubbles in my belly as I sense a small thread of familiarity between my Obliteration and the one it’s cocooning. Yes, the one given to me from that vile fucker is darker…wrong, but unfortunately, I sense that they both came from the same source.
Valories, I’m going to explode.
Not in a good way.
In a horrible, million little literal pieces way.
I, nor my body, can take much more of this pressure, pain, or power.
“Put it into the Binding. Release it. It isn’t yours to hold onto.”
The strange woman’s whisper slices through the panicked voice in my mind, and I nod, but I don’t actually do anything.
I don’t know what to do.
The grip on my body is uncontrollable, tightening with every labored breath. Neither—none of the powers, mine or otherwise—wants to let me go.
Pressure knots in my stomach and then crawls upward. It sits in my chest like a stone before shoving itself through the tight squeeze of my throat.
The unrelenting force cuts off my windpipe, and I can’t drag in a breath, causing my panic to flare. My Obliteration sits in the back of my throat, not moving, not doing anything but holding that tainted power at bay right there.
I slam my eyes shut, willing the tears and the strain on my body to ease so I can think, do, process. Fucking something.
Blocking my sight doesn’t help.
It heightens everything.
“Come on, little goddess. Tell your power what to do. It’s yours to command. You can do it. We’re right here with you,” Kyzen shouts, and the other three join in his mantra.
Their desperate pleas and praises bounce around in my mind.
Come on, Obliteration.
I know I give you the most shit out of all seven, but you’re kind of proving my point here.
You’re killing me.
Not the vile-ass power inside of me.
Do something. Get out of me and into the Binding.
I’ve accepted you, so please, for the love of all fucking things, accept and save me.
Tremors rip through me so fiercely, I can barely stand. If it weren’t for the water holding some of my weight, I’d sink. The pressure and pain expand my throat, and I take advantage, sucking in as much air as possible.
It thrusts itself right back out.
“Get out of me!”
My scream erupts from my lips.
So do both powers. Right and wrong.
