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No, we can handle this later, after we help the people who need us.
With a shaky breath, I take a step back, needing to put some distance between us so that I can keep my head.
I don’t make it far. He reaches out, and his large hand grasps my chin, holding me in place as he tilts my head up so our eyes meet again.
“If the only option is for you to follow us into harm’s way, we’ll stay. Make no mistake that you are the single most important person in my life, Serena, and we will do whatever we have to in order to keep you safe. If that means the kingdom has to burn to the ground, so be it. Don’t ask us to choose between keeping you safe and helping them because you won’t like our answer.”
His words hit me like a slap in the face. I try to say something, anything, but nothing comes out, and I’m left staring up at him with my mouth open like an idiot.
What do you say to that?
None of the others say a word, which leads me to believe they agree.
It’s wrong for them to say my life outweighs an entire kingdom full of innocents.
So why does my heart feel like it’s trying to escape my chest while my stomach ties itself in knots?
“We need to go,” Garrett says, breaking us from our moment.
Lyle drops his hand from my chin so suddenly that I almost stumble forward. I hadn’t realized how much I was leaning into his touch until it was no longer there to support me.
“I’m sorry, Serena, really I am, but this is the only way,” he says before turning and walking away. The ground beneath my feet rumbles before it begins moving, damn near swallowing me up. It continues to rise until my body is enclosed in it, coming to a stop just below my chin, leaving me trapped.
“Lyle!” I scream, but he doesn’t slow. “You can’t leave me like this!”
I thrash against the hold of the earth surrounding me, but it’s useless. I don’t have control of the elements, which means I’m stuck unless someone else lets me out. I feel the shadows as they pour from me, but for as strong as they might be, they’re no use.
My annoyance quickly morphs into panic as the rest of them follow him.
Storm stops in front of me and drops a kiss to the top of my head, but when I look up, he won’t meet my eyes.
“Storm, please. Please, don’t leave me like this,” I beg, knowing he can hear the hint of hysteria in my voice.
“I’m sorry, Hops, but this is the only way we know to keep you safe. We’ll be back as soon as we can, and Rosalynn has agreed to stay with you. Just hold tight, love. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s only for a little while.” His voice lacks its normal surety, which only worsens my panic.
He’s lying.
There’s no way for him to know that. He’s just trying to make me feel better.
It doesn’t. If anything, it makes me feel worse. If I wasn’t broken, I could access elemental magic, and they wouldn’t be able to stop me so easily.
“What happened to not lying to each other?”
I can see the way my words cut him even without the ability to hear or feel him through the bond, but he’s quick to cover it up. A frown pulls at his lips before he turns away, quickly walking over to meet Sol, who waits for him at the door. I meet Sol’s eyes across the room and see his conflict. I know he wants to keep me safe, they all do, but he also knows this is hurting me, even if it’s not physically.
Storm knows his twin doesn’t have the same resistance he does, though. Sol is much more likely to crack, and Storm’s smart enough not to give me the chance to try. Instead, he snags his arm and yanks him from the room with him.
Pike and Blair are already gone, having left with Lyle, leaving only Garrett, who stands next to his mother once again.
“Don’t leave her alone, please,” he says, sounding almost angry before he’s gone, leaving me behind just like that.
“Your shadows are strong, my dear, but you still don’t have enough control. I’ve never seen a shadow user myself, but I’ve heard of their powers, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to break free.”
Her words fuel not only my panic but also my annoyance. Of course, it’s just one more thing I can’t do! I don’t have elemental powers like the rest of them, and the one damn element I do have, I can’t get a grip on well enough for it to be of any use when I need it most.
I’m beastless and helpless…
The fight drains out of me as my thoughts spiral.
