Page 80 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

I shout. I scream.

Curse the Elders for demanding the forge be so far from town. With the wind carrying sound uphill, no one is around to hear me. No one but my sister.

Ferria has already displayed an incredible new ability to try and fight off the creatures. Other than running for help, there’s nothing more she can do. And even then, by the time she finds someone who might be able to help me, I’ll be long gone.

My strength begins to falter. Why can’t I be as strong as Ferria?

I’m weak. My power is useless.

Mending bone and knitting flesh together isn’t a weapon against the creatures that thrive in the Forbidden Forest.

But what if…

My heart thumps. I turn my head, trying to glimpse my shouting sister.

Her red hair gleams bright from the blue and white flames that now trail up her arms. A glance reveals her skin and clothes are not burned.

I press my lips together into a thin line of resolve.

Ferria and I are twins. We both inherited magic from our parents—parents who were forced to flee their home when their neighbors learned of their powers.

If she can cast her power from her body, so can I.

I drop to my knees, shrieking when the talons twist and I’m yanked back up.

Angry clicks lick my ear. I squeeze my eyes shut.

Please, I beg my power. Help me.

My magic, which has been flickering beneath the surface, rises. It presses against my skin with fervor, as if it can read my mind and is eager to have me wield it in this way.

All right. I take a deep breath. Do your worst.

White light explodes from my body. It arches like a pale rainbow, slicing through the cloaked creatures holding me captive.

The velcrin shrieks and releases me. The klarv’s grip loosens, but the sharp talons remain embedded in my arm. The smoky scent of burnt cloth fills my nostrils.

I drop my hips. The klarv swings its other arm to catch me, jerking me with incredible force.

Pop.

A scream tears from my throat.

“Elara!”

I shriek in agony, drowning out Ferria’s cry.

The monster tugs my dislocated shoulder. White light flares behind my eyes, but I don’t know if it's from my power or my pain.

Help me, I plead to my magic. Tears roll down my cheeks. Please.

My skin crawls as the shadows covering my arms swirl, twist, and tangle together. My power floats over the surface, unaffected by the shadows’ volatile ministrations, and then blasts from my fingertips so suddenly that by the time I acknowledge it’s happened, the power is gone.

The klarv’s anguished screech rattles my bones.

Talons rip out of my arm. I fall to my knees. Hair falls in my face as I hunch forward, gasping for breath. I press a trembling hand to the wound, trying to stem the gushing blood.

A charge zips through the atmosphere.