Page 222

Before Ezra could answer, the pressure around the slab collapsed, releasing the council from the weight pinning them in place.

“Now!” Cornaith motioned for the guards, no longer risking the council members. “Grab her before she kills him!”

As soon as the guards got within a couple of feet of the slab, another shockwave surged—this time with a bright violet flare.

Brilliant purple and deep black swirled around the pillar, snaking over the stone and wrapping around Rae and Ash in an intricate dance that mesmerized me.

Sparkling amethyst glittered in the air, raining down on them as Rae’s bloody tears continued to fall.

She didn’t speak. Didn’t make a sound.

She didn’t seem afraid of the magic. She didn’t seem aware of anything other than Ash in her arms.

I knew the magic cast on her would’ve wrecked her insides like it did Ash’s skin, but she didn’t look hurt.

The council stepped back as the magic expanded, a sphere swelling around the pillar. Its surface pulsated with violet light before folding inward and collapsing with another shockwave that reverberated down to my bones.

The shell burst apart, and a rain of fragmented glitter and gemstones fell, absorbed by the cyan mist swirling across the cracked ground as if the land itself fed on the remnants.

Ash’s eyes opened as the mist settled. He groaned and sat upright, not a wound in sight.

How had he healed?

He looked at Rae, eyes widening. “What happened?” His fingers brushed across the black lines on her face, smearing bloody tears.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. The black streaks receded toward her eyes like poison draining away. When she opened them again, her stormy gray was back, clear and normal.

54

SHADOWS

RAE

Surfacing from the strange haze that cocooned my mind and muted the pain from the council’s magical assault, I lifted my head off Ash’s hand.

Olive-green eyes softened as tears slid down my cheeks.

I swiped my cheeks, glancing down at the blood on my fingers, then looked up at Ash. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, Little Blackbird, but I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”

I peered over at the guys, surrounded by guards.

Zeke stared at me, lips parted, while Cyn stayed close by his side, his narrowed gaze locked on the council.

Ezra watched me with an odd look I couldn’t interpret. He squinted. On anyone else, I’d have called it confusion or distress, but I didn’t know him well enough to read it.

Ash pulled my attention from Ezra. “Are you hurting?”

I looked up into his eyes. “No.” My brows bunched. “I don’t know—” I doubled over as my stomach spasmed.

Ash reached for me. “Rae!”

Searing fire burned up into my throat until I lurched over the altar’s edge, spilling the meager contents of my stomach.

“What is that?”

I groaned, blinking tears from my eyes, unsure which council member spoke or what they meant.