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I felt as if I were floating, levitating in the air. The heat rushing from me wasn't painful. It was a sweet relief, like the refreshing coolness of a storm after a hot day.
And then it was over. As suddenly as it had begun. I was empty, falling to my knees.
The air crackled once with a final malefic swell of energy and then there was silence.
I opened my eyes to a scene of death and destruction.
The outer walls of the buildings around us were crumbling.
In front of me, Crescent was slowly sitting up, coughing hoarsely as the smoke cleared around us. His clothes were singed and a layer of ash covered him, but he was alive.
I looked at the ash, my stomach churning with comprehension.
A hand touched my shoulder.
Odessa’s eyes were wide. Her face was painted with soot.
Behind her lay the burned corpses of the assailants she had been fighting.
I turned, seeing the bodies of our other attackers lying prone and blackened up ahead.
They had been running to flee the alley in the other direction. But they hadn't been fast enough.
My powers had erupted and swept them into the firestorm.
Odessa moved to pull down the sleeve of her tunic but it was too late.
“What is that?”
Slowly, she pulled the sleeve back up.
Burn marks. Raw exposed skin ran from her wrist to the top of her shoulder, angry and red. The leather of her armor had been melted to her shoulder on one side. It looked incredibly painful.
“I did that?” I felt the bile rising in my throat. “I did that to you?”
Odessa cleared her throat. “It’s all right. It’s nothing. I’ll see a healer. It will be fine.”
I shook my head, bitter tears stinging my throat. “It’s not nothing. It’s not fine. Your armor is fucking melted to your skin. Are they gone? Is Crescent all right?” I turned to him. He was pushing himself to his feet. “I’ll fucking slaughter them if they touch you again.”
Odessa’s hand touched my shoulder again gently. “They’re gone, Morgan. You... took care of them all.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, looking between brother and sister. Their eyes were wide. Were they scared of me? “I’m so sorry I did this to you.”
The sound of someone clapping slowly came from behind us.
I whipped my head around.
“You!”
Javer walked towards me, a small smile on his bearded face.
Behind him, Beks followed slowly, his head hung low.
In a flash, I understood. “You did this. You set this up.”
“Why would I do such a thing?” Javer asked, his piercing eyes holding my own. It was not, I understood, a denial.
“It was a fucking test,” I said, gritting my teeth. “People died.”
