“Grey!” I yelled.

Ivan charged at me, fury on his face.

I scrambled upright and screamed, “Eve!”

My friend appeared above, flying just below the ceiling. I chucked the key and box upward. She swooped down, grabbed them, and darted away.

Ivan was nearly on me.

I flicked my wrist, turning my Fae bracelet into a dagger. “Don’t even try it,” I growled.

He was only a few feet from me, and his eerie eyes brightened as he looked at me, gleaming with triumph.

His gaze was right on my chest.

Orion’s Heart.

I could feel it lying outside my shirt, the gem gleaming brightly. It had started pulsing in response to the power source, though that had stopped once I’d killed the spell.

Ivan began to chant the spell again, loud and clear.

He was on the last verse, though.

The paint on the ground began to glow again, the symbols going wild.

What the hell was he doing?

I charged, swiping out with my blade. He ducked and continued to chant.

Grey surged to his feet and charged Ivan.

The white-haired man reached for me, and I swiped out with my blade. It cut deeply into his forearm, but he was too quick. He grabbed Orion’s Heart from my neck, breaking the chain.

He raised it upright as he chanted the last words of the spell. His face twisted with pain, and he released the gem. He’d held it for only a moment, but it was too late. His hand had turned black from the contact.

Overhead, the star-shaped window in the ceiling opened again. A beam of light rose from Orion’s Heart and shot into the sky. The gem glowed as fiercely as the power source had. Even brighter.

“You carried this the entire time,” Ivan’s eyes gleamed with sadistic glee as he scrambled upright, looking toward the ceiling and the beam of light that grew stronger. “So much power in such a small stone. More than my power source. Enough to destroy all of Guild City.”

The stone glowed between us, pulsing with a power that made my muscles tremble and my bones shake. Ivan gave me one last triumphant look, then ran for the door, sprinting through the fighting figures of our two small armies.

Horror yawned inside me as I watched the Orion’s Heart pulse. The paint on the floor had begun to glow brightly as the magic transferred throughout the church.

How long did we have?

Grey neared me, his gaze going between me and the retreating Ivan. “Do you need help?”

“Go get him.” I had no idea what I was going to do, only that I had to stop this. Deep in my gut, I knew I could stop it. And we couldn’t let Ivan escape. He was capable of too much horror.

Grey charged past me in pursuit of Ivan.

Shaking, I stared at the pulsing gem, my mind racing. The spell had started again. I could feel it surging on the air, growing stronger with every minute. It would blow soon.

I could turn it back, but I had no container for it. Nothing to truly stop it. Without that, it would blow eventually.

It glowed brighter. Through the blinding light, it began to crack. A great roar sounded. The bomb was powering up. The magic would spin out of control and destroy us all.

We needed something, anything, to contain it.

I grabbed the stone and held it tightly in my palm.

Pain flared, agony like I’d never known.

I gripped it tightly, determined to force it back together. I had the briefest flash of knowledge—this could kill me.

Then the bomb exploded, blasting magic everywhere, a power so fierce that it felt like my skin was torn from my body and my bones were pulverized. I flew through the air and slammed to the ground.

Then power—such overwhelming power—expanded, and everything went dark.

17

Grey

Horrified, I watched Carrow crash to the ground, consumed in an aura of blinding light. For the briefest moment, she was a supernova. The power that pulsed through the church was enough to stop my heart for a second, and then it died.

The light faded, and Carrow lay still.

Terror shot through me.

At my feet, Ivan lay bound in the manacles I’d brought. The bastard had been so strong that I’d nearly been unable to get him.

I left him and sprinted for Carrow. My limbs felt like blocks of ice as I fell to my knees at her side. Her hands lay relaxed and open, and the ashes of Orion’s Heart were scattered in her right palm.

The stone was gone.

Fear threatened to suffocate me as I gathered her close. She was pale as snow with dark shadows under her cheeks. The magic that pulsed from her was strong enough to burn me, making my skin vibrate where it touched hers.

But her life force…

I couldn't feel it.

“Carrow.” My voice was rough. My heart thundered, a violent tattoo of fear inside my chest.

I couldn’t lose her.

Not now.

Not ever.

I brushed her hair off her face. My blood could heal only physical injuries, and this could be magic.

But I had to try.

I bit into my wrist, tearing at the skin. Hastily, I raised my wrist to her slack mouth, pressing it to her lips.

She didn’t move.

“Come on, Carrow. Wake up.” Something inside me roared like a wounded animal.

Still, she didn’t move.

Seconds passed.

She’d absorbed the power of the bomb. Instead of the spelling destroying us, it had taken her.

Mac fell to her knees at my side, a sob rising in her throat. Eve landed near us, stumbling. All around, the battle slowed. The only ones standing were from our side, so we must have won.

But I only had eyes for Carrow.

“Save her,” Mac demanded.

“I’m trying, damn it.”

Suddenly, Carrow shifted, her eyelids fluttering. Had my blood saved her, or was it her magic? It didn’t matter. She was waking up.

Slowly, she blinked. “What happened?”

I hugged her to me, clutching her tight.

Mac jumped on us, hugging Carrow from behind. “You’re all right!” Mac pulled back, confusion on her face. “You are okay, right?”

I released Carrow, lowering her so that I could look at her more closely.

She eased away from me, sitting upright under her own strength. Her eyes glowed with a strange light, nearly neon in their brightness.

“I…feel strange.” She looked at her palms. The ashes of Orion’s Heart marred her skin. “It’s gone.”

“You absorbed all the magic from Orion’s Heart.”

“It was going to explode,” Carrow said, her voice slightly dazed. “It needed a vessel to contain it.”

“So you decided to grab it,” Mac said. “You’re mad.”

Carrow blinked. “I think I might be.” Her gaze darted around the room. “Where is Ivan? Did we get him?”

I nodded. “I’ve bound him. We’ll take care of him.” I was going to find a way to kill the bastard this time. “But how do you feel? Do we need to see a healer?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She rubbed her chest. “I feel different. More magical, maybe. I don’t know.”

Quinn arrived. He’d returned to human form, though he was covered with cuts and bruises. He looked at Carrow, his eyes intense. “We need to get out of here before the Council members escape their cell. James has likely found the key by now. We don’t want them knowing what you just did.”

“No one should know you’re this powerful,” Eve added.

They were right. It was a matter of safety now. Powerful supernaturals were feared, and in my long life, I’d never seen anyone do what Carrow had done. “Can you stand?”

“Not sure.”

“I’ve got you.” I stood, carefully picking her up and cradling her to my chest.

All around, the bodies of Ivan’s men lay scattered. Mine were binding those still living and checking the bodies of the rest.

“I’ve got the main bastard,” Quinn said, and looked toward one of my guards—Eloise. She was tall and strong, a black panther when she shifted. “Will you help me?”

She nodded. “Let’s get him.”

“Bring him to my place,” I said.

Mac and Eve hurried alongside me as I carried Carrow from the church. She felt powerful in my arms, but weak still. Physically drained.

I hoped it was exhaustion and nothing more.

We stepped out into the fresh air. The blue dome had vanished. How the hell was I going to resist falling for her?

Carrow

Several days later, after I’d regained my strength, it was time to meet with the Council again. No one understood what had happened to me, but everyone vowed not to speak of it.

Grey had wanted me to stay at his place, but I’d insisted on going back to my own flat with Mac. My strength had finally returned, but I could feel the new magic going haywire inside me.

Now, I stood outside of Black Church with Mac. Guild City had returned to normal. The blue dome was gone, and Ivan had been taken care of. I hadn’t asked Grey what he’d done with him. Something terrible, I had a feeling.

“You’ve got this,” Mac said. “Your practice has paid off, and you’re going to convince them you’re in control.”

“But I’m not,” I murmured.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is what they think. Control your magical signature, and they won’t know that your power is having a party inside you.”

I chuckled, though it did nothing to lessen my nerves.

The door to Black Church opened, and Grey appeared, looking impossibly handsome in his impeccable suit. He’d arrived early to speak with some of the Council members.

Speak with.

That was the phrase he’d used. I had a feeling he planned to use mind manipulation and coercion, but since he’d be doing it on my behalf, I wasn’t going to argue.

“They’re ready for you.” The concern in his eyes made me twitchy.

He’d had that same concern when he’d carried me from the church after I’d absorbed Orion’s Heart.

He cared for me.

We hadn’t talked about it—we’d hardly talked about anything since the bombing. All our time had been spent practicing my magic. And we didn’t exactly have a relationship in which we talked about feelings.