Page 70 of A Spark in the Ash

The Kindred will be dead. And we can breathe easy again. For a while.

The woman grips into my back, her touch searing me. I throw myself back, landing on top of her as she lets out anoofsound, followed by a curse.

Something grows hot beneath me. I feel the burn growing with every millisecond. So hot I feel as if I’ve been doused in ice water. So hot, a feral scream rips from my mouth.

I bound off of the woman.

I can’t breathe. My lungs. Do I even have lungs as a darkling? If I do, I can’t inflate them.

I stumble back a step as the woman gets to her feet once more. Her jaw is set hard, her eyes fixed on me with killer intent.

I try to suck in a breath. My vision is swimming.

What did she do? Surely she must have sunk her flaming hands all the way to my core.

I stumble back another step.

Everything looks dark. I thrive in the dark. But this is something different.

“Serena!” I hear Jaxon scream. I hear a fiery fist hitting a fiery face.

I stumble back another step.

Everything hurts. It shouldn’t hurt this much.

I look down and see a hole in my chest. I focus on rearranging my form. On closing it.

But I can’t.

“Serena!” Jaxon screams.

I look over.

I see the man he’s been fighting off break away from Jaxon. He barrels toward me, closing the ten yards of distance.

The woman stalks forward as well.

I feel my knees weaken. I feel my grip on my guardian form slip.

And suddenly, my entire body flashes with crippling pain.

I drop to the ground, completely human.

The look on the ultralights faces is evil. They’re filled with so much glee. I’m vulnerable like this. They can kill me now. It won’t even be hard.

My vision flickers.

“Jaxon,” I breathe out, reaching an arm out toward him.

I can’t pass out. Ican’tpass out. I have to save him. I have to get him away from them.

“Serena!” Jaxon calls out again, and his voice ricochets around in my brain.

He grows brighter. Brighter. It’s as if I watch it in slow motion. He steps forward. He brings his hands up, his palms facing the man and the woman. Brighter. Brighter. He’s so brilliant, I should squint my eyes closed.

But I can’t stop watching him. I can’t take my eyes off him.

The entire world bursts into light and fire.

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