Page 161 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

Three we had lost three already.

And where was Luce?

I could feel my panic rising as more Dhampirs broke through the trees. Too many, there were too many, we couldn’t take them.

The pressure in my chest increased. These people had followed me out here and they were dying. I had to stop this. I closed my eyes, a plan forming in my mind. My magic pushed and pulled against my skin to the point of pain.

I opened my eyes, twitching my fingers before closing my hand into fists. My nails bit into the skin of my palm as the ground beneath me shook. A fissure in the ground formed at the tip of my boot, spreading out further until it reached the first Dhampir. I threw out my magic, opening my palms in a burst of magic as the ground opened up, swallowing the Dhampir whole.

Slow, this was too slow.

Fuck. I couldn’t do this quickly without risking the lives of everyone else.

“SHIELD YOURSELVES!” I screamed into the forest. Declan whipped his head in my direction, his brows pulling together. “NOW!”

I felt out with my magic, sensing for other magic in the darkness around me. I could feel it, six or seven different imprints of magic. Not everyone, but enough. I felt Luka’s magic wrapping around me as he shielded the both of us.

Now. I had to do this now.

“I’m here.” He stood behind me. “You can do this.”

I dipped my chin. I didn’t have a choice. I searched for my magic, pulling it together inside my chest as I inhaled. It rushed for my fingertips as I exhaled, but I didn’t let it out, not yet.

I let the world around me disappear as I closed my eyes.

The sound of fighting, screaming, and roars dissipated.

The trees fell away one by one. Everything faded to white until there was nothing.

The Dhampirs. I only wanted the Dhampirs.

As I inhaled, each of them appeared, one by one frozen in time. My magic snaked out toward each of the beasts, I could see it, thin luminescent golden threads slithered out from the ground I was standing on, breaking off as I felt for each of the Dhampirs, wrapping itself around each beast.

Once each thread was connected, I slowly let the world back in, I could still only see the Dhampir, but they moved, no longer frozen in time.

My magic pushed against my fingers.

Now. It demanded.

A scream tore from my throat as I opened my palms, throwing out my magic in a burst.

My palms burned at the heat of my magic as the world around me shook.

The ground cracked and fissured, swallowing some of the Dhampirs whole as others erupted into balls of flames.

I pushed out another wave of magic, gritting my teeth at the force. I stumbled back, falling into Luka’s firm hold.

His hands braced on my hips and I continued to push out my magic. The Dhampirs surrounding the Aquatic Kings erupted into shards of ice, the pieces ricocheted off the barriers surrounding them as the shrieks of the Dhampirs echoed through the forest.

More, there were still more, I could feel them. With Luka grounding me from behind I let out one last burst of magic, pulling from everything I had, using every drop of magic I could muster.

My throat ripped raw from the scream that tore through it as I let out the magic.

The forest blurred as my magic crested over it like a wave.

I released more and more magic until there was nothing left.

My chest heaved, it was the only sound in my ears as the roar of my magic ceased.

---