Page 102 of Legacy

He grimaced. “I trust you. I trust yourpower,too.”

I smiled. He was telling her to remember that she could wield it now, that she had full control, and not to doubt it.

In the next second, he tossed me the Aetherbound Scepter, knowing I’d need it with my magic out, then teleported out.

“Help Velra,” Ariana told me in the next moment. Her gaze went to Ryker. “Contain that bastard.”

“Ari, I can’t leave you to—”

“You can’t help me with this. Call Grandfather. I can’t hold this off and destroy the flames at the same time. I’ll call my wings and he can use them to neutralize the Hellfire.”

Ryker hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave her.

I didn’t want to either.

But this was what needed to be done.

I couldn’t believe she was holding the Hellfire at bay like she was. The flames were raging violently against her containment field, fighting to breach her silver power that was lightning up the damaged corridor like a beacon through it all.

She was absolutely phenomenal.

Standing tall, handling it, stepping up majorly.

Ryker rushed toward me. “You see to your friend, I’ll go after Caius.”

“It wasn’t his fault. He wascoercedor something. His mind… it wasn’t right.”

I saw him nod, taking my words in, even willing to listen in spite of what had just happened. I’d heard tales about him being a paragon of fairness and understanding, but witnessing that from him in person was a whole other thing.

In the next moment, we both took off through one of the holes blown into the Compound walls.

17

~Cassius~

Her power surged.

I grunted at its sheer potency.

An angel unleashing on the mortal plane would drawtheirattention.

Something that I absolutely could not afford.

Not again.

I had already felt her unleash once, but I had allowed it in that case, as I’d expected it at that point, once my soothing spell had worn off. The Celestial Plane had also anticipated as much. I’d also felt her regain control on her own, something that was imperative for her to achieve before our work together began.

But this latest expulsion would not be tolerated by them if they knew it to be a rogue action on her part. So I had to ensure I reframed the narrative to it being my command of her, a part of my teachings.

And so, I’d immediately tracked her when I’d felt the surge.

I gritted my teeth as I arrived on the scene at the Guardian Compound. If she was going to experiment before our sessions began, why hadn’t she possessed the foresight to at least havecloaked herself? That first time, I’d felt cloaking in place, but not enough to have it completely escape the notice ofthem.

I touched down at the rear of the Compound, my intention to keep my arrival off the radar of as many supernatural beings here as possible.

The moment I did, I started at the acrid taste of Hellfire in the air.

No.

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