Page 180 of Bitten By the Fae
She laughed, the sound lacking proper humor. “I don’t need a leash, because I already know how to control my powers. But the same can’t be said aboutabominations.”
“Emelyn!” Zeph barked, his tone harsh.
“Oh, did I accidentally admit out loud what we’re all really thinking about her?” She pressed a hand to her heart and gave me a mock-apologetic look. “My bad.”
My teeth ground together, mostly because I didn’t know how to reply. Since everything she said was true.
I was an abomination.
A powerful one.
And I didn’t know how to control my abilities. Not completely, anyway.
My heart squeezed at the knowledge, a part of me feeling helpless all over again. But I couldn’t let her beat me.
I’m stronger than this.
I can learn.
I don’t want to hurt people.
I have anchors to ground me.
I—
A ripple of energy danced over my skin, causing the hairs along my neck to rise. I frowned down at my arms, noting the static electricity humming across my being. It wasn’t visible, but Ifeltit. The warmth familiar in a strange way, reminding me of my own magic.
Yet it wasn’t coming from me.
“That’s enough, Emelyn,” Zeph bit out, oblivious to the sensations swirling around me. “You’re excused for?—”
An explosion rocked the ground, sending us all to our knees. Another boom shook the surface, causing shouts to sound throughout the yard. Zeph yanked me to him, his stance protective, his gaze sharp as he glanced around seeking the source.
Ravens screamed through the air, followed by a cloud of smoke as the burning thwomps around campus unleashed fire into the sky.
And then came the gargoyles, their screeches reminding me of nails against a sharp stone.
I pressed my palms to my ears as Zeph pushed me flat onto the ground, his larger body covering mine.
Shrieks, heat, and a flutter of wind whipped through the Academy. “What’s happening?” I shouted at Zeph.
“The Academy is protecting itself,” he shouted back.
My eyes widened. “It does that?” But my words were lost to the new wave of chaos swimming around us. The hisses on the wind sent chills down my spine.
Snake vines,I realized, horrified. Those things didn’t like me on a good day. This wouldn’t go over well.
Zeph’s grip tightened around me, his warmth bleeding into me, wrapping me in a cocoon of safety.Literally.
I blinked, realizing his magic poured out of him in a defensive shield, covering not just me but all the students in the field. I peeked around him to find Kols at the other end, his own power connecting to Zeph’s to bolster him in his effort in protecting the entire class from the debris and insanity flying overhead.
It rippled around us like a tornado, reminding me of an Air Fae activity gone bad.
More of that familiar power buzzed through me, then fled, as if kissing my soul goodbye on its way out. The sirens above grew louder, the slithering snake creatures heading right for me. I cringed, waiting for their impact, only they slid over Zeph’s shield and took off into the wind to chase some menacing figment.
My blood ran cold, my heart stopping in my chest. The creatures had sensed the dark energy running through me.
What would happen when Zeph lifted his protection? Would the Academy attack me with the same brutal force?
