Marcus studied Allyra, his eyes searching.
Allyra started to laugh.
Faster than a whip, Marcus slapped her across her face, the force of it bringing unbidden tears to her eyes. Jason’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around her wrists. She shook her head to clear her ringing ears and spat out the blood pooling in her mouth, licking the remnants of it from her lips, relishing in the sour, metallic taste of it—a perfect reflection of the anger burning like acid through her veins.
“It’s like you said,” she said, laughing again. “I’m the last of the Wardens, and that blood ward can only be broken by a Warden, and I’ll never break it.”
“Maybe not now, but once I break you, you’ll do whatever I tell you to do.”
Icy terror ran down her spine, but she refused to show it, continuing to laugh. “Don’t you see you’ve lost? Even if you break me, you know Alexander Cairns will never yield. You might as well give up now.”
“I don’t need him to yield. I just need one of the Cairns bloodline to yield.”
“The Cairns are dead. Alex and his brothers were the last of them.”
“Really?” Marcus said with a cruel smile. “Are you so sure of that?”
Marcus ran a finger down the side of her neck, down her chest, and over her breasts. “I am going to so enjoy the experience of breaking you,” he said softly.
She was so broken that she didn’t try to flinch away, but behind her, Jason’s fingers tightened almost involuntarily over her wrists. Over the back of her hand she felt Jason run three fingers down from her knuckles to a single point.
Wait.
Her eyes widened.
“Now that you understand your role,” Marcus said, “I can offer you the opportunity to stand at my side. Think carefully, Miss Warden. While I might enjoy breaking you, I rather think you won’t relish the experience.”
She spat at Marcus’s face. “I’d rather die.”
Behind her, Jason’s deft fingers were working the iron cuffs around her wrists. Slowly, they loosened and then fell away altogether. Power flooded back through her veins, but she held still. Wait.
“I think that can be arranged—after I get what I need from you,” Marcus said and turned to his army of Cleaners. “Take her. Make her ready for me.”
“Now!” Jason screamed.
He burst into action, twin swords in his hands. He tossed one to her. She caught it midair, only half a step behind him. Cleaners fell before them, but as one dropped, two more seemed to take its place. By sheer number, they were going to be overwhelmed. Worse still was the fact that Marcus had turned back around, his eyes turning to the crimson red of an Ancient’s.
If she died, Marcus would take hold of the Tigers, but as long as the ward remained around Alex, the Dragons would forever be safe, protected by the blood of the Wardens. Allyra steeled herself, her mind calm. Better to die fighting than to have her mind broken by the Ancient.
But then everything stilled. In reality, the moment couldn’t have lasted more than a fraction of a second. But it seemed to last forever, stretching indefinitely like a strand of cooling syrup. The Cleaners froze, their eyes fixed on a single point behind her.
Allyra couldn’t help it. She glanced over her shoulder.
Alex.
It was a sight to behold. A true Elemental High Master in full command of his Gift. Alex stood on the platform, his arms stretched apart, gathering the Elemental threads to his hands. The expression on his face was hard and unforgiving. He was an arrow flying straight and true. A warrior come to life, bent only on justice.
Alex got to his feet and pressed his hand against the ward. She realized his intent and lunged toward him, pressing her hand against his. The ward shattered, and the power held within it exploded outward, the force of it slamming Marcus and his Cleaners to the ground.
Alex sagged, as if exhausted by the single, massive outburst of power. He reached out a hand to steady himself, breaths tearing harshly from his lungs.
Jason turned to Alex, and their eyes met in a moment loaded with silent communication she couldn’t decipher.
“Take her!” Jason shouted at Alex. “Go!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Allyra saw Marcus and his army getting back to their feet. Winded but not dead. Jason glanced at her, and his expression softened, the frenzied madness in his eyes melting away. “Forgive me,” he whispered, a whimsical smile playing on the corners of his lips.
Jason turned and launched himself at Marcus, swords ablaze with Fire.
Instinctively, she tried to follow him. But Alex took hold of her wrist and pulled her back. She felt as if her body was coming apart, collapsing into a million molecules.
Alex was Evanescing her away.
Chapter 42 – Allyra
The temptation was overwhelming to just let go. The knowledge that she’d played a pivotal role in the corruption of the Source was pain that Allyra didn’t want to acknowledge.
The world was so big, made up of an infinite, unfathomable number of molecules, moving in an unknowable pattern. A pattern she could join, if only she let go.
But underneath the siren call was Alex’s voice, calling her back to herself.
Allyra slammed back into her body, built by Alex from wind and air. A quick glance at her surroundings suggested that they were standing in what appeared to be a shopping mall parking lot. Beside her, Alex wavered and then collapsed to the ground. Somehow, Alex had Evanesced them into the middle of Sunday morning grocery shopping. The place was teeming with people, excited by the prospect of a weekend shopping trip. Witnesses, every one of them.
She reached for Alex’s hand, and without giving herself time to think, she called
