Bricks tumbled as the temple trembled and fell beneath our power, shattering and burning.
But before I could celebrate, rage clawed its way up through my insides and a black cloud descended on me, pulling on my power and tearing it from my grasp.
I fought back with a snarl, frightened of what had a hold of me as my fire flickered out once more and Tory looked at me with my name on her lips and fear in her eyes.
I fought with the chaotic, hungry thing dragging my flames into its hold and suddenly my power burst from me in an explosion that slammed out of my body and into my sister’s, sending me and Tory flying apart like a shockwave had struck us.
My ears rang and pain flashed up my arms and chest. A scream fell from my lungs as I cried my sister’s name, and she was blasted away from me with such force that it made my heart still in my chest.
I caught sight of her as she fell, her flames extinguishing as she was launched far away from me by the blast, tumbling from the sky with a cry of terror and I was gripped with fear and horror over what I’d just done.
But the blackness was rising within me once more and as I threw out my hands to cast air magic, nothing came out.
I was falling two hundred feet through the air and I suddenly felt so terrifyingly mortal as my wings dissolved and a few bronze feathers scattered around me on the breeze, racing up towards the storm clouds above me as I fell so fast that I was certain this was my end.
I thought of Lavinia, of her marking me, and her wicked eyes as she placed her curse on me, and suddenly the darkness was sweeping in too fast for me to do anything about it. I was blacking out and the trees were rushing up towards me above the sharp rocks of the ground, and all I could think of was my sister, of Lance, of my brother. Because there was nothing I could do to save myself and I wasn’t even going to get to say goodbye.
The darkness claimed me fully and fear surrounded my heart. I was only half aware of the scream still tearing from my throat.
A force collided with me and suddenly I was rolling, held by strong arms against a hard chest, Orion’s body caging me so I didn’t feel the impact of the ground as we tumbled across it and he saved me from my end.
But even stronger than the arms which held me, was the monstrous thing keeping me in its grasp within my body, so fiercely that I couldn’t escape it. It was a desperately starved thing and it wanted my power more than anything in this world.
“I’ve got you, Blue,” Orion growled, his voice laced with fear, and I tried to claw my way up out of the darkness to get to him, but I couldn’t find my way back.
We’d stopped rolling, but he didn’t let me go and terror drowned me as hot, wet blood fell against my cheek.
My head was swirling with a pressing, clawing mist and rage was filling every part of my soul.
I started to thrash, trying to seek out my Phoenix, but I couldn’t reach it. It was buried so deep within me, it was like it wasn’t there at all. And that terrified me more than anything.
Laughter tangled with the air, a cruel and high pitched voice I’d know anywhere now. Because it haunted my nightmares since that day in the arena at The Palace of Souls.
“Lavinia’s coming!” Max cried. “We have to go!”
I tried to mouth my sister’s name, but nothing came out as I slid deep down into the dark again, losing my grip on consciousness.
For a second two black eyes seemed to glare back at me from inside my mind, like I was looking directly into the soul of the Shadow Princess and she had me in her grasp, her fist squeezing my heart and her laughter still ringing in my skull.
I couldn’t get free, I couldn’t do anything but drown deeper and deeper in the shadows which seemed to live within my flesh. Yet they didn’t feel like they used to; it was as if they were hiding in my soul, lurking out of sight, but still so present that I could hardly draw breath.
Anger rose up in me again and I clawed at whoever had hold of me, a growl on my lips as I tried to get free, trying to remember what I was fighting my way towards. But then it came back to me, riding on a wave of terror.
Tory.
My sister.
Where is she?
“Go!” Seth cried, panic breaking out around me, though I couldn’t see any of it.
My head spun and my whole centre of gravity seemed to shift, making me realise I was travelling through stardust and panic began to swell within me. Because I couldn’t feel my twin. I couldn’t find her. She wasn’t here.
“Tor?” I managed to bend my tongue around the word, but it came out as a whisper.
“Wake up, beautiful. Look at me,” Orion begged, healing magic slipping from his skin into mine, but he couldn’t heal this tearing sensation inside me. It was like a chasm opening up in the centre of my body, dragging me into it. No…not my body, my power, my Phoenix.