Page 99 of Ruby & Onyx

“I’m sorry, G,” Viola continues to repeat as she, too, falls to her knees. Not by force, but by the overwhelming guilt. She begins to sob the name attached to her heart since birth, “Gemma.”

Radya, can you use your power against the invisibles? Bas asks. But when I turn to him, his lips aren’t moving. He’s staring at me with his jaw clenched tight. Try to use your power. Just like you did in the dungeon.

It doesn’t make sense. I can hear his voice as plain as day. And yet, he’s not speaking. He hardly even appears to be breathing. How can I hear him if he’s not speaking?

“Make them grovel with their faces in the sand,” Olly commands.

Our heads slam into the sand at once like a powerful force came behind us and pushed our heads down. Even Moose’s head falls into the sand as he yelps a cry of pain.

I can’t. I can’t do it. I try to communicate with Bas, but it’s probably a fool’s wish to think that he could hear me. With my cheek against the sand, I stare back at him, silently begging the words to reach him.

You can. You’ve done it once. You can do it again. He assures me. His voice is deep and soothing. Just try it. I don’t think things can get much worse right now, right?

Oh, gods.

Then I see him – Sir Magis – standing on the top of the cliff. I have to squint to confirm it, as he’s standing high above us, but it must be him. He looms over us, haunting, just like the bargain we made. I can’t do anything about that deal, the blank check that he can call in if I ever become a queen, but I can do something about this.

I cannot let them win. I cannot give in.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to drown out all of the thoughts and emotions flooding my system – the fear quaking in my bones, Olly and Landers’ derisive laughter, the sting of betrayal stabbed into my heart – and I focus only on crawling into the mind space.

I will do this for Bas.

I will do this for Gemma.

I will do this for Amin.

I will do this for Guylita.

I will do this for Moose.

I will do this for… me.

The familiar glowing orb burns in my mind space, begging me to take it. To harness its power and unleash vengeance upon this palace.

When I move to grab the power glowing in my mind, I see Bas standing beside me on the inside of my mind space. He looks intently at me, waiting for my cue to continue. I won’t waste time questioning how it’s possible. Instead, I join my hand to his, fusing our power as we raise our hands to the orb.

If they want a fight, let’s give them one, he says to me.

We reach for the orb together, summoning the power from the deepest part of our souls. The power quakes at our touch like it’s absorbing all of our strength. It pulses around us, growing brighter and brighter. The power intertwines our hands, merging them into one endless well of strength for us to draw upon.

Let’s take these assholes down, I command. We fight against the force pressing our heads into the sand and crawl our fingers forward until power releases from them in unison. It pushes out until heat bursts ahead of us. Though my eyes are shut, I can feel the warmth radiating from me as it threatens to destroy everything in its way. As I threaten to destroy everything in my way.

I faintly hear Olly yelling, “What the hell is this?”

Flames roll across the sand toward them and the Palace of Light, forming a wall between us - a wall that rises both in size and ferocity by the second.

The combination of my powers with Bas’ weaves together into a supernatural force, so strong that it becomes a beast of its own. He is like the spark to my flame, and I am the kindling to his.

“Landers, get back!” I can hear Olly yell, but the sound of his voice is fainter still - muffled by the crackling embers roaring to life. Their presence becomes lost as the conflagration spreads up the cliff, threatening to devour the place that I could have called home.

But the spot where we stand, on that tiny sliver between cliff and sea, it’s like a living, breathing barrier manifested before us. But unlike the barrier that confined and suffocated me for most of my life, this magic originates from me. It bends to my will and serves me, protecting the people I love. This barrier is my weapon, my avenue to escape.

For the first time in my life, I am in control.

I decide what happens next.

The force pressing us to the sand releases, freeing us to escape.

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