Page 101 of Forever Touched

The knife slipped through my fingers as the scream continued to belt from my lungs. It went on and on, destroying the last of my invisible prison. Freeing my magic from its cage. Relieved beyond measure to feel it freely flowing through my veins for the first time in six long years, I let it burst from me. My feet left the ground as magic exploded from my hands, from every pore in my body.

Suppressed for so long, I could barely contain it. The magic twirled and leapt, spinning me higher and higher, catapulting me into the air like a mighty creature stretching its wings. Light burst behind my closed eyelids, and I squinted them open to see that I was bathed in bright cerulean magic. Everywhere I looked, the magic spun and danced, happy to be free at last.

Free. I was trulyfree.

Mistress no longer controlled me. I could see her down below, a dark insignificant speck. I’d feared her for so long. Feared what she could do to me. But all that fear started to fade away like a bad dream.

I was free now. She couldn’t hurt me anymore. Couldn’t use me.

I’d just destroyed everything that had bound us together.

At the realization, the magic holding me aloft suddenly vanished, and I fell.

Too shocked to react, I let myself plummet to the ground. Down, down, down I went, succumbing to reality. To my chosen fate. The faces of my cruel past surrounded me from all sides, forcing me down to the cold, unforgiving ground.

But, at the last second, strong arms stopped my descent. Saved me from falling once more into the darkness’s waiting embrace.

Only this time, it was too late.

Darkness had already claimed me. He just didn’t realize it yet.

“Adalyn.”

As Everett’s voice washed over me, I waited to hear his disbelief, hisangerat my betrayal. But it never came. Instead, he sounded worried. Worried forme.

Pain suddenly splintered my vision. So powerful and abrupt that I curled against his chest with a strangled cry.

“Adalyn, what’s wrong?” he said over the pounding in my ears. Over the agony threatening to tear me apart. “Adalyn!”

“I’m so sorry,” I whimpered, forcing my lids open so I could see his beautiful amethyst eyes one last time. “I’m so sorry about everything. It’s not their f-fault.”

“Um, Everett?” Kade called from nearby. “We might need you in a second here. They’re looking mighty pissed.”

Everett ignored him, his concerned gaze still locked on me. “Tell me what’s wrong, baby girl. Let me help you.”

“Everett!” Loch snapped. “They’re going to—”

The room suddenly exploded into chaos.

Several vampires rushed toward us en masse. Loch and Kade met them head on, their bodies a blur as they used their supernatural speed to hold them back. Isla and Kenna hurried forward to help them, the latter sending a bolt of fiery red magic at the charging crowd. Even King Ambrose joined the fray, grappling with a member of his council.

As a vampire broke through the line and streaked toward us, Everett set me down and met the male with a bellowing roar. They clashed in a powerful display of brutality, their movements a blur as they fought each other.

His opponent was Viscount Le Blanc, one of the clients under my control. Scrambling to focus on our blood connection, I tried to stop him. Tried to reverse the damage I had caused.

“Kill them! Kill them all!” a voice shrieked, breaking my concentration.

I paused to search the restless Venturi that hadn’t yet joined the fight. Most of their faces were lined with confusion, and hope thundered in my chest. Maybe I’d broken some of the blood bonds when I’d freed myself. Maybe some of my clients were coming back to themselves, remembering how theyreallyfelt about the royal family.

Out of nowhere, two blond males emerged from behind the crowd, their hands encased in bright magic. I froze, caught off guard by the sight. I hadn’t seen warlocks inyears, not since the night my dad had died. What shocked me the most was that I recognized the younger one. Instructor Noah Andrews had been a teacher at the magic school I used to attend.

“Kill them!” the same voice shrieked again, and I finally spotted her.

Mistress still stood at the top of the grand staircase, her eyes gleaming wickedly as she surveyed the growing carnage below. Her two daughters cowered behind her, their expressions more excited than afraid.

Six years of pent-up emotion suddenly erupted from me.

With a feral battle cry, I flung a bolt of blue magic at them. Then another and another. One singed Mistress’s dress. Another hit Georgina in the arm, while the third exploded at Octavia’s feet. As they scattered like frightened ants, pain warped my vision once more. I curled forward, all the air leaving me in a rush. When I managed to blink away the darkness, red splotches dotted the floor.

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