Page 80 of The Eighth Isle

“It’s a matter of seconds now,” said Valentine, stepping away from us slowly, his eyes on Grey, who had his fangs extended and was about to jump again—but I didn’t give him the chance.

I released every ounce of magic in my veins onto Valentine because I’d be damned if I let him stop us now. Not when we were so close. Not when we could still make it.

Valentine’s eyes opened wide, and he brought his arms in front of his face when he felt my magic coming for him. But three things happened at once.

Storm roared at the top of his lungs.

My magic hit something invisible that must have been wrapped around Valentine’s body and disappeared into thin air.

And Grey’s wings wrapped around me, just as Syra came out of the shadows on the other side with a smile on her face.

“What do we have here?”

No.

I wanted to scream so badly my entire body shook. I pushed Grey’s wings to the sides so I could see her again, and he let me step away for a moment.

Syra was there, really there, wearing a black dress that covered her from her neck down to her feet, and her arms were crossed in front of her as she looked at us.

“Took you long enough,” Valentine was saying as he approached her, running his fingers through his messy hair.

“I got held up,” Syra said. “They were really trying to run away?Really?” And she started walking toward us as Storm spit fire at the sky in the distance because he didn’t dare attack her. Grey would never let him—we all knew she could kill him without breaking a sweat.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” I spit because I’d had enough. Enough of submitting and being afraid of her and running from her and being consumed by questions about what she planned to do to me. I’d had enough, and I would rather die right here and now than do this any longer.

“Oh, how ungrateful you are, you little brat. How very ungrateful you are!” Syra said, and she actually sounded surprised. “I gave you everything! Safety and food and warmth and even those books—Igavethem to you, and this is how you repay me? You wait for the second I turn my back and you try torun?”

“That’s far enough,” said Grey when she was in the middle of that circle, and she actually stopped, shaking her head at him next, like she really was in disbelief.

“And you, too! I’ve given you time. I haven’t forced you in any way, have I?”

Did she really expect a fucking answer? God, she was more delusional than I’d even realized, and she wasn’t even done…

“I’ve been dormant for five hundred years, Hansil. I am still trying to figure this out, make my place in this new world, and I haven’t even destroyed a single thing—becauseof you. I’ve been good to the other Isles as well. Magic is back, almost the way itused to be—and it’s all because of me. Why wouldn’t you want to be here with me?!Why?”

“You’re fucking crazy,” I spit because it wasn’t fair that I had to stand here and listen to this bullshit coming from her. The same woman who’d kept me here against my will.

But Syra only laughed. “Maybe I am, but this is where my patience runs out, lovely. I’m going to make sure youcan’tleave my side if you wanted.”

My skin was already crawling. I knew that things were about to get really bad really quickly for me tonight, but I still couldn’t have prepared myself for what happened in the next hour.

Grey was moving, beating his wings, arms spread as he reached for Syra—but he never made it to her. Valentine slammed onto his side and took him to the ground, and then magic, warm and smooth, like honey, wrapped around me and pulled.

I was no longer in control of my body, and for that split second that the panic wiped my mind clean, I realized what it was like to be really, truly helpless.

Then my magic burst out of me all at once.

Syra had pulled me closer to the middle of that circle. Her magic was still wrapped around me tightly, and mine clashed with it hard.

To say she was surprised was an understatement—the strength of my magic pushed her back a step and threw her head to the side as if an invisible hand had slapped her. I knew it was just the surprise. I’d caught her off guard, and that’s why she let go of me and I was able to move my limbs again, but I’d take it.

I raised my hands and focused on it once more, hoping she hadn’t recovered completely, hoping another blast of my magic, more concentrated this time, would knock her down to the ground and give me enough time to get rid of Valentine, who was still getting in Grey’s way.

I hoped in vain.

My magic slammed onto whatever invisible shield Syra had put up around herself, just like she’d done with Valentine. It faded into thin air within seconds, and Syra smiled. It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t all bitter, either—she simply raised her hand and fisted it, and then her magic was all around me again.

I screamed, not because of pain, but the frustration took away the view in front of me once more.

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