Page 89 of The Bonds of Nyx

Bile rose in my throat, and I tried to calm my racing heart as I turned to Eloise. “Are you okay, El?”

Hawk still had his hand over her mouth, but she nodded. I blew out a heavy breath and cast him a quick look. “You can let her go. It’s not her fault you scared her.”

The second team leader rolled his eyes. “She’s a siren with a powerful Call. You need to be careful of that.”

A shiver raced down my spine. Eloise’s eyes widened, and a new fear entered the blue of her irises. I quietly shook my head, something Hawk must have caught because he pressed his lips into a firm line.

“Okay, kid, climb onto my back. There’s too much glass on the floor, and we don’t have time to be careful.” His dark eyes fell away from mine to land on Eloise, who wrapped her arms around herself.

The deep insecurities beat into her filled her eyes as she considered the floor. From where I stood, there were also dents in the floorboards and other debris that didn’t look safe. The once comfortable couches were now upturned, the cushions all over the floor, innards wet from rain cutting through the broken windows.

And Hawk was right, as much as I didn’t want to admit it. We didn’t have time to be careful.

Before Eloise could climb onto his back, lightning struck the stairs behind us. We scrambled back as debris rained down around us. My magic exploded out of me in the shape of a dome. Fear turned to anger as the debris hit the shield before bouncing off it.

“What the hell was that?” Thea asked. Her eyes flashed gold, but when I blinked, they returned to their normal colour. Maybe it was a sign of whatever creature she was, but it wasn’t important right now.

I turned to Elias, and his jaw ticked as his gaze landed on a lone figure in the kitchen. The person was dressed identically to the soldiers I’d met during the kidnapping. As I took in their uncovered face, time slowed.

I expected to feel pain over what I’d done when we’d been kidnapped, but instead, anger churned in my gut. Again, they’d gone after my family. Tried to hurt my sisters.

“El, do it,” I said quietly, keeping my eyes on the enemy, “now. We have to go.”

Her eyes shone with tears, but she nodded. It took only a moment for her to perch on Hawk’s back, her legs around his waist and arms locked around his neck. He still engulfed her, though. He was larger than I’d first perceived, but I took that as a hope that he would be able to protect my little sister.

My magic prickled across my skin like electricity before sharpening into something more powerful. If they wanted to use lightning against me, then so be it.

Let them deal with the storm coming for them.

Elias grunted as he shifted Ginny in his arms. “We don’t have the coverage to make this as safe as possible. So, we’re going to need to move fast and stay low. We’re surrounded by the enemy, whose aim right now is to destroy everything.”

My stomach twisted, but I nodded without a word. Thea pressed herself into my side, bracketing Maisie between us as Hawk raised his fist.

For a beat, we didn’t move. But when the fist dropped, we ran, and I let the lightning free.

As we covered the children, the power of Nyx formed itself into a strike of electricity that slammed into the enemy soldier. The smell of singed skin and hair tickled my nose, but I tried not to let my discomfort show as the body flew through the back window into the forest beyond, where more soldiers and our agents fought.

Another violent shock rocked the house as the basement door came into view. Magic swirled beneath my skin like a protective shield. I felt it spread out around us, a web of purple electricity forming a barrier around our group as we made the dangerous crossing through the open living room towards our salvation.

Hawk muttered something under his breath, but he quickened his pace. The door looked untouched, but the small box beside it was dented. Hawk swore, punched in the code, and we waited an agonising second for the green light to flash.

Glass scattered, and a moment later, a bellowing roar filled the room. I ducked as my magic strengthened, and something soared in our direction. It hit the shield and crashed to the destroyed floor in a heap.

“Fuck,” Thea whispered. “That was kind of cool.”

If panic weren’t rising in my throat, I might have agreed. But the bubbling sensation prickled against my skin, warning me of the upcoming exhaustion about to rip through me. I’d never had to use my power like this, and I wasn’t used to the exertion. But if it meant protecting the kids, I’d keep it up. I had to.

Elias’s warm hand clamped around my upper arm. I turned as he deposited Ginny to her feet, and she scampered between Thea and I, wedging herself with Maisie’s trembling body.

My eyes met his, and I knew from the troubled look in his gaze that what he was about to say wouldn’t be good. “Your magic isn’t completely stable, even anchored,” he said, lifting another hand to cup my cheek. “You need to drop the shield. It’s the only way. I’m going to shift and take out the bear. You follow Hawk down into the basement. Do not look back.”

Bile rose in my throat as I shook my head. “No. Absolutely not. I amnotleaving you.” The idea splintered my heart into a thousand untouchable pieces. My magic bellowed within me at the notion.

He is ours, it seemed to yell.

I agreed, but by the look on my shifter mate’s face, it wasn’t up for discussion.

The door pinged and groaned as it opened. Elias pressed a chaste kiss on my lips. “Go. Now. I’ll see you soon.”

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