Page 30 of The Powers of Nyx

Despite each turn Hawk took, the trucks followed. My eyes strayed to the navigation screen. “The red lights—those are what?”

“The enemy,” Hawk snapped as he gunned it through an intersection, barely avoiding the red lights. That should have given us some space, but two more trucks appeared, flagging either side of our SUV. They didn’t have their weapons drawn, but I wasn’t naive enough to think they didn’t have them.

My throat thickened with fear as I stared at the screen. “They’re blocking us in, Hawk. They’re coming from all directions.”

He swore, swerved, and took us down another street, this one quieter—and much too open.

“Railroad ahead,” Maeve said. “The crossing is closing. Make it before the train.”

Hawk grunted, and we accelerated. Adrian’s arm remained wrapped around my shoulders as I attempted to hold down my panic. My own magic threatened to explode out of me. It wanted to protect everyone in this vehicle, but I was terrified it would lead to our destruction. I couldn’t safely control it, and I wondered if our enemy knew that.

I should have told Elias I loved him, I thought, sucking in a sharp breath as the railroad crossing appeared up ahead.I should have told Adrian, too.

But I didn’t. I tucked those away, because I needed to believe we’d make it through this, first.

I wasnotdestined to die in a car accident.

Screw these assholes.

I still had mates to bond, another to find, and kids to look after. I needed to promise Thea that we would find out what she was, and no matter what, our dream bookstore and bakery would come to life. I would get the next book out to my readers, and I wouldnotlet anyone else down.

I turned in my seat and gathered my magic.Trust yourself.I focused on the lightning, the same power I had wielded when Adrian had been hurt, the power thatlived in my veins and came out for my bonds. I gathered it into a ball, similar to how Adrian had taught me his charm magic. It burned through me as I focused it on the two trucks behind us.

The power sang in my veins. It begged to be released. The voice of my nightmares echoed in my ears:You will have to fight. And you will have to win…Or death will find you and all those you love.

And itexploded from me, hitting the closest truck with a shattering explosion. It threw the vehicle off the road while the other swerved.

But I hit the second one with another crash of violet lightning, and watched as it rolled into the oncoming traffic. I threw up a shield instinctively around the humans, feeling the hum of my magic against my chest as a barrier surrounded them. The enemy truck rolled over the civilian’s and crashed into a ditch before catching aflame.

My head pounded as I turned back, muscles stiffening with the exertion, but we made it through the railroad crossing moments before the train, and seconds before another truck could follow us. I heard it slam into the freight train, the collision ending in flames, and blew out a shaky breath.

“We have three oncoming, make a sharp left here—” Maeve’s voice was cut off by the screeching of tires. The impact threw us, the sound of smashing glass and crunching metal ringing in my ears.

Fear tightened my body as magic expelled around us.

The car rolled, and everything went black.

11

IVY

THEsound of screams filled my ears. I wasn’t sure if they were mine, or if they belonged to someone else, but they echoed inside my head, furious and agonising.

I peeled my eyes open, blinking away the haze of blood dripping from a wound on my forehead. The entire world titled around me, turned upside down with trees in the sky, and clouds on the ground.

No. That’s not right. I blinked, realising the world hadn’t shifted—I had. My body was hanging upside down, still strapped into the middle seat of the SUV. The seatbelt cut into my chest and belly, tightening its choking hold, but the gear I’d been gifted protected me to some degree.

I groaned, my voice coming out hoarse. Maybe it was me who had been screaming.

“Ivy?” A shiver raced down my spine as panic ignited in my chest. I tried to lift my head and turn, but my neck ached and screamed in pain. “Ivy, please tell me you’re okay.”

Adrian. The warmth of our bond made me groan again. But I couldn’t speak.

I’m okay, I tried to say, sending it down our hazy bond.I’m alive. I’m right here.

But he made a sound of pain, one that shattered whatever resolve I had left.

Darkness filled my vision as I attempted to reach for that Goddess forsaken power, and instead of saving me, it consumed me.

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