Page 84 of The Shadow Wand

Because Vogel’s evil is bigger than Vogel alone.

Lukas takes a step toward me. “Elloren,” he says, his tone gaining urgency, “who else knows?”

I don’t care, I want to snarl at him as tears sheen my eyes.I loved him.

But then another voice sounds in my mind.

Yvan’s.

Survive, Elloren.

Survive and fight them.

“I...I don’t know,” I force out, misery threatening to break loose from my throat.

I love you, Yvan. I love you.

“We need to leave,” Lukas says, still urgent but gentler this time. “Elloren, if they find out about this, they’ll kill you. You shouldn’t even be in Gardneria.”

My eyes stay locked with his as horror infuses my voice. “I’m not safe anywhere.” Fear rises, and I struggle not to succumb to its clawing grip.

Lukas, I’m in so much danger I don’t know what to do.

But if I fight back, I’ll kill everyone. Even you.

“I need your protection.” I level with him.Or I’m going to be killed.

“I meant what I said,” he says, his tone blazingly heartfelt. “If you need my protection, you have it.”

The inescapable urge toward honesty swells, and I’m unable to contain it.

“I loved him,” I say, my voice breaking. “I loved Yvan.”

A flash of stark pain passes over Lukas’s expression. “I know,” he finally says, an edge to the words, but then his gaze turns unexpectedly ardent. “Iamyour friend, Elloren. I always will be. Let me help you.”

I look away, overcome by Lukas’s show of alliance as I wrestle with overwhelming grief. Tears burn my cheeks as I’m swept up in a yearning for Yvan so powerful that it threatens to undo me.

Lukas moves closer and gently takes my hands in his, and I let him. I keep hold of him, his own grip firming around mine as I cry and the waves crash onto the rocks below us. Lukas reaches up to caress my cheek, and I tip my head against his palm as I sob, his green eyes fixed on mine and filled with an unexpected compassion that feels like a lifeline. Then he reaches down to take my other hand again in his as he slightly loosens his fire and earthlines, letting his invisible branches twine around me protectively. His fire affinity seeks out mine in small, bolstering flares, then, meeting no resistance from me, courses through my lines in a rippling stream.

It’s like flame to spirits.

A reflexive shudder flashes through my body as fire lights in my vision and my magic surges with monstrous force, colliding and meshing with Lukas’s in a sudden wave—fire, earth, air, and water power avalanching into his magery.

Lukas sucks in a hard breath, his whole body tensing as his grip around my hands tightens and my power overtakes him.

And I realize in this one brief, staggering moment...

I’ve become much more powerful than Lukas Grey.

Alarm gains hold and I jerk my hands away from Lukas’s then stagger backward, balling my stinging wand hand into a fist as power continues to course through my lines, straining toward Lukas, my hand glowing scarlet and burning hot.

The world around us has grown dim, the grove’s sapphire glow gone.

I glance wildly around, my breathing erratic.

The Ironflower blossoms behind us have all darkened, a palpable terror now emanating from the trees.

Lukas glares at the grove then sets his fervid gaze back on me, his own breath unsteady, his fire a lashing blaze. “Holy gods, Elloren. Your power’s grown.”

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