Page 87 of Crowned

And then?—

Cove.

The dark magic hits him with terrifying speed, the force of it too much for him to evade. His body is thrown backward, like a ragdoll tossed in a storm, and I watch in horror as he crashes to the ground with a sickening thud. A guttural scream escapes from my throat before I can stop it.

“Cove!” My heart skips a beat, panic rushing through me. I can’t breathe.

I turn to him, seeing him crumpled, his body limp on the cold earth. Blood spills from his chest, pooling beneath him like a dark stain, and for a moment, the world stops. Everything in me freezes.

They’re here.

A surge of magic sweeps over me like a wave, fierce and familiar. It’s Vance. It’s Bhodi, Reef, Cove...No, not Cove – he’s unconscious, injured, but the others are here. Their power ripples through the air, overwhelming the dark magic for a split second.

I turn just in time to see them – Vance, Bhodi, and Reef, bursting through the smoke. They’ve been here. They’ve stayed hidden, waiting for the right moment to act. Their magic cracks through the air like thunder, a shield around me, giving me the strength I need to stand tall.

“Now!” Vance shouts, his voice like a rallying cry, pulling me from my daze.

But before I can even process their presence, another blast of dark magic hits Cove’s lifeless form with enough force to crack the ground beneath him. It’s too fast, too brutal. My world tilts again, and for a moment, I think I’m going to lose everything.

“No!” The word rips from my throat, and the power surging through me spikes, uncontrollable, wild.

My vision blurs with tears, my mind racing.

No, not him.

The rage surges through me. The grief. The fear.

And then I hear it.

Let go, my child.

Yemaya’s voice again. Her presence fills me, wrapping around me like a protective embrace.

“You are stronger than this. Your love, your will to protect, is more powerful than any magic. Now is your time. Unleash your power, Malia.”

I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. I release everything.

The ground shakes. The sky rips open. A torrent of magic erupts from me – blinding, powerful, uncontainable. It’s not just light – it’s a force of nature, a storm of divine fury. The air around us explodes as my power tears through the battlefield. The wind howls like a beast, the earth shatters beneath us, and the very air is saturated with the pure, raw energy that is now my birthright.

I scream, pouring everything I have into the magic, the last remnants of my strength. It’s too much. Too fierce. And the shockwave of power knocks everyone off their feet, the world crumbling in the wake of my divine rage.

When I come to, my ears are ringing, my vision blurry, the taste of smoke thick on my tongue. I push myself up, gasping for breath, only to see the wreckage around me – the stillness where Summer’s parents once stood. Their bodies lie motionless, their magic utterly shattered.

But the cost…the price of victory…

“Vance?” I croak, searching the smoke-filled air. I hear movement, and soon, Bhodi and Reef are pushing themselves to their feet, shaking, but alive.

But then my gaze shifts. Cove is still lying on the ground, blood staining the earth beneath him. My heart skips a beat, my chest tightening in fear.

“Cove...” I whisper, stumbling toward him. My hands are shaking as I try to assess the damage, but the world feels surreal. I can’t lose him. I won’t.

A soft cry, a faint sound that stops me cold.

I turn, and my heart stops in my chest. Summer is lying on the ground, her body crumpled.

How did she get here? I told her to stay inside where it was safest…

My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment, the world seems to slow. I rush to her side, my heart pounding in my ears, my hands trembling as I gather her up in my arms.

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