Page 117 of Untraced Magic
A beat.
A breath.
A distraction.
I felt him then. Clawing. Wesley’s power flooding my subconscious, taking what wasmine.
My magic slipping from me as if it were never there.
The one thing gifted to me at birth, my magic, my soul, was being ripped from me through this tether Wesley held over me, and there was not a damn thing I could do to stop it.
Blood-curling screams filled the room.Myscreams. Spine-curling, earth-shattering like he was tearing my soul into a million tiny pieces and discarding them among the stars.
My head throbbed as if it had its own beat, tears spilling down my cheeks. My heart squeezed so tight it burned, like the devil had lashed it, claiming it as his own, and I knew this was the end.
Glass shattered somewhere as I fought back against Wesley, my scream tearing at my eardrums as I felt the last of my magic leave me.
The clawing in my mind faltered for a split second.
A quiet spread over me.
I felt weightless.
Without warning, air forced into my lungs in a quick breath as my magic shuntedhardback into me. So hard I flew backwards.
Then darkness.
I had never seen such a thing. There were no warps or shades to its devastating beauty. A treasure kept from the night sky and the darkest of storms reserved only for this moment. I sank into its pit of nothingness. It was a welcoming and addictive place.
Deeper and deeper.
Until I could sink no further.
Tyler
Aforceshovedmeforward, the room distorting as I slammed my hands in front of me to break my fall, but it never came. Plucked into the air as if weightless, my eyes opened to find myself spinning wildly, a vortex twisting me into its fury.
Excruciating pain sliced through my back, my vision blurring completely as the shards of pain roused like a beast spreading its newborn wrath. A roar ripped from me as it molded to my bones, wracking my soul as it contorted me. Taunted me at its peril.
Son of a bitch, itburned.
I clenched my jaw, trying to block it out as the ground rushed at me faster than the air heaving into my lungs.
The earth thumped beneath my feet as I landed, one hand barely steadying me.
Where the fuck was I?
Quickly I stepped back, shrinking into the shadows of the forest that surrounded me, thankful for the momentary cover. My gaze swept over my immediate surroundings, my sight insanely sharp. Magnified.
The haunting tale of a raven’s cry forced me back to reality. Turning my gaze to the canopy above, its curious eyes looked down at me, a single blink before flying away.
Whispers of rodents scratched the forest floor, inching me forward, as if speaking to my mind. A shadow bounced off a nearby tree and I spun on my heel, searching for movement. It appeared again to my side, and I pivoted, my muscles tense.
Holy fuck.
The shadow was mine.
Blood rushed through my veins, faster with each passing second as I stared at the shadow protruding from my back.
