Page 123 of Untraced Magic
“Morgan? Is it really you?” he exclaimed.
Tears soaked her cheeks. “Yes, Father, it’s me.”
Bars between them, they wrapped their arms around each other, emotion shuddering their bodies.
She took his face in her hands. “Stand back. We need to get you out of here.”
He vigorously shook his head. “No. You go. Save yourselves.”
She pushed him away, giving me the nod. “I’m not leaving you,” she snapped, standing her ground. “Now, stay back.”
I took the bars in my hands, my fingers curling around them, willing our mate bond to replenish my magic in record time. I knew it was limited, aware I would need magic to get us out of here.
My thermo powers melted the bars faster than expected, and I tore them apart enough to pull her father out. He fell into Morgan’s embrace, but we were on borrowed time.
“We need to go.Now,” I urged, and they split apart.
We ran back through the door into the main building, where flames now towered above us.
“There’s no way out!” cried Morgan beside me, wildly searching the room.
“This way!” I said, pointing to a part of the ceiling that had collapsed, the night sky teasing us from beyond licking flames as they ravaged what was left of the ceiling beams.
Morgan stared at me as if I’d gone insane. “What?” Without warning, she collapsed into a coughing fit as smoke filled her lungs.
I hurled her back to her feet, my arm gripped around her waist.
“Hold onto me,” I ordered her father, and he did as instructed without question. “Tight. I’m still getting used to this.”
We clung to each other, and a rush of air gusted through my wings as I fanned them out, my jaw clenched from the returning pain.
“Hold on!” I ordered.
Tensing every muscle, I pushed off from the ground until air filled its place, roaring in agony. Morgan’s scream tore through my ears as I took us higher until we coasted through the gap in the ceiling andinto the sky, pure grit and determination fending off the burn slicing through my back.
I recited the locator spell we’d been chanting at Betty’s house, repeating it over and over, blocking everything out until its verse was all I heard, its rhyme on repeat, synching with the thundering of my heart.
Suddenly, we landed with athump,the air forced from my lungs at its brutality.
I groaned, untangling my limbs to find Reid looking down at me from where he stood in the middle of the lounge.
“Well, fuck me,” he muttered, surveying my ripped top, the blood, the new appendage hanging from my back.
Skye rushed over, falling to her knees beside Morgan, concern clouding her features. “My god, Morgan! Are you okay?”
I rolled to the side to find Morgan sitting upright, Skye engulfing her in a hug.
“I’m fine,” she assured, giving a small wave to the group.
She gave me a lazy smile over Skye’s shoulder, and I felt the tug of her mate bond once more. The warmth of her soul colliding with mine again.
Morgan’s father spoke behind me. “Bruised bones, but we’re in one piece.”
“Gerald?” mouthed Betty, her words barely above a whisper.
His attention darted to Betty. “Mother?”
“Son!” she gasped.
