by Zoey Ellis
The blasts increased and she welcomed it into her body, twisting the magic to inflict herself with as much pain as possible, trying to drown the agony deep within her that mourned her failure.
As she moved closer to the onslaught, seeking a harsher, more painful experience, another vibration materialized far in the distance. This one was different—highly complex, more enticing than the other vibrations, more familiar, and intriguingly captivating. She turned toward it, drawn to it, and as she focused, a realization came.
“Alpha.”
Everything in her urged her to head to him; a visceral need to be in his presence dominated her mind and her senses. But although she breathed the word with her mouth, she could not hear herself say it. And that was the true reminder of what he had done to her—what she was to him, and what the rest of her life would be. However, there was no reason to remain loyal to their agreement anymore. Malloron had said as much—agreements were games, and she had the next hand to play. To win.
She turned away from the Alpha back to the blasts that were still coming from below, increasing in strength each time. She accepted the blasts into her body, putting up no resistance and enhancing their strength until they became almost unbearable. Connecting with the mass again, she unraveled it quickly this time, pulling it toward her as it dispersed. It hit her with a blast so strong, she cried out, relishing the pain. Her body lost feeling and went limp, and the air rushed past her ears as the sensation of falling twisted in her stomach.
She closed her eyes, relieved as the blackness encroached. Hopefully, this was the end.
CHAPTER THREE
MALLORON
Malloron raced toward Amara, cursing furiously as he felt her in the distance. How the hell had she already reached the Norryth border? She couldn't have been gone from the castle that long, but clearly something had changed. He could now feel her as a hum within him, as though she were part of him, whereas he hadn't felt anything like that from her before when she was in his bedroom. The tenebris was connected to his blood so he obviously had a connection to it within her, but this was completely new. The urge to get to her and have her under his control overpowered him. It was all he could think about, and as every moment passed, the desperation increased. She was never supposed to have left his side, and now she was exposed to Brecc and his foolish attempt to play with magic he had no business meddling in.
He could feel the power source that Elion had warned him about, and it did indeed seem to be a significant attempt. From a distance, he glimpsed an enormous ball of jagged white-blue magic squirming and revolving within an area contained by gems that kept it in place just beyond the border. Brecc’s Talent-crafters had somehow managed to pull together magic from a variety of sources and combine them in order to create some kind of weapon. It would have taken many years of experimentation to get energies to combine so well. Much longer than the few weeks since he’d cut Brecc’s throat. The man had been preparing for something like this for a long time.
The prevention spell that settled over Eiros trembled and twisted more wildly as he neared the border. The energy from the power source was eating away at it at an alarming rate, but the spell preventing magic from being accessed wouldn't easily unravel. It had been reinforced by every king that had taken the throne since his great great grandfather wove it. He was almost certain that these Talent-crafters wouldn't have any idea how to destroy it.
Suddenly a rush of magical energy burst from the area and Amara’s hum rapidly descended. He pushed himself to go faster, an uncomfortable feeling rising at the sudden dimming of her hum. He needed to see her to make sure she was all right but he was still too far away. She was bound to be among Brecc’s Talent-crafters and who knew what would happen. Anger coursed through his entire body that he had not been more vigilant. He knew that the tenebris would affect her differently and yet he never imagined she would be able to manipulate magic to such a degree. He should have watched her more closely.
By the time he arrived at the border, the magical energy had dispersed completely. He felt for Amara, searching the whole scene below, but she wasn't there. Her hum was moving farther away. He scanned into the distance, into Norryth, and saw Duke Brecc’s manor. Of course. Brecc had her.
He shot toward it, pushing himself to go as fast as he could. His Talent-crafter army would arrive shortly to deal with the breach to his territory, but he needed to focus on getting Amara.
As he approached the manor, Brecc was climbing out of one of the carriages parked out in the yard. A number of robed men—Talent-crafters—exited from the same carriage, surrounding him, and they hurried to the entrance.
“Halt!” Malloron slowed to hover above them, weaving together a shield to protect him.
All their heads snapped up and Brecc snarled at him.
“Return her to me,” Malloron ordered. “She is mine.”
“What is she?” Brecc called, not even bothering to deny he had her.
“That is not your concern,” Malloron bellowed. An annoyance scratched over him that they held what belonged to him, and he could barely hold himself back from launching a spinning orb to rip out their faces.
“She was caught in my territory,” Brecc shouted. “Interfering with my operation.”
“Are you referring to the operation to tear down my spell and attempt to overthrow me?”
“So you sent her?” Brecc’s face tightened. “You sent her to attack?”
Before Malloron could respond, Brecc gestured to him sharply with his head. His Talent-crafters immediately began chanting in the Ancient Tongue and sweeping their arms in elegant, unified movements, drawing together enormous magical orbs around them.
Malloron clenched his fists. Brecc honestly thought his Talent-crafters were capable of putting up some sort of resistance against him? It was insulting.
He simply watched them as they pulled together shards of magic, working as one to create a complex series of magical attack weapons. As they shot the weapons at him, he simply expanded his shield and rebounded them back, adding a gust of his own magic to propel them faster. The orbs slammed into the crafters who staggered at the force, but before Malloron could deliver the final blow, the manor behind them began to shake and the ground trembled.
Malloron was suddenly highly alert. The feel of Amara, her hum, increased and seemed to encompass the whole house. He watched, hovering in the air as the entire area quaked. The Talent-crafters staggered wildly and the carriages in the yard toppled over, but he kept his eyes firmly on the manor. The magic within the house was changing and shifting in a way he had never felt before. This was unusual and he had no doubt it was Amara.
In a sudden gust, starting from the ground up, the manor transformed from solid matter into a wispy smoke of magic that expanded out slowly, drifting in midair. As the magic began to clear, Amara was visible hovering in the middle of the smoky debris.
She looked stunning. The night tunic he had dressed her in and her raven black hair floated around her as though buoyed by water, but was instead buoyed by magic. It traveled both around her and through her as though her body was the conduit. And the most interesting thing was, not only could he feel her as an extremely powerful being, but he couldn't tell the difference between her and the tenebris. Her whole form hummed and called to his instincts. This was a new experience of the tenebris and magic in general.
Malloron kept his eyes locked on her, feeling the strength of her hum increase even further. He summoned her, using his connection with the tenebris to call her to him. She remained still, hovering as the smoke drifted around her.
Below, Brecc screamed and shouted, gesturing wildly. Malloron ignored him, keeping his eyes on Amara and increasing the strength of his summons. He knew she would feel compelled to come to him, which was the easiest way to control her. Clearly, she had abilities he’d been completely unaware of, and that made everything different. Of course, her condition was undesirable, particularly the lack of her sight, but this new a
bility of hers could give them options, he just needed her to obey him. There was no point in her fighting the tenebris; she wouldn’t be able to resist its call to him, and being his mate, her instinct to be with him would dominate her too.
Amara shot forward, speeding through the smoke away from him into Norryth. Malloron stared after her, shock rendering him still. How did she resist the summons? It shouldn’t be possible. His mind reeled that she was actually able to reject him. What did that mean? She was supposed to be his now. His to control and his to keep. She should not be able to ignore or reject any summons. An uncomfortable feeling embraced him. If she could truly reject him, it would be difficult to keep her with him. He had relied on the tenebris to keep her attached to him, and the realization that she was his mate meant they would be together regardless. But if both of those bonds were broken, he would have to find another way to force her to him.
He shot after her, leaving Brecc to mourn the loss of his manor. She was moving faster than he anticipated and had already crossed a number of miles in a matter of moments. It seemed to come easy to her, almost as if she wasn't even trying, while he was pushing himself to go as fast as possible. She was heading to Norryth sea, which made sense since it was the largest body of natural water in Norryth. She was most likely drawn to it. But if she was drawn to that, why didn't she submit to his summons? He clenched his jaw and fists hard. She hated him. That was why. But that did not matter now. She had to realize that she belonged to him. It was what they had agreed, and he was never going to let her go.
CHAPTER FOUR
AMARA
Destroying the house had been easy. When she focused after she woke, a room had materialized around her, just like when she viewed Eiros—she could see through the existence of the vibrations. They swayed a little, pulsing and trembling, even in objects that were clearly stationary. The men in the room thought they could restrain her, touch her, attack her with magic, and in her effort to protect herself she destroyed everything. All she had to do was connect to the vibrations in the solid matter like she did with magic. The building unraveled and she willed herself upward as the floors above her dissolved. The furniture and fixtures dissipated. The entire building became a wispy, floating collection of magic swirling around her as all solid mass reduced down to the particles responsible for their existence.
But he had been there—the Alpha—watching her, summoning her, and the draw to him was deeper and stronger than anything she had felt before—even the magic she had just experienced. It penetrated every part of her, making it almost impossible to resist, but she didn't even turn her head to him. Forcing herself in the opposite direction, she headed to the wild natural energy source she sensed nearby.
It stretched along the ground wide and deep, existing in a natural basin extending deep into the ground. She stared at it, transfixed by the vibrations it emitted. The magic within it sparkled, shimmied, and swirled, and within that further vibrations flicked and twisted and swerved. Everything moved so fluidly, so beautifully that she could barely drag her attention from it. It was fascinating to watch, and the fresh scent that drifted up from it calmed her turbulent emotions. She slowed to a hover above it and, as more vibrations materialized deeper and deeper, she realized she was staring at a wide body of water—possibly a sea. As she examined it, she felt its attention turn to her like all the other vibrations. She drifted over it in thought, wondering what would happen if she connected with it. How would water react to a connection with her? Would it be different from the other magic?
Before she could contemplate too long, the Alpha breached her awareness again. He was closing in on her fast.
She quickly became alert, turning to face him finally, the raw anger and resentment bubbling up within her.
Within the visual magic she could see in her mind’s eye, he was the most powerful vibration that she witnessed since waking. Magic flowed from him, from every ounce of him, and did not tremble—it was firm and steady, exuding authority, strength, and dominance. He was clearly not just any other Talent-crafter, even without the white lightning that he had forced inside of her, he was a powerful man in his own right. Strangely she could feel him differently to how she felt the men in the building. They were simply vibrations, just like solid matter, but the Alpha felt more complex. There seemed to be intention and mood surrounding him. And every single ounce of magic that exuded from him, demanded that she submit.
Amara drifted backward slowly as he approached, trying not to be affected by the intoxicating draw of his energy, but as she did he came closer. She moved back farther until she was far over the middle of the sea, but he navigated forward to match her speed. They hovered above the sea in a moment of stillness. Amara remained alert, watching his form, waiting for him to make a move, but he didn't. The compulsion to move closer to him increased, and suddenly she realized he was doing it on purpose. He was calling to her.
Taking a risk, she focused her mind and connected with his energy, but she realized too late that it was a mistake.
When she connected to the other energies, she was the one in control, but there was no doubt that she was not in control here. A new awareness opened up within her that she was sure was him. It was clouded and somewhat closed off from her, but it was dominant. He pulled her toward him, somehow in control of every inch of her body as he slowly closed the gap between them. Amara tried desperately to pull away, but it made no difference. No matter what she did to escape his hold, he held fast.
Desperate, Amara turned her attention back to the sea. The water was still waiting, the magic within it tuned to her. She connected with it, and with barely a thought, particles of water shot up into the air around them and hovered, awaiting instruction.
The Alpha continued to draw her to him. If he noticed the water in the air, he made no indication of it. His attention was on her, drawing her closer and closer to him in a smooth progression that did not falter.
Each inch he pulled her, Amara’s desperate need to escape increased. She hardened the water particles in the air to ice, and then shot one at him.
The particle hit him across the face, causing his head to jerk to the side. A tremble of annoyance shook the cloud of awareness within her, but his hold on her did not change.
Amara shot another tiny chunk of ice, and then another, and another, but he still pulled her in. Soon she was so close she could see the outline of his features in her mind’s eye. Fuck, the man was beautiful. Even in this form, his looks could not be denied. Then he smiled—she was almost within arm’s reach. Panicking, she directed all the particles in the air to hit him at once.
They swept past her, propelling her backward and smashed into his body with such force, he shot back, his hold on her finally breaking.
She drifted back, moving as far away from him as she could as she watched him sweep the ice away. His annoyance heightened, and a strong determination beamed through the awareness.
He grabbed hold of her body again, but this time Amara was prepared. Sending her focus into the sea below, she connected to every vibration within it. The water rose around them in two giant walls of rushing water, creating a corridor that contained only them.
"Amara.”
Amara jolted at the sound of her name. It was him! She stilled, wondering if she had heard him with her ears or whether it was in her mind. Either way, his tone was one of warning.
"Stop this.”
His voice was indeed in her mind. It didn't sound much different from when he spoke, except it resounded louder, as though he was deep inside her. And that was fucking annoying.
She morphed the two walls of water into spinning spheres.
"You cannot fight it. We are one. Just accept it and come to me.” He moved to her again, but quicker this time and with more determination.
Amara directed the enormous spheres of water directly at him, and as they surrounded him, she hardened them, trapping him inside an enormous ball of ice. Shock waves shuddered through the ice and str
uck him as she pushed the whole ball backward, sending him soaring away from her.
"Amara!” His roar was one of shock and anger.
She floated backward, unable to pull her attention from him being dragged away by the heaviness of the ice. She stared after him for a long moment and a hint of concern skipped across her mind. She pushed it away as the vibrations blurred.
Turning, she darted away, eager to escape his draw, hoping that he’d been damaged enough for her to find a way to escape him completely.
Amara traveled as quickly as she could away from the Alpha, her mind conflicted and confused. Part of her wanted to turn back and check that he was still alive, while the other part of her wanted to never put herself in a position where she would be within his reach ever again. She shook her head, trying to dismiss all thoughts of him completely, but now that the compelling draw to him was gone, another need emerged to see him again.
She huffed out a breath, annoyed that such a feeling was so strong in her when she fucking hated him. He was the one who had done this to her, he was the one who had put her in this state. And still, he had control over her body in the most complete way. It would be difficult to keep escaping him when he was so powerful. And yet a niggling feeling asked her if she even wanted to escape him. He was simply coming to collect her like any respectable Alpha would—she hadn't even left Eiros castle on purpose. She shook the thought from her head and turned her attention to her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was. The landscape materialized in a rush before her as she drew her attention down to it, and it seemed she was over a new stretch of land now, possibly Cleyanti.
