Hastily, I gathered all the emblems in my hand and dug deep within the cavern of my spirit.
Angellight was spreading over Jezebel’s limbs now, consuming her.
“Get off my sister!” I growled, and I ripped at the Angel strands.
A burst of silver-blue light erupted from Jezebel. It spiraled against mine with the icy pressure of vengeful destruction. A roaring wind spun between them.
My Angellight snapped against it like a twin force—or an evenly matched opposition. A balance. One building me up and the other set to destroy.
With an echoing crack and a flash, my power whipped back into me, and Jezzie’s into her, sending us staggering. The lamp beside the bed toppled over as Jez hit it, and I crashed into the wardrobe, breathwhooshingfrom my lungs.
Tolek was beside me, checking me over and helping me sit up.
The gold light settled back beneath my skin where it belonged, purring contentedly and spitting energy back into my muscles, fueling me.
But Jezebel and I panted, wide-eyed, her face hauntingly pale. Her frame was so small as Erista held her, kissed her temple.
“No more tests,” Erista demanded when neither of us spoke.
I blinked at them in silence, my stomach turning at what the light had done. That power slithered along my bones, and in its wake, a tainted feeling lingered. I was a creator of ruin with that untamed magic.
“No more,” I agreed. Not if it would risk anything happening to Jezebel, Lancaster’s taunts be damned.
As the two of them left, taking the emblems other than Damien’s for safe-keeping, I lashed at the wild magic inside me. I beat it down, forcing it to submit to my will, because it would not attack my sister or anyone I loved again. Not as long as I breathed.
I remained on the floor, staring blankly at the door, until Tol moved in front of me.
“You didn’t know,” he said, reading my guilty thoughts plainly on my face.
“I shouldn’t have tried.”
“Your sister is strong. She’ll be okay.” But there was a defensive edge to his voice that said he agreed. That the Angellight might be more volatile than we thought.
“It always listened to me before,” I said morosely. “Maybe not fully in my control, but it bent to my will.”
“I know,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I know. But we’ll figure out what happened later. For tonight, put it behind you. Because we’re walking into an entirely different battle.”
Tonight…the catacombs. My stomach dropped.
“I can’t use this magic.”
Tol cupped my cheek. “You’re strong enough without the damn Angels, Alabath.”
I closed my eyes and allowed him to ground me. Not without checking on the power in my blood, though. Not without taking one more moment to make sure it was locked away tightly. A beast shoved in its cage.
When I was certain it couldn’t get out, I stuffed all my questions inside with it and forged a lock over the uncertainty.
I wouldn’t let them out. Not again.
If that was what the power of Angels did, I would be stronger.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cypherion
“Well,I’ve placed a very large bet on a warrior who’s new to the territory.” The door to the basement preparation chamber clicked shut behind Tolek. He strode to the wooden stall where Malakai and I stood, dropping into one of the rickety chairs before the mirror. “And I did so rather loudly, so everyone was aware of who to challenge.”
I ripped the tape wrapped around my knuckles, flexing my hand. “Thank you.”
