For years, I fought to suppress the boundless magic that churned within me-a relentless, roaring river that refused to be subdued. But now, I released my iron grip and let it surge through me unhindered.
My head tipped back as waves of heat cascaded up my spine, igniting my blood and consuming my bones in an inferno of raw power. When I opened my eyes, my skin glowed with a golden radiance, as though I had become the sun itself. Where I burned with fiery brilliance, Leonardo shone with a cool, white light-pure, like moonlit waters in constant motion.
“Three…” I exhaled, feeling the fabric of my dress ignite. Flames raced upward, their orange and yellow hues reflecting in my eyes.
“Two…” The enemies were closing in, just twenty feet away.
“One…”
Leonardo and I moved as one, throwing our arms forward and unleashing the energy we had restrained for so long. My magic poured out in a flood, the power I had suppressed now eager to be used, cherished, and mastered. The air around me became stiflingly hot as tendrils of flame erupted from the earth, climbing skyward in a deafening roar.
The fiery wall reached nearly a hundred feet high, a barrier of heat and light. Beside it, Leonardo’s water magic responded in kind, creating a towering wall of shimmering droplets. Together, fire and water-a paradoxical alliance-stood firm against the onslaught of the soldiers of the night.
My limbs ached as I sustained the wall of flames, feeding it with my own reserves and drawing strength from the sun above. Emiliano’s warnings echoed in my mind: fire demands constant fuel to maintain its power. As the strain built, Leonardo’s wall of water merged with mine in a dazzling flash of cerulean and scarlet, their conflicting energies sizzling and cracking as they lashed out at our foes.
“You’re incredible, kitten,” Leonardo murmured, his voice strained but warm. Despite his exhaustion, his hand found mine, and together, we fled up the steep hill, leaving the blazing barrier behind.
Graziana’s urgent voice broke the silence as we plunged into the thick forest. “Isabella, we need a portal. Now.”
Her worry mirrored my own. The forest would be no sanctuary once the sun set, and beyond it lay only the ocean. Panic clawed at me as I tried to summon the spirit magic needed to create a portal, but nothing came. The power that had once felt so accessible now eluded me completely.
We kept running, the dense forest alive with sounds of pursuit. Branches snapped underfoot, and distant shouts mingled with the eerie cries of unseen creatures. Graziana’s voice cut through the din. “The Night Court soldiers are using air magic!” She clutched her abdomen, where her wound still bled sluggishly, her movements growing labored.
A scream pierced the air as Noemi was yanked to the ground, mud coating her pale skin. A thick rope trap had snared her ankle, digging cruelly into the flesh. Graziana knelt beside her. “Leonardo, freeze the rope and cut through it. But be careful-it’s too close to her skin.”
As Leonardo worked swiftly, I scanned the trees, tension thrumming through me. The soldiers were closing in, and time was slipping away. The moment the rope gave way, we bolted again, faster than before. Desperation fueled us, but an arrow slammed into the tree beside me, snapping my fragile composure. The next arrow struck Leonardo’s arm, and his pain hit me like a physical blow.
The connection between us magnified his agony until I could barely breathe. My fear clawed at me, threatening to overtake my thoughts entirely, but a flicker of determination surged in its place. I glanced at Leonardo’s siblings, battered and bloodied but still fighting. My chest tightened with a desperate hope that we might survive this, that their court could be restored.
Spirit magic awakened within me, unlike the elements I had called upon before. It surged from the deepest parts of my being, a livewire of raw power responding to my need to protect. The air ahead shimmered and swirled, colors blending until a familiar portal appeared, its edges pulsating with energy.
“Run!” I shouted, picking up speed. Together, we barreled through the portal, leaving the forest and its terrors behind as we returned to the human realm.