Ellie POV


    Consciousness came back to me like fire.


    Not gently. Not gradually.


    It mmed into me all at once, dragging me upward through pain so sharp it stole my breath.


    My body arched off the stone floor as power tore through me unchecked, a blinding surge that burned behind my


    and screamed in my veins.


    eyes


    I cried out.


    The sound barely made it past my throat before magic detonated outward.


    Golden light exploded from my skin in violent waves, mming into the walls, the ceiling, the air itself. Stone cracked. The ground shuddered. Somewhere close, someone shouted in rm.


    "Ellie-get back!"


    The voice was familiar. A warrior. A friend.


    It didn''t matter.


    Fear spiked and the magic answered it instantly.


    Another st tore free, stronger than thest. I felt bodies hit the ground, felt the wards along the walls re wildly as my powershed out without direction or restraint.


    The goddess''s presence filled mepletely now-vast, furious, and protective in the most brutal sense of the


    word.


    Everything was a threat.


    Everything that moved was danger.


    I could feel the energy pulsing, reaching, creating a barrier around me that nothing could reach through. My heart was racing wildly and fear spread through my veins, cold and strong.


    "No," I gasped, clutching at my chest as my heart hammered. "Stop-please-" The magic didn''t listen.


    It wrapped around me like armor made of lightning, reacting faster than thought. Anyone who came too close was thrown back by invisible force. I could feel it happening even when I couldn''t see it-impact after impact, the magic striking first, asking nothing.


    I tried to pull it in.


    It surged harder.


    I tried to ground myself the way ric had taught me-breath, focus, intention-


    The goddess roared through me in response, drowning out everything else.


    This was wrong.


    This was exactly what he had warned me about.


    The magic is powered by the goddess and directed by my emotions. He warned me that if I lost control of my feelings, something like this could happen. But it was far more frightening and vicious than I could have imagined.


    Panic wed up my spine as another wave ripped outward, the air cracking with the force of it. I curled inward, pressing my palms to the floor as tears streamed down my face.


    "I''m sorry," I sobbed. "I don''t know how to stop-I don''t want to hurt anyone-


    The realization hit me with sickening rity.


    I was hurting people.


    ")


    I was bing a threat to the very people that I was meant to be protecting. I forced myself to my feet, holding myself up against the wall.


    I had to get control, I had to.


    The thought only fueled my panic more, made my mind race with renewed fear.


    If I didn''t stop, would it spread? Would it hurt someone badly? Damage the building? Could it reach the boys?


    The magic surged again, triggered by the terror of that thought, and I screamed-raw and breaking—as light tore through the hall.


    Then-


    Something shifted.


    Not violently. Not abruptly.


    The pressure eased.


    I sucked in a ragged breath as the magic stuttered, its wild edges dulling as the torrent of power began to move- not exploding outward anymore, but being pulled away from me in a steady, deliberate stream.


    The air grew heavy instead of sharp.


    The pain receded just enough for me to feel some sense of relief.


    "What-?" I whispered hoarsely.


    The answer came not in words, but in recognition.


    ric.


    The instant I realized it, relief crashed over me so hard my knees nearly buckled. I could feel him now-his magic firm and precise, wrapping around mine with practiced


    ease.


    He wasn''t forcing it. He wasn''t fighting me.


    He was stabilizing me.


    Drawing the excess away, grounding the surge with calm, inexorable control.


    “You''re all right,” came his voice-not through sound, but directly into my awareness. Steady. Certain. " Breathe, Ellie."


    I did.


    I could feel him as if here was standing right there, holding my hand, grounding me with his steady presence.


    The magic responded.


    Each shaky breath slowed the current just a fraction more as ric continued to siphon off the overflow, his presence unwavering despite the sheer volume he was containing.


    The goddess remained-immense, burning-but no longer overwhelming. Her power flowed through me instead of tearing me apart, shaped and redirected by ric''s intervention.


    Tears streamed silently down my face.


    "ric," I whispered. "You''re not here. How are you-?"


    "That doesn''t matter right now,” he replied gently. "Focus."


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    Cede is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a ir for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cede''s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.