Page 91 of The Last Aether

“You won’t get away with this.”

“Please, they’ll think it was those Network idiots. No one will think it’s someone on campus.”

The ball of fire grew larger, and Aiden laughed. “You know I might like this more than I let on. You really pissed me off breaking my arm. But now you’ll learn just how weak you really are.”

The flames flew at me so fast they were a blur. I tried to duck, to move in any direction, but Aiden had locked me in place. The fire hurtled at me, and I knew this was the end.

I love you, Riven.

It was the only thing I could think to do. To send that message to the one person I hadn’t told.

A shout sounded in my head and then someone was flying through the flames. Riven dove in front of me, sending his body into the fire that was meant for me.

I screamed. The sound was otherworldly, feral and desperate. It broke the walls that had been constructed in my mind, whatever had blocked me of control of my body and magic.

I dropped to my knees, my hands hovering over Riven, a gaping black hole in his chest. “No, no, no.” This wasn’t happening.

Aiden cursed and more flames shot out at us as more shouts sounded from the woods. I could hear the guys, but they wouldn’t get here fast enough. My hands flew out, fighting fire with fire. The blast knocked Aiden off his feet, and he stumbled back, a burn striking across his face.

The shouts grew. Aiden’s gaze jerked in that direction. He cast one last look at me and then ran for the woods. I tried for another fireball, but my shot was wide, and he was gone.

“Aura,” Riven croaked.

I hovered over him, my hands to his cheeks. Quincy had said I could help my bond heal, but I didn’t know how. I did the only thing I could think of. I poured my love, my life force, my everything into him. A cascade of rainbow sparks swirled around us, but I could feel Riven fading.

“I love you,” he said in a raspy whisper. “I’ve always loved you. I would give my life a million times for yours.”

“Don’t leave me.” Tears dripped from my face into his wound. “Please.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

Sobs wracked my body as I shoved everything I could think of into Riven. I pulled on all my affinities from my very soul and demanded they heal Riven. Something in me snapped. There was a burst of silver light and then there was nothing at all.

51

Everything felt heavy. As if I were trapped beneath a thousand tons of concrete. Panic flared deep in my mind, sending me back to that night all those years ago. I could feel the beam pressing down on me, the burn in my lungs, the singe of my skin.

“You’re safe, Pip,” Kai crooned.

“We’ve got you,” Atlas echoed.

I struggled to wade through the weight that was keeping me from those voices. To open my eyes and know they were real.

How many times had I fought this battle? It felt like too many to count. But I would keep fighting until my last breath. For these men. For their love.

My eyelids fluttered, letting in snapshots of images. As they did, memories slammed into me. The forest. Aiden.

“Riven.”

It was the only word I could get out. The only word I needed an answer to. The only thing that mattered in that moment.

“I’m right here.”

His cool, smooth tone washed over me in the sweetest relief.

Riven wrapped himself around me. “Right here.”

Tears burned my eyes as I turned in his arms. “You’re okay?”