Soul of Flame (Imdalind Series #4)(95)
I was already cracked; they had seen to that. What they didn’t know was that my crack was healing, and I was going to fight against it.
“What? Not going to say hello?”
“Hello.” I let the darkness that was in my heart seep into that one word, hatred and malice fueling the heavy tone as I smiled. The wicked line of my grin spread over my face and she flinched ever so slightly, her feet stopping her in place as her eyes trailed over my small frame. Her eyes widened at the long, golden ribbon that trailed over my shoulder.
“You little bitch,” she snapped, “cheating on Ryland like that. Just wait until he finds out, he’s going to track you down, hunt you. He will kill you.”
I flinched at her words, my heart rate increasing so fast I could barely control it, but I could. I would.
I grit my teeth and snapped my fingers as I brought my magic to me, a wall of power soaring away from me and right into Ovailia, sending her tumbling away.
She screamed as she slammed into a large tree, her face shocked as the attack she hadn’t been expecting carried her away.
Her head snapped up to me as her magic surged, her eyes blazing in an angry heat of malice. The emotion was stronger than I had ever seen from her.
I knew the look was meant as a threat; I could see the warning behind her eyes, however, it didn’t faze me. I just matched it, my eyes narrowing as I waited. Waited for her to fight back, knowing that if she didn’t, I would finish her anyway.
She jumped to a standing position as my eyes met hers, the scorn on her face making it clear she wouldn’t hold back.
That was good because neither would I.
Twenty-Three
Ovailia rushed me as she screamed, her hair a streak of white light behind her as her magic pushed her forward.
I took one look at the anger in her eyes and exploded into the air, knowing I couldn’t face her head on. I soared through the smoky air until I was high above her, my magic changing directions as I slammed myself down on top of her. I landed in a rush of wind and magic, pushing her into the hard ground as a bolt of lightning struck only feet from where we had collided.
The earth vibrated with the power, the air prickling with the electricity that lingered in the air. I felt the heat of it against my skin, almost like it was trying to find a way inside of me.
My teeth grit in anger as I pressed my hand against Ovailia’s neck, my palm heating and pulsing as my bones tensed, my pressure against her wind pipe increasing. She began to choke and laugh underneath my hold, her snide glare boring into me and I hesitated, giving her just enough time to slam her hands into my chest with a hot wall of force.
I called out as the pulse of her attack rippled through me, the violent magic sending me hurdling through the air away from her. The slow burn of her magic flooded through me only to be extinguished by my power as I fell.
Air and ash swirled around me, the long, golden ribbon whipping about before I brought a strong gust of air against me, the strength of my magic aligning my flailing body before I even hit the ground. I glowered into the stoic blonde before me as I dug my heels into the dirt. The grind of dirt and rocks rumbled through the small clearing as I skidded to a stop, the sky opened up in a deafening groan.
A sharp crack of lightning erupted behind me, the clearing illuminating with a blinding light. I didn’t dare take my eyes off Ovailia from where she stood before me, my heart thudding in my chest as I looked into the icy blue that was so different from her brothers.
The golden ribbon that was bound in my hair glowed as the long end trailed softly to the ground in front of me. I watched the delicate ribbon glide toward the ground while my eyes remained trained on Ovailia as she stood, her hands balled into fists. The ribbon landed against the dirt between us and I jumped into action, my feet pounding as I rushed her, my fist a hard rock as it intercepted with her stomach.
She yelled at the impact before shoving me away, the powerful jolt of her magic increasing the force, but not as much as she would have liked. I let my determination rip from my throat in a yell as I rushed back at her, my magic speeding behind my fist as I punched her hard in the jaw, sending her and her ridiculous stilettos skidding through the dead leaves of the forest floor.
“I don’t know why you are even trying to fight me,” she taunted as she wiped the blood from her lip, her voice the same acidic tone I had always heard from her. “There is no way you can defeat me.”
I said nothing, I only glared into her, a small smile playing on my lips as I panted, waiting for my fear and anger to settle into something I hoped I could manage.
Ovailia’s hands fanned out, her fingers stretching as sparks of fire spread between them, the rainbow of colors flashing violently. Her eyes flared with a wicked gleam before she brought her hands together, the colors and magic colliding in a bang that echoed through the forest.
I cringed at the sound, my anxiety sparking as a wall of fire and smoke erupted from her hands. It stretched across the entire length of the clearing, the height of it kissing the top of the lightning strewn sky. My teeth clenched as I watched it grow, watched the flames flow and swim through the barrier that was now sneaking toward me.
The fire Ovailia had sent at me deepened to a blood red as the earth rumbled and lightning sliced through the air on either side of me, the two giant forks framing me as I faced Ovailia, who stood hidden behind the attack that would devour me.
The jolt of electricity sped through the earth, and pressed against my body, seeping into me as it electrified the frantic energy that pulsed through me. I felt my magic bubble in reaction; I felt it crush against me as it tried to race out of me. I pressed my hands forward, letting the earth’s magic swell through me and out of my fingers. The stream of crackling power collided with Ovailia’s wall in an explosion of air and fire before it melted to the ground, leaving her hard, hatred-lined face glaring into me.