Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(30)

Until he surged forward, stronger than ever. He glowed brighter, his magic battering my mind. Pain surged through my skull, a migraine that would lay me out if I weren’t so driven by adrenaline and fear.

The Phantom had liked the destruction power. Of course he had.

And why was I throwing that at him, anyway? I was Life. It was such a weird power to have.

I shouldn’t be using that. It was counter to my very being.

Instinctually, I called upon the magic at the core of my being. Not a magical gift, like conjuring or destroying, but the power that actually fueled those gifts. The power that lived within my soul. It was raw magical energy, the battery that fueled my magic. I’d never used it this way before—I didn’t know that it was even possible—but fear could make a person try crazy things.

The magic was a golden light inside my chest, fierce and strong. I let it free, calling it up from inside myself until it filled me with warmth and hope. I sprinted through the Phantoms who stood between me and the other side, stumbling only once.

I gathered up the magic like it was spun gold, then threw out my hands and hurled it at the nearest Phantom.

Golden light shot from my palm, colliding with the monster. He shriveled to nothing in an instant, blinking out of existence like he’d never been.

Shock stole my breath—though that could have been all the sprinting—and I tried it again, this time aiming for a group of Phantoms coming for Ares.

The golden light flashed, hurtling from my palm and colliding with the oncoming enemy. They blinked out of existence, the magic too much for them.

We had a chance!

We were still fifty meters away from the other side of the crater. I was beyond exhausted, and there were at least a dozen Phantoms between us and safety.

But I had a weapon.

“On your left!” Ares shouted.

I threw a blast of golden light at the Phantoms. It was smaller this time, but it collided with two of them and obliterated their glowing blue forms. We dodged the next group, my legs straining and my lungs aching. Though they ran to keep up with us, we were just fast enough.

There was one last group between us and the other side. Five Phantoms, all with their arms outstretched and their gazes hungry. There’d be no dodging this many—not when they stood directly in front of us.

I gathered up the last of my magic, every single bit of it, and hurled it at them. Golden light burst from my palms, flashing toward them. It bowled the Phantoms over, destroying them in seconds.

Joy surged in my chest as exhaustion dragged at my legs. But we made it to the edge and began to claw our way upward. My lungs burned and my muscles ached. I scrambled toward the top on hands and knees. Ares wasn’t doing much better, the mental strain of the Phantoms was enough to give even him trouble.

We reached the rim and I scrambled up, flopping onto my back and panting as sweat rolled down my face. It was warmer up here, the unnatural chill of the Phantoms long gone. I rolled over and peered into the crater below.

It was empty, as barren as when we’d first looked into it. Though we’d left some Phantoms behind, they’d disappeared as soon as we had left.

“Well done, Nix.” Ares panted, rising to sit at the edge.

I dragged myself up into a sitting position, scooting toward him. The sun had sunk fully behind the horizon and the dark was creeping in on us.

“What kind of magic was that?” he asked.

“I have no idea.” But I felt empty inside, totally exhausted. “I think it was my core magic. I just threw it out of me. I didn’t even know I could do something like that.”

“You blasted them with life.”

“Maybe?” It sounded crazy, but… “I guess it makes sense. If the plants on Elesius all died to give me their magic, that’s what it would be, right?”

“I think so.” He reached for my hand, squeezing. “You saved us back there. Phantoms… I’ve only ever heard of them. They’re worse than I ever realized they could be.”

I shuddered at the memory of the horrible fears they’d dredged up, the awful things they’d made me relive. “They’re the worst. Something so terrible that you can’t even fight.”

“But you can fight them.”

“I guess I can. Now.” I smiled. That was a good power to have. Except for the fact that I was tapped out. I could feel the slightest tingle of magic inside me. My power had started to regenerate, a battery recharging, but it’d take more rest.

And now was truly the worst time to have no magic. It was dark, the air was growing colder, and I was thirsty. Soon, I’d be hungry. “I’m pretty tapped out. Won’t be able to conjure water or a tent for a while.”

Ares started to rise. “I’ll go look for water.”

“No.” I reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him down. “Remember what Bree and Ana said? We need to hang tight when it gets dark. Who knows what’s out there?”

“My vision is good. I’d see them coming.”

“All the same, I don’t think we should separate.” I tugged his arm again, and he sat. “I’ll be able to conjure some simple things soon. Then we’ll camp out till morning.”

He sighed, then sat. “All right.”

He tugged me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. His warmth flowed into me, seeping into my tired muscles. I sagged against him.