We make our way forward through the chaos and wooden wreckage surrounding us just as another beast pours in from our left, having escaped Cole's grasp.

It stretches its claws toward me as I ready my power, but before I can strike, a large black wing swings forward and, in one nimble move, forces the vile shifter back. It sends the beast flying into the broken bookshelves and tables around us.

Lucien places a hand out toward me, his palm outstretched and brow raised as he watches me. A dark grin gracing his full lips.

“Shall we continue?”

I sigh, placing my hand in his. What harm could it do?

He takes my hand in his, his fingers wrapping around me as if we were going on a stroll in the park. He steps on the torso of a dead mutated shifter. Getting down, he turns around and suddenly grabs me by the waist. He lifts me up as if I weigh nothing and carries me over the beast’s corpse. He puts me down gently, his brows slightly furrowing as he releases me.

We make our way over the fallen bodies and Library debris, a quick twinge tugging at my chest as I gaze at the destruction of my Library. I try to push it to the back of my mind and continue forward toward the three figures still chanting, their smoke now an entity of its own.

We hear a small gasp and look over to find Mirin encased in black smoke. The dark mist is more solid and coils around her throat and neck as she struggles to breathe. Callyn lays unconscious below her, black marks around his neck and cuts on his face.

A hard grunt rings out from a figure trying to fight the black coils around Mirin.

Derric. Blood seeps from wounds on his shoulder and torso, with cuts and fresh bruises covering his arms and face. His features are dark and tired, the battle being stretched out for too long. The young Fae fights furiously still as he tries to release Mirin from the dark smoke's grasp.

I jerk forward, my hand outstretched to go to her as a flurry of coils heads toward Lucien and me. They quickly wrap around our legs, stretching toward our arms and chest. Each time we rip them away, they reform rapidly and quicken their pace, tightening their grip on us and stopping us from moving.

I watch Mirin’s small frame thrash against the consuming black coils and smoke as she struggles for freedom, another small gasp pouring out from her lips as they turn blue from the lack of oxygen.

Fear begins to well inside me at the thought of losing my friend before quickly being consumed by my anger. It takes over the worry, transforming it purely into rage.

No more. I won’t lose anything else to the Interitus.

I call to the magic in the Library, begging for its help through our connection. For whatever it could give me. I pour all my pain and anger into my thoughts at the destruction of my home and the threat against my friends. I’m met with simple words; Take, Power, Fight.