A sharp blade of fear strikes down Lukas’s spine. “What are you doing?” He curses himself for revealing his desperation, a pleased look coming over Vogel’s sharp visage.

“Continuing the process,” Vogel answers as he continues to trace the fastlines. “I’m going to make her pure again.”

Lukas’s fear for Elloren explodes, his muscles tensing as he blows out a hard exhale, blasting every ounce of his magic’s aura toward Vogel’s Wand. His fastlines glow red, the smoke twining from Vogel’s Wand flashing crimson before it blinks out of sight.

Wrath flashes in Vogel’s eyes, silver-bright. He raises his Wand and points it at Lukas’s chest.

Pain strafes through Lukas’s lines as he’s hit by a blast of Shadow, a guttural cry escaping his throat as his body spasms. Gray flashes across his vision and his resurgent alarm spikes.

“Oh, soon I’ll have your mind,” Vogel croons as he sets his Wand’s tip back down on Lukas’s fastlines as their red glow cools to gray. “Just as I’m beginning to access hers. I know you tried to warn her in a dream. After you tried to seduce her.”

“Better keep me awake,” Lukas hisses. “I’ll do it again.”

Vogel smiles faintly. “The only one in her dreams from now on will be me.”

Lukas’s fury detonates, every muscle rage-tight. “I will kill you if you touch her. And if I don’t, she will. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m dealing with,” Vogel rejoins sharply. “She’s cowering right now in the Eastern Realm. Hiding from both me and the Vu Trin heathens. Unable to access any of her power. But soon, very soon, she will be unbound. She’s waiting for it.” He smiles coldly. “And so am I.” Vogel murmurs a spell as Lukas futilely strains to free his wand hand, Shadow smoke slithering all over his fastlines. “She has plans to track you through the fasting,” Vogel notes as he traces the dark lines. “Fancies herself so in love with you.” His eyes flick to Lukas. “You and the Icaral both.”

Lukas glares at him, refusing to rise to the taunt. It guts him, to hear of Elloren’s love for Yvan. But this jealousy...it’s but an ember compared to what he feels for her.

Don’t come after me, Elloren, he rages through the fastline connection. He’s setting you up.

“I will break her,” Vogel serenely continues as Lukas pictures himself shoving that Shadow Wand clear down Vogel’s throat. “Then I will bind her and purify her.”

Vogel murmurs another spell as he touches his Wand to the center of Lukas’s palm.