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Chapter 42

Gray

An invisible rope coiled around my ankles, returning me to the present as it snatched my feet from under me. My butt caught my fall with a sharp thud, causing an acute pain to radiate through my hip bone. I groaned and tried to roll over, but the chord of air wouldn’t relent from my ankles.

“Wield your air, Gray,” Orion coaxed, guiding me through the pain. “Breathe.”

Gathering my element within me, I unleashed it in small, powerful bursts at Orion’s chest. He stumbled backward with each hit that slammed into him like rapid gunfire. Once he broke the concentration, I wrapped my own conduit of air around the invisible chord and melded it to make it my own, taking control of his power. With an outward swish of my wrist, the ropes flew free from my feet in little gusts of wind.

“There you go, Rainbow,” Chrome encouraged as I rose to my feet, ignoring the pain spreading from my tailbone around my hips.

Air blasted from my palm at Orion. It squeezed through his mouth and down his throat. He gripped the column of his neck, his teal eyes wide as he gasped for air. I tightened my hand into a fist, and he dropped to his knees.

Chrome’s voice was faint as he called my name. I was too focused on the unyielding control I had on the enemy. He was close. I could end this now and save myself. The powers raged within me, begging it of me.

More.

More power. More of his life force. Ineededit. My magic urged me to keep taking until there was nothing left.

My enemy’s eyes drooped, and his face became beet-red beneath the gold layer. He was only a gasp away from the end.

An unseen force shoved me away from the control I had of my element, like someone slid into the driver’s seat and booted me out before slamming the door shut.

What the fuck?

I was still tethered to my magic, but it was faint. My air untwined itself from the steel grip it had on my enemy—no,notmy enemy.Orion. The horror of what I almost did slammed into me as I watched him gasp for breath. He caught his body weight on his palms, heaving.

A shaking hand covered my mouth, guilt and confusion already consuming me as I stared, dazed.

What the hell just happened?

“Gray.”

Chrome grasped me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. I averted my gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

“Look at me.” His voice was firm and direct, striking something alive within me. “Are you okay?”

I said nothing, just stared wide-eyed at him in shock.

“Thatis what happens when you lose control while replenishing. You began feeding from him without even realizing it,” Chrome explained.

A heavy weight sank low in my stomach. I took a shaky breath. The dangers of replenishing rocked me. For the thousandth time, I hated my father for hiding this part of myself for so long, leaving me so ill-equipped to handle the most basic aspect of being an Elemental.

“Is…is he okay?” I whispered and glanced around Chrome to check on Orion. He stood, looking a little shaken and running a hand through his hair.

Chrome’s eyes softened. “Yes, Rainbow. He’s okay. I stopped you before you killed him.”

Fuck.

But another thought slammed into me at his words. “Wait…” I said, my brows furrowed. “How did you stop me? What happened?”

Chrome took a step back. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I think it was one of our joined abilities, like the portal. But I think I understand how I did it. I felt like I was being guided by some outside being… I don’t know. But I tethered onto your aura and wielded your element of air. It was dominating you based on your strong desire to deplete Orion.”

“You what?” I asked, floored by someone’s ability to do that. “You can take control of my power whenever you please?” I did not like those implications.

Chrome shook his head. “I don’t think it’s whenever I please,” he started. “I felt pulled to do it. Like you were subconsciously begging me to help, even if you didn’t realize it.”

I nodded, then dropped my gaze to the dead grass at my feet. “Thank you.”