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Nyoka’s piercing feline scream mixes with my own agonised yell. It breaks something inside of me to do it, but it’s what Mum would have wanted, especially as her magic is likely the only way Nyoka was able to get through my shield.

Ethan’s jaws clamp around Nyoka’s neck, forcing my cousin to go completely still.

I ignore the pain in my chest, the blood coating me, and the frantic fighting around me as Nyoka’s people who still remain standing attempt to flee.

I move to kneel beside Nyoka, grip his furry face in both hands, and search for the Nagual inside of him.

It’s deep, wrapped around his core like an oil slick, black and toxic.

I channel the ley line power, making sure there’s absolutely no chance of failure as I dissolve the Nagual and magically bind Nyoka’s core.

Nyoka screams, his eyes going dark with pain before he shifts back to human form, still fully clothed but with his usual rings missing from his fingers.

Blood trickles from his throat where Ethan’s fangs nick the skin.

“You shouldn’t take the Nagual from me. You don’t know the mistake you’re making. ”

I remove my hands and glare at my cousin. “You’re a disgrace to the name Muroyi. Qadir would have been ashamed of you.”

Nyoka’s eyes flash with malice. “You have no idea how Qadir would feel.”

Ethan lets go, shifts in the space of about half a second, and crouches to manhandle Nyoka’s arms behind his back, restraining him before he can attempt to slither away. “Nyoka Muroyi. You are under arrest for multiple homicides, kidnapping, and anything else we decide to charge you with.”

“Fuck you, Lupo.”

I grip my cousin’s chin, forcing him to look at me. “Your core has been bound until such time as you are convicted or found innocent. If found guilty, your magic may be permanently removed. Do you understand?”

All remaining fighting around us stops. Raj, Cal, Skye, Jet, Kit, Uncle Vittorio and Aunt Lexie, Zaiden, Dante, Teo and plenty of other friends I recognise easily subdue Nyoka’s remaining minions now that their leader has been captured.

Holy shit. How many people did Ethan call to search for me?

“It’s over.” I’m not sure who I’m saying it to. Myself? Ethan? Nyoka? Everyone else?

Cal strides over, his eyes cold as he slaps handcuffs on Nyoka before hauling him to his feet and dragging him away.

A second later, Ethan is pulling me into his arms and kissing me senseless. With him still glowing, it’s like kissing sunlight. I wonder if the gold colour is because he’s my fated mate?

“Are you okay?” Ethan asks me between kisses. “Your voice… And you’re bleeding.”

Right, Ethan knows what my rumbly voice means. I’m still dialled in.

“Someone get Doc P in here!” Ethan yells, putting pressure on my bleeding chest like he’s only now realising the extent of my injuries. “Time to disconnect, sweet thing.”

No, I need the extra power. I have to keep everyone safe. Yes, definitely best to not let go yet.

Doc P appears with Uncle Lorenzo, both of them rushing towards me. Doc P does a double take when he sees Jet, his pure white aura flickering for a moment before he hurries over.

“Are you an angel?” I blurt out. No one knows what Doc P is, so it could be the case. Demons exist, after all.

Doc P barely reacts as he and Ethan carefully peel my gown off, making sure it covers my junk. “No, I’m not an angel.”

“I’ve never seen a white aura before.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Doc P cleans up the gouges before taking some sort of ointment out of his bag, which also has a white aura to it.

Instead of the stitches I expected for wounds this deep, he dabs the ointment onto the long scratches, apparently used to avoiding questions about what species he is.

Ethan deftly changes the subject. “Will Ayo be okay?”

“Physically, yes.” Doc P looks at me with kindness in his eyes. “Time to disconnect, Ayo.”

“Not yet.” My ley line voice is epic. I should keep it.

Doc P continues to work on my chest. “Your core must be burning by now.”

“Wait, what ?” Ethan yells. “Burning? Why the hell would his core be burning ?”

“Overexposure,” Doc P unhelpfully tells my mate.

Great. Now that Ethan knows everything, he’ll never let me connect again. I knew I was right not to tell Ethan that particular risk of ley line connections.

Although, now that Doc P mentions it, the scorching sensation in my core is getting kind of intense. Even so…

“There’s work to do,” I rumble.

Doc P looks around us thoughtfully, then nods. “Yes, there are rather a lot of spells still active, but a sorcerer of your calibre can handle those without the extra juice, don’t you think?”

Ethan cups my cheeks in his strong hands. “Come back to me, Ayo. Let go.”

I look into the eyes of the man I love, my mate, and reluctantly disconnect.

Whoa.

Ethan steadies me when I sway. I blink as all the auras disappear and the world returns to its normal self.

I lean heavily against my mate. I can’t sleep yet, although I wish I could. “I’m so tired.”

Doc P smiles gently. “Channelling that much magic? I’m impressed you’re still awake.”

Doc P finishes with the ointment, the pain from the gouges already completely gone. Then he puts a hand right over the centre of my chest, avoiding both my focus and my injuries. Seconds later, the intense burning that’s been searing my core vanishes completely.

Our eyes meet in understanding. Whatever this man is, he has magic. Different from mine, definitely. Powerful? Absolutely. No one can heal a magic-user’s core. The only solution is time.

Unless you’re Doc P.