Page 195 of The Chains You Defy

My magic reacted without my conscious directive as an explosion of darkness erupted with me at its center.

Panic and a symphonic score of fearful screams nourished the well of power in my core and fueled me as I thrust every single living soul except one against the wall, restraining everyone present in writhing ropes of shadow.

My instincts insisted that each of the gathered individuals posed a threat. The whole lot—no, there was one exception.

My focus zeroed in on the dais, where she was lying, her tiny body curled into a tight ball. Alive, but sobbing, and so frail and broken. Even if my insides weren’t being ripped apart by monstrous claws already, the picture of her so utterly suffering would have been enough to obliterate me.

Nayana.

My Nayana.

Mine.

The cacophony of panic faded into the background. I didn’t care about the combined magic of the moribund fae and their feeble attempts to escape the absolute dominion of my powers.

Their struggles were in vain, even though none of my reactions were conscious decisions. My head was repeating one thing in a perpetual loop, and this was the only truth located deep within my soul—I had to be at her side. Nothing else mattered.

How I’d reached her slipped my recollection. The next memory etched into my mind was sinking to my knees, tugging her close into my arms. Her weeping didn’t cease, and I couldn’t discern if she’d noticed my arrival at all. Her pulse fluttered way too fast, yet much too weak, each faint beat intensifying the horror circulating in my veins.

At least she was alive and safe in my protective embrace.

Alive.

A tendril disconnected from me—the one she called Adharcan, or Harc—and wound around her chest with urgency, pulsating in agitation, his tip tapping against Nayana’s cheek with a gentleness worthy of her, despite his own hysteria written all over every inch of his dark body.

With hectic desperation, I let my gaze roam over her catatonic form. That I couldn’t find any apparent injuries didn’t reassure me at all. Whatever had caused her state must be internal.

My arms tightened as I pushed desolation and utter panic into the recesses of my mind. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. Instead, I’d uphold enough strength for both of us.

“Nayana.” The tone of my voice cutting through the air was almost unrecognizable even to my own ears, ringing out deeper than usual, animalistic and feral, and I didn’t have to encounter my reflection to know thatmurder wasn’t only written in my soul but also all over my face.

Even though my power was still controlling everyone around us, the magic reached out to her, not to take, but to give. However, the force only met a solid wall around her Potential.

Cold shivers ran down my spine as I understood that her state had to be connected to the blockage inside her.

Yes, blocked.

Not gone.

She wasn’t dying. She wouldn’t.

Never.

I wasn’t allowing her to.

But everyone else wouldn’t be so fortunate.

“Dion.”

Finally, Nayana had noticed I was holding her; that her protector had arrived. Her defender and vindicator.

“And Harc.”

Yes, him too, I presumed.

Her sobs shredded my soul, but I had to stay strong.

My former erratic movements changed, became more purposeful. Dangerous.