After saying that she felt like she wasn’t powerful enough, Cerri revealed that she had a new ability. I’d never seen her use her arcana this way. It flowed like water under my skin. It rushed from my head to my toes until it blanketed me.
Cerri made a curious sound that I couldn’t quite understand. She continued pushing with her arcana. As it wrapped tighter around me, it sank deeper. I realized that she’d cast a kind of net.
Unfortunately, a cold spark flashed inside me. It blazed bright like lightning, but burned so cold that my breath seemed to fog in the air. That cold spark grew, becoming the ice that surrounded my heart.
“Oh, what the hell?” Cerri asked under her breath.
I would have laughed, but I couldn’t make a peep.
“I can’t pull the ritual arcana out of you if you fight me, Ness.”
Like this, I couldn’t tell her that this wasn’t on purpose. The icy barrier seemed to be a reflex. That did make me wonder if it might go away once I was safe. It melted around Ryder, where I felt the safest.
I’m not fighting you. I swear.
Not that she could hear me right now. I tried to pull the ice back, but I didn’t have access to my own arcana. It worked on its own accord, which was honestly frustrating as hell right now. There was a chance that I could escape Alvin’s curse once and for all, but my own arcana stood in the way.
Wonderful.
Finally, Cerri sighed pulled back. She threw her hands in the air and spun, heading back to the potion table once again.
I still couldn’t move, though. Man, if I could speak, I would have had a few choice words for her. It took several minutes for the potion to wear off. My body trembled from holding that same, stiff pose for so long. Finally, I growled and dropped to my knees.
Cerri gave me a look, her lips pursed as she glared at me. Clearly, she was frustrated. I told her, though, that there was nothing I could do. The barriers had acted on their own. I couldn’t control them.
Her expression faltered. Her brows shot skyward as her lips parted. “Is that so? That’s good to know. That means we have more time.”
“More time?” I croaked. “No. There isn’t more time. I came this close to killing Ryder. We can’t spend weeks trying to figure this out.”
Cerri waved me off. “I’ll tell him to lock you in the bedroom by yourself. Sleeping in close proximity is what’s going to get either of you hurt. He needs to learn to give you some space right now. I know that’s difficult, considering how attached to you he’s become.”
I cocked my head. “What does that even mean? Wait. No. I’m not getting trapped in a room by myself every night.”
It reminded me of the night I’d spent in Alvin’s basement, the hours stretching infinitely as I stared at the drab walls and wondered what would become of me. The bedroom at Ryder’s rental wasn’t anything like Alvin’s basement, but that meant nothing when panic made my mouth dry.
I licked my lips and tried to hide the rising panic inside me. Somehow, Cerri seemed to understand. Her own eyes glazed over, probably with memories of her own recent pain. Finally, she sighed.
“I know that’s not a fun option, but what else can we do?”
Before I could answer her, the door burst open. Vi stormed into the room. Heat wafted off her in waves. She took three steps inside before spinning on her heel. Addie, standing between Vi and Ryder, put out her hands to ward off Vi.
I gave Ryder a questioning look.
“You can’t just leave again!” Vi bellowed.
Ryder
I didn’t wantNess to know. Upon hearing Vi’s frustration, Ness’s eyes went wide. Those eyes quickly turned glassy with unshed tears. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
Today hadn’t gone exactly as planned. I’d told myself that was a trial run that I could learn from, even if my failure stung. The pack had been snapping at each other all day. It was clear they still had a wealth of animosity towards one another. I had no idea how to clear the air. I could only hope that casting Alvin out would be a good start.
Then, maybe the pack could continue healing without me.
Vi stomped up to me and shoved a finger into my chest. Heat wafted off her. An acrid scent reached my nose as her heat began to singe my body hair.
“You’re a useless schmuck if you think you can change your mind like that. You can’t tell us that you’ll stay, then decide to leave the next day. No one will ever trust you if that’s how you’re going to behave.”
I grabbed Vi’s wrist and pried her finger out of my chest. I was certain there would be an indent where she’d shoved her fingernail in. She growled and pressed, fighting against my hold. The air around us grew hotter and hotter. A flash of red passed over her eyes.