Was she going to bind me right now?
I tried to channel my magic into the door, but it became a vortex, swirling inside me. Dark shadows moved across the wooden floor, coalescing at my feet. My body jerked, and a cry of pain tore itself from my throat as the shadows poured into me and then exploded out in the form of a black wolf. I threw my arms wide, and the shadow creature lunged forward, tackling Laurel and surrounding her with darkness.
My aunt screamed and crashed to the ground, desperately fighting at the shadows.
Abject horror filled my mind as I stood paralyzed.
An explosion knocked me to the floor as a burst of flames blew the door off its hinges. Casey stormed in, fireballs in both hands. He looked between Laurel and me. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Casey, don’t let her leave!” my aunt shouted as she struggled with the shadows.
She did this to you,a voice said in my mind. Not my voice or my wolf’s, but one that I vaguely recognized. An avalanche of rage drowned out any reason I might have mustered. “No!”
I would burn this fucking house to the ground.
Suddenly, Casey was shaking me. “Savannah, stop!”
I twisted free as his shouts reeled me back to reality.
Laurel was crawling to her feet, and streaks of blood—claw marks—marred her skin. What had I done? Horror hit me like a sledgehammer, and I stumbled back with a gasp. The shadows engulfing Laurel evaporated as Casey ran forward and cradled her. He glared at me. “What have you done?”
Shock and terror cut across his face as his eyes fixated on my hands. On my claws.
On what I had done with my magic, to my aunt.
Stabbing agony settled in my chest, and I tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead, I turned and fled.