Chapter 97

Seris’s POV

I reached out for Ronan through our mind link as the groans around us swelled, but all I received were pained grunts—no words at all—and our connection wavered ominously. Panic twisted in my chest. Beside me, Eirwen gasped, “Noctyr!” as another wave of agony washed over us both, and I doubled over, clutching my own heart. It felt as though a thousand icy pinchers were wrenching and twisting inside me, each stab more unbearable than the last.

A blazing bolt of fire suddenly streaked toward me. I yanked myself to the side, barely dodging its scorching path, and it slammed into my workbench, melting everything I’d painstakingly crafted. I whirled to find Valeria standing there, her fists crossed, shaping another fiery missile. My fury flared. I curled my fingers into claws, froze her fists instantly, and then summoned a fire bolt twice as large as hers. I blasted it at her with every ounce of wrath I possessed. The force hurled her several paces back, smo