Page 75 of Wings of Snow

Energy sizzled between us as my affinity battled my mate’s as the king maliciously pulled her magic from her in unrelenting waves once more.

Her shrieks had ended, and increased pain burst on the bond.

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. If I did, we were doomed. We would never have the element of surprise again. Now that Drachu knew we could reach him within his underwater cities, I had no doubt wards would be installed, and entry into his homes would be near impossible.

“Ryder! Nish!” I yelled. In a heartbeat, they were beside me.

Another rush of magic shot out of Drachu, and in a blink, the bubbles aroundallof my guards disappeared. The Lochen king had ensnared Ilara’s air affinity. One glance over my shoulder showed that my mate had also lost her ability to breathe. The bubble around her face was gone.

It was only the strength of my own air element that stopped the king from sucking the bubble from around my head.

Despite being unable to breathe, none of my guards stopped fighting. I shoved against Drachu more, pushing through the pain of my affinity colliding with my mate’s, as I wrapped both hands around the back of his neck.

I seized the band holding the pendant and with a huge wrench of power, tore it free.

The second the pendant lifted away from the king’s chest, my mate’s power disappeared.

Drachu’s eyes went wide. Fear painted his features.

He punched through the water, his outstretched hand reaching for the pendant, but I pulled it within my illusion, making it disappear from sight.

Drachu whirled around in a circle just as his guards appeared at the door, trident spears in hand. He yelled to them in a foreign language, and I threw my air affinity around all of my guards and Ilara.

She’d collapsed against Sandus, her body limp, her chest still.Holy fuck, she’s unconscious.

In a dash of panic, I ensnared my guards and Ilara, then called upon everything I had to mistphase us out of there as my limbs trembled with the effort.

The realm disassembled in a blur of heavy shadows and wet sand just as the guards’ trident spears flung toward us.

* * *

We slammed backinto our room at the inn in the capital. My guards were soaked, their chests heaving as wet hair was plastered to their faces. Drachu’s pendant was still entwined between my fingers as I moved at blurred speed toward my mate.

Ilara’s face was blue.

Her skin cool.

“She’s not breathing!” I screamed.

I slammed my mouth to hers, instinct commanding me to force life into my mate. I blew a rush of air into her lungs, forcing it with my affinity, but it encountered something wet. Something heavy.

Water. Her lungs are filled with water.She’d sucked in water when Drachu had ripped the bubble from her face.

I blew another stream of air into her, using my magic and strength. “Please, Ilara. Please!”

Another blast of air gusted from my lips while my guards watched silently.

But the feel of Ilara’s life dimmed more and more on our bond.No!

I held her mouth open wide, then called upon all of my air affinity and spiraled it into her lungs.

She coughed.

Then coughed again and again. I rolled her on her side as a huge gush of seawater spilled from her lips.

Unrelenting coughs shook her frame, then she heaved in shallow breaths. But just as quickly she fell weak again, becoming despondent in my grip.

“What’s happening?” Nish yelled.