Page 114 of Tears for a Broken Sky
It was Thorne.
His magic. Not physical—but mental. Raw. Brutal.Unfiltered.
It tore through us like a blade dipped in lightning.
“Slade!” I screamed, twisting toward him—
And my shadows reacted.
They exploded out of me like a living shield, crashing into the oncoming wave of magic mid-air.
The ground split beneath my boots.
Air rippled and warped, the very world resisting the clash.
The pressure broke.
Slade gasped, still hunched, his temple slick with blood—but his eyes locked on mine.
“You okay?” I breathed, shadows still bristling around us like a storm barely held in check.
He nodded. Barely. “That wasn’t just an attack,” he said hoarsely. “It was asearch.He was scanning. Looking for me—for all of us.”
I turned back to the beach.
Toward him.
Toward the man who once shielded me from the world—
And now?
Now he was the weapon sent to break it.
I looked to Leo and Phoenix. They were already standing. Caelen had Maddie up and was helping her move to higher ground.
They must have seen something on my face, something reflected in their own.
It can’t be true….
“We need to move. And fast.” Phoenix said.
“But what about – “
“We can’t help him right now, Elle!” His voice cracked—desperate, sharp.
“But—”
“That’snotThorne down there,” he snapped. “Did you see his eyes?”
Slade’s voice cut in, grim. “If we don’t move, he’ll hit us again.”
He didn’t wait. He grabbed my hand—and ran.
I stumbled after him, heart pounding, shadows flickering in protest.
Because even as I ran, I kept looking back.
And still, he stood there.
