Mother’s voice was relentless, sharp as a whip cracking through the stale night air.“Again.”I gasped, my knees skidding on the kitchen floorboards as the candle flames guttered from my failed shield. My palms stung, skin scraped raw, but she didn’t flinch. She only jabbed her finger at the sigil chalked across the tiles, the circles, grounding roots, a net of protection.“Anchor, channel, shield, you don’t get to stumble, Do it again, Ivy.”My throat was dry, my chest heaving. The bond-pain from Damon’s rejection still throbbed in me like a splinter pressed too deep, and each attempt to shape power through it was like grinding glass through my veins.I forced my eyes shut, drew the thread of energy from somewhere between my ribs and spine, and pushed it down into the earth beneath me. The boards hummed, faint, the chalk lines glowing weakly blue. My jaw clenched, sweat sliding down my neck.Shield.., I pictured the dome rising, the net knitting together. For half a breath, it hel
Last Updated : 2025-09-03 Read more