The silver light tore out of me in a violent burst. It sparked against the trees, arced across the soil, and rose in twisting flames that did not burn. The fire moved like water caught in a wind that did not exist. It bent reality around it in shimmering waves. The forest warped at the edges of my vision. Branches stretched and curled, as if they were trying to reach for something they could not quite touch.
I tried to pull the power back. I felt the split second where my body could have listened, but the moment passed like a door slamming shut.
Jack grabbed me before my legs gave out again. “Lainey. Look at me. Keep your eyes on me.”
I clung to him, shaking. The flames kept rising around us, bright and wild, silver instead of red, distorting every shadow and reflection. When I glanced
