Cedric howled in pain, but the injury didn't stop him from rushing forward.
Just as he reached me, he was tackled by my father and Cole.
While I was distracted by their fighting, I was knocked down by a cold
electricity that surged through my body. The dark shadow of Eliza covered me. I
looked up to see hatred in her eyes.
“You always loved her more,” Eliza screamed. Her cries seemed to feed the
flames blazing from her fingers. She threw more of her magic at me. This time, I
was knocked into the center of the circle. “I was your mother, but you always ran
to her.”
Eliza’s body glowed as the magic forming from her hands grew larger. I scrambled to stand but stumbled. The power she emitted kept zapping me. The
agony threw my balance off and sent me to my knees. I gasped for air.
Don't give up, I scolded myself.
I refocused my magic on fighting what was running through me, and a warm
wave of relief washed over me. However, the comfort was momentary, and I
faltered, again, from the pain. Her magic was so strong. I didn't know how to push it out of me, and I collapsed. Again, I tried to tap into the magic inside me.
“Stop! Mara, your magic will only feed hers as it runs through you.” Gram
sent ribbons of air in my direction. “Her magic is dark now.”
Eliza screamed and cast tendrils at her mother’s healing gusts of air.
Once again, I tried to stand. My attempts were stalled as I was brought to my
knees, again and again, by the excruciating pain.
“What's wrong, darling?” Eliza purred. “Are you having problems
standing?”
Unwilling to back down, I tried, again, only to fall.
Eliza cackled with glee at my agony. Her sinister laugh filled the air as she
loomed over me. “You were so eager to save everyone else that you forgot
yourself.” Eliza reeled back to heave her magic at me with more force.
The bolt of electricity she flung knocked the wind out of me, and I was
thrown back, hitting my head against the ground. The pain running through my
body was unbearable, and I gasped for breath. Blackness rushed over me, and I
fought not to slip into it.
A hard kick to the side of my leg jolted me out of the darkness. I tried to pull
myself away from the sharp blows that repeatedly struck me. Stand up, or you will die! I scowled at my weakness and struggled to rise to my feet. I would have to fight her, or she was going to kill me.
I pulled myself upright and focused all the energy I had left inside me on blowing Air at Eliza. The wind I was able to push at her tossed her backward, but it was not far or hard enough.
“Fire and Air?” Eliza cried with delight when she landed on her feet.
“Marina, you really are full of surprises.” She continued to taunt me. “Too bad
you won't be around to show me everything you are capable of.” She sent another bolt of electricity at me.
Just in time, I dodged her attack by rolling out of the way. Frustrated that she
narrowly missed, Eliza screamed and began heaving multiple flashes of her
magic at me. Calling Air to me, I created a barrier to stop it from hitting its mark.
“You're no match for me.” Eliza held her hands into the air. A fluorescent green blazed from her fingers, and she sent balls of her dark power at me. She
