Panic floods through me as I watch Elara inside my barrier, completely helpless to stop her. If she breaks out, there’s nothing preventing her from turning all that power on me. She wavers in the center, almost dropping to one knee before she forces herself upright again. A sharp scream tears from her, and the ground shudders beneath my feet.
Fuck!
There’s nowhere to hide in here. I brace myself, knowing whatever she does next is going to hit hard. A series of cracks splits from the dome, then a violent snap, before a wave of blistering heat erupts outward. The frost covering the barrier walls melts instantly, revealing far more people outside than we started with.
The air thickens, nearly suffocating me, like stepping into a volcano during a rainstorm. My lungs seize, but I force myse
