AMBER POV
Alek’s strangled gasp tore through the chaos, slicing through my chest like a knife.
I spun toward him, my breath caught in my throat. The dark smoke had wrapped around him like living chains, pinning him in midair.
His legs kicked violently, his claws slashing at the dense, writhing mass constricting his throat. His struggles grew weaker by the second.
Alek was being *strangled*.
By the shadows themselves.
Panic seized me, freezing me in place. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. My breath hitched, my hands trembling as raw energy surged through my veins, begging to be released. But I couldn’t. Not like this. If I wasn’t precise, if I missed even by an inch, I could hit him. And what if my energy only made the smoke stronger?
Alek’s body jerked violently, his feet
