The instant my hand touched the pedestal, the world dissolved into a cacophony of sensation. It wasn’t just my hand. It felt as if my entire body was being turned into a conduit. A searing, white-hot heat surged in my chest, originating from the Temporal Key and rushed down my arm.
The heat was agonizing. Far worse than when the key had first activated. It was a complete, forced extraction of power. I gasped, my knees buckled.
Torian was beside me immediately, his arms locking around my waist. His elemental blue magic flowed over me in a calming, grounding wave. “Breathe, Anya!” I felt his lips press to my temple, filtering out the hum of magic that ran through me. Though, in this state, hum felt like an understatement. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to focus on the thump of his hea
