ELIANA'S POV

My power rose. Not in a wild, uncontrolled surge like before. It felt different. Steady. Purposeful. Like something inside me had stopped pretending to be small.

I broke the binding circle with a sharp crack and rolled to my knees.

The Priestess hurled a column of fire at me. I raised my hand without thinking. A shield snapped up—silver, shimmering, almost too bright to look at. The flames hit it and scattered like sparks on glass.

Her eyes widened.

“You don’t ...