The explosion of multicolored light knocked everyone—enemy and ally alike—flat on their backs.

I felt the power coursing through the bond, wild and immense, threatening to consume us all if we lost control for even a second. Through the connection, I sensed my mates struggling to contain the surge.

Too much, Darius gasped through the bond. We cannot hold this—

*We can,* I insisted, weaving our consciousnesses tighter together. *Trust me. Trust us.*

The light condensed, ...