He frowns at me. “I’m eighty-nine years old, Miss Storm, and I’m telling you now that I would rather die fighting for something I believe is right than wither away in my chair. So please, I’d rather not hear anything more of it.”
“Then you know the plan?” I concede.
“Retreat to the towers as soon as they break through.”
I shut my mouth and watch as the old man sends his shadows soaring over the barricade and colliding with an oncoming fire-bolt. I’ve never seen his magic before, and I’m surprised to see that it isn’t weak like the man is physically. It’s pretty damn strong. Deep down, I’m grateful to have another person fighting alongside us.
No sooner has Professor Cornelius begun firing his magic toward the Empress’s army than someone else comes running toward me. Actually, three people, hauling some makeshift contraption along behind them. Fly, Damien, and some other boy I recognize from Granite Quarter.
At first, I think it’s just another object to add to the barricade, but then Fly stops beside us, swings his arms wide, and declares, “We’ve made a catapult.”
I stare at it. It takes me a few minutes, but then I see he’s right. It has a long arm, held back by a taut string, and if that’s released, I can see it will come flying forward. It’s well built, well-constructed, and it looks like it might actually work. There’s just one problem.
“It’s great,” I say. Fly grins proudly at me. “But what exactly were you planning to catapult?”
“Catapult?” I hear someone say several yards away, and then the potions professor comes bustling toward us. She examines the contraption for several moments, then tells the three boys, “Bring that this way. I can use it.”
Fly sticks his tongue out at me, and then they wheel it off as I shake my head.
My attention is drawn back to the barricade as another section of it explodes up into sparks. It won’t hold for much longer, and then our plan will really begin.
Chapter Forty-Four
Dray
A massive fire-bolt comes flying through the air and hits the barricade just yards away from my face. Smoke billows up into the air as the bracken, vines, smashed-up tables, and piled-up chairs catch alight and burst into flame.
And then there’s a hole. A hole the size of a football, right there in the barricade, allowing me to peer straight through, right at the face of the shadow weaver on the other side staring right back at me. A face I know well.
I grin and say, “I thought you might be here.”
He growls and fires his shadow magic straight through the hole toward my face. I’m not surprised. I was pretty much expecting it. It would be easy enough to step to the side and let it fly straight past me, but as there’s a whole load of kids scurrying around, I suppose I’d better be careful. Little Kitten won’t thank me for it otherwise.
I shoot my magic at his, and they collide together, more smoke puffing into the air.
The idea was to force the army to destroy the barricade, thereby weakening their powers, but I’m not sure Dander’s magic feels any weaker than normal. Still, it’s weaker than mine, and I force my arm forward and pummel his shadow magic right back at him, even though that causes pain to scream through my still-sore shoulder.
I hear him grunt from the other side, but then his face is there again. His stupid, ugly face. Pretty insulted anyone ever thought we looked alike. I’m about a million times more handsome than that snorty little pig.
“Your plan to have me arrested and executed at the Black Tower didn’t work, little bro!” I yell through the hole.
“How the hell did you escape, Dray?” he yells back.
“Now why would I tell you that?” I grin at him. “Don’t wantyouescaping once we lockyouin that tower, do we?”
“Me?” He chuckles. “You’re surrounded, brother. There’s no chance of escape. And the Empress has given us orders to kill you all.”
I point to myself. “Who, me? You think you’re going to kill me? Be serious!”
He growls, sending a torrent of magic my way – much more angry, much more fierce this time. Much more fun.
I chuckle as I deflect it back, and we continue like this, magic ping-ponging through that hole, hurling insults at each other. I’m having a lot of fun.
That is, until the whole damn barricade comes crashing down, burning quickly into ashes.
Beaufort and Fox are yelling to the students around us to retreat to the towers. I can see the whole of my brother now, his face a little sooty, his hair a mess, his boots thick with mud, although he’s wearing a nice new uniform.
I take a step forward, ready to take him out, but I’m guessing someone else has other ideas, because I’m hauled backward by the scruff of my neck.
