Iwould.
I stepped back and put that same twenty-foot distance between us again, moving deeper onto the mountaintop. “Let’s really do this now. I’m ready.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“All right, then.”
He snapped a palm up, his crimson magic sparking. Then I watched in awe as he forged a shimmering circular shield about two feet in diameter, holding it steady opposite me.
“You’re going to strike this shield with a blast fit to send an attacking learned magic-wielder blowing back clear across this mountaintop. But once you hit, hold it, and gradually increase your power. Gradually, because otherwise you’ll hurt yourself and it’ll create a scraping sensation through your insides. The goal here is targeted power escalation suited to different threat levels while maintaining precision and constant magic-streaming without a break in between.”
I settled into a stable and strong stance, then called my amber power to my right palm. “Ready?”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “Absolutely.”
“Here it goes,” I murmured to myself.
I hesitated.
Then I shifted my weight again.
Into an even stronger stance.
Or maybe just the same. I wasn’t sure.
And I should be. I mean I—
A shot of crimson magic sailed past me, missing me by just a hair.
“What the hell was that?”
“Necessary motivation. Clearly.”
“What if you’d hit me?”
“If? There’s no ‘if’ with me, and you know it.”
Another bolt flew at me. This time I had to dart out of the way to avoid it.
“I know what you’re trying to—”
Another bolt.
I only just ducked in time to avoid taking a hit in the face.
The fucking face, of all things!
Son of a—
I fired my own power, letting it loose exactly as he’d instructed, enough to send a well-trained magic wielder blowing across the mountaintop.
It hit his shield right in the center.Bullseye!
“Excellent. Now hold it steady. Maintain for a few moments. No flares, no disruptions.”
I held my amber stream stable. Easily, actually.
