“No, because youcheat!”
“Inever!”
“Then why haven’t I everwon?”
“Because you are excessively poor at games that require deepthinking?”
“What?”
A wry smile finally bloomed on Angelique’s lips at the mages’ antics. She was grateful for the distraction, especially as she saw the last group of horses and riders trot out of Ciane’sgates.
If Princess Alessia and Prince Consort Filippo succeeded on their end, they were taking afternoon coffee with King Giuseppe, who was still ignorant to the sleeping spell about to settle onCiane.
Pegasus peered at Sir Isaia’s horse when she snorted at him again. The constellation turned in a tight circle, dragging Angelique with him as she held onto his reins. “I believe everyone is clear. Prepare yourself, Sir Isaia. Your mount mightspook.”
Isaia nodded and drew his war horse fartherback.
Angelique made herself release Pegasus and took a few steps closer to thecity.
Reluctantly, she started to loosen up hermagic.
It flooded her like a tsunami, and for a moment Angelique couldn’t tell which way was up and which way was down. It was a cold, terrifying experience, overwhelming in all the worstways.
Just as quickly as her magic released, her senses returned to her with a jolt. She felt different—weirdly aware of the massive amounts of magic that rolled within her. Angelique slightly shook her head, then started speaking the lolling tongue of magic. (A short, wordless cast wouldn’t do for magic of thismagnitude.)
Please work, pleasework!
She carefully built up the spell, casting layer upon layer of thin, sparkling magic. She tried not to let her worry show as she pulled more and more magic through her fingers, twisting it into the sleeping charm. Her palms itched from the sheer amount of power she balanced, but she tried not to think about it toomuch.
(The last time she had held such a huge amount of magic was during her pre-evaluation on the plateau in Baris. Granted, that had involved even greater amounts, but it had ended ratherpoorly.)
She stretched the layers, making the spell big enough to encompass the city. She swallowed thickly as she started to tie the spell off.If I bungle this part, the whole thing could violently collapse.Carefully, she searched for the faint chime of her magic deep in the palace where Rosalindaslept.
She held her breath until she felt it, a barely noticeable jingle in the mass of activity that was Ciane. Angelique extended her hands and twitched her fingers, knitting the spellstogether.
A silver mist crawled over Ciane, cloaking it with fog so thick it obscured parts of the city fromsight.
The magic felt right—it perfectly echoed the bit she had tied around Rosalinda—but it wasn’t until the guards standing on the walls drooped, then plopped down on the walkways, that Angelique relaxedslightly.
At least that part is correct, thankgoodness.
Birds that circled above the city abruptly banked and landed on the walls, tucking their heads under theirwings.
Silence stole across the meadow. The only noises were the muted hoofbeats of the mounted, fleeingparties.
But she wasn’t done. Ciane would turn to ruin and rust quickly if she left the city as it was. She needed to add in a preservationspell.
The preservation spell would be the top coat of her magic, and it needed to touch everything. Sweat beaded at Angelique’s temple as she dusted the preservation spell on top. Every flicker her magic gave made her heart jump withfear.
Stay stable; stay strong.I cannot mess this up, or the city residents will end uphurt.
Her throat was scratchy and dry as she carefully painted every human, building, animal, and item with her cold, sharp magic. But as the spell stretched over the city, eeking across every inch, it sucked her dry of the magic she had pulled loose, so she had to doll outmore.
Howfun.
Angelique broke out in goosebumps as she nervously turned inward to pull more magic fromherself.
It seemed to stretch endlessly around her in a sea of potentially smothering and sharppower.
