Clotilde caught her original gem, her lips pulled back in a snarl. “You think you can attackme? With these I have greatpower; I am limitless!” She laughed as she jabbed a finger atthem.
Black lightning exploded from her fingertip and raced in theirdirection.
“Get down!” Angelique shoved a spell out, forming a clear shell of protection aroundthem.
The lightning crackled, then exploded when it hit Angelique’s defenses, rocking the throne room. Angelique clenched her teeth and added more power to the spell, but it crumbled likedust.
“We need to retreat,” Pussshouted.
“Come on, Angelique!” Gabrielleshouted.
Angelique stubbornly shook her head.This is the one chance we have—she’s going to be better guarded after this. I have to dosomething, or she’ll only getstronger.
“Just let me get one hit in.” Angelique hurriedly threw up another barrier when she saw Clotilde chuck another spell. “If I can pitch it right, I might be able to change the princes’curse!”
She clenched her teeth as she braced herself for impact, heaving more power into her barrier when the black lightningstruck.
Clotilde using artifacts changed the basis of the princes’ curse. It wasn’t a circuit—self-contained—but rather it was tied to the artifacts themselves. Angelique could physically see flickers of the curse drifting from the dark gems likethread.
If I can hit them, I might be able to dosomething.
Sweat beaded on Angelique’s forehead, and her armsachedunder the strain as she tried to hold her barrier together long enough to fend off the crackling black lightning. When she saw the black, scorched marks the lightning left in a red carpet, shecringed.
“You better hurry up,” Puss said. “She’s going to overpower you if you don’t dosomething.”
The black lightning faded, and Angelique let her barrier fall. She threw together a spell she could have woven in her sleep, and a massive fireball roared tolife.
Clotilde screamed in pain as Angelique’s fireball sprang on her hands. She dropped the black gems—which sat at the center of Angelique’sflames.
Come on, Angelique thought as she threw more power into her magic, making the flames turn blue.Breakit!
Her fire hissed, and she saw it. A tiny crack appeared in the princes’curse.
Yes!
“Gabrielle, don’t you dare, you brash thug!” Puss howled as Gabrielle crept towards the still-burning artifacts with obviousintent.
Clotilde screamed in rage and dove, plucking up one of the gems, having wrapped the fabric of her train around her hands. She brandished the gem in Gabrielle’s direction with ahowl.
“Angelique—help her!” Rolandshouted.
Angelique snapped off her fire spell and then flicked her fingers at the flooring in front ofGabrielle.
The rock that made up the dais stairs peeled up, mortar crumbling as they hastily stacked in front of Gabrielle just in time to shield her from watery mist that crept towards theprincess.
Clotilde retrieved her second gem, and her eyes—such a light blue they were nearly colorless—fell on Angelique. “You will pay!” shescreamed.
Angelique struggled to raise a defensive spell in front of her when pain exploded in herback.
She fell forward, her breath knocked from her as a sharp, stabbing sensation dug deeper and deeper into her shoulder. She struggled to twist her neck at a painful angle and saw what looked like a decorative flourish of metal snapped off a candelabra jutting from hershoulder.
Hm. That’s a new one, she thoughtdimly.
The metal dug deeper and deeper, and with every push, air left Angelique’s lungs. She couldn’t scream; she couldn’t getup.
Her magic pounded in her ears, pumping ruthlessly through her body as it demanded release. It sparked at her fingertips and snapped at her calves, hurting almost as much as the pain in hershoulder.
No.Angelique held it back, even as she felt like the power of her magic might eat her alive.If I lose it here, I’ll kill everyone—including Puss and Gabrielle.NO!
