Then Angelique reached for her coremagic.
Chapter 19
Her war magicripped free with a tremendous boom that shook the verymountain.
Every sharp rock and splintered piece of wood within eyesight became a weapon in her grasp. But it didn’t stop there. Her powers wrapped around the broken pieces of the shield the wyvern had stomped on and shattered, the cracked spears, abandoned swords, all the weapons the soldiers had left behind. Each jagged rock, splinter, and weapon glowedsilver.
The glittering shards floated higher and higher, filling the air with a beautifulshimmer.
The wyvern lifted off, its tail dragging on the ground, but it was toolate.
Angelique lifted her silver-eyed gaze to the wyvern, and the magic-infused, razor-sharp shards and weapons pierced straight through the creature’s hide. Some of the pieces punched through the open wound or ripped through the frill on itsneck.
The wyvern landed with a ground-shaking thump. It hissed as its eyes went glassy, then its chest stopped moving while the rest of the bodysagged.
It was finallydead.
Angelique immediately broke off contact with her icy core magic and sucked in great heaves ofair.
She toddled a few steps, dimly staring at the felled monster. “It only took one attack. Just a few seconds,” she said,dazed.
Pegasus—his black wings disintegrating into a cloud of feathers—nickered as he trotted up toher.
She stared unseeingly at his starry shoulder. “I hit it with the fire of a star, lightning, and ice, and it didn’t falter. But one blow with my magicand…”
Angelique shuddered as Pegasus curled protectively aroundher.
Her guts churned, but she didn’t feel the tell-tale stirrings of nausea that signaled she had used too much of herpower.
That’s a good thing…maybe? Or maybe not, because it means I can cause so much destruction and still not run into myprice.
Though her magic wasn’t taxed, Angelique could feel her body shutting down. Her legs trembled, and she let herself sit down with a thump, leaning gratefully into Pegasus when he lay down besideher.
She wearily stared at the still-bleeding wyverncarcass.
More than ever before, I feel it bone-deep that my magic excels in slaughter…but what scares me most is that I don’t at all regret usingit.
She closed her eyes and let sleep steal herthoughts.
* * *
Angelique was unsurprisedwhen she opened her eyes in her dream and found a smiling Evariste sitting on astump.
“Of course, my subconscious would make me face you after using my war magic,” she muttered, “because I don’t feel guilty and worried enoughalready.”
Evariste smiled—it was the affectionate and bright one he wore whenever he was particularly happy. “Hello, my dearapprentice!”
Angelique was dismayed to see that he still lookedawful.
Evariste had always been blindingly handsome, but even with his bright smile, his dream-self was only a shadow. His blonde hair—which had always been such a silky texture it made her jealous—was dull and mussed. The planes of his face weretoosharp due to a noticeable loss of weight, and as he stood up, he moved as though ithurt.
Angelique rubbed her eyes. “Why do I torture myself like this? I don’t recall being amasochist.”
“I have been pondering ways I can prove to you I am not a dream,” he paused, then changed his tune. “You seem upset. What happened?” He slowly drew closer, stopping just a little too near her for comfort, but his concern distracted her enough that she didn’t automatically backaway.
She stared up into his face.It’s his eyes that are the worst. They used to always dance—with laughter, mischief, and warmth. Now they barelyglimmer.
“You’re not dead,” she fiercelysaid.
