“Come on.” Stil trotted ahead, leading theway.
Angelique followed behind him, reluctantly removing her hands from her warmmuff.
“Cudere.” Stil held out a metal bar that was roughly the length and thickness of a human forearm, then tossed it into theair.
Angelique watched the silver weapon twist in the sky, stretching out into a long, double-tipped spear. One end was a curved blade with only one sharpened edge, the flat of it covered by decorative metal work and gems. The other end boasted elaborate metal wings at the base of thespearhead.
“I find it amusing,” she said, “that you are powerful enough you can use your magic to combine an elf spear and a regular spear, but you can’t figure out a way to divert the heat its transformation generates so you are forever throwing it like some kind of over-dramaticprince.”
“I can’t divert it because both blades are so powerful,” Stil complained. “And the other end isn’t just aregularspear tip—it was forged by a legendaryblacksmith!”
“Sure, sure.” Angelique fanned herself with her muff—just to spite Stil—as she stepped across the border. “I’m certain that’s what the merchant told you. It absolutely wasn’t a waste ofmoney.”
Stil muttered angrily under his breath and stood so close to the border his toes touched the line the Snow Queen’s magicdrew.
“Back up a step,” Angelique ordered as she slunk into the tiny thicket oftrees.
“Bossy as ever, I see,” Stilsaid.
“Not quite,” Angelique flicked her fingers, sending a spell spinning. “I just wanted to save youdiscomfort.”
“Discomfort from what—Pft,” Stil made a sound of distress when Angelique’s spell—a gust of wind—skated across the ground, wiping her tracks clean and throwing snow into hisface.
Angelique grinned as she crouched in the trees, thankful when her dress turned from a lovely shade of purple to a muted dark gray that let her blend in better. “I told you to step back,” shesaid.
“Sometimes I wonder if the heavens gave you war magic because they knew if they gave you any sort of elemental magic, you’d be a downright terror,” Stil saidsourly.
Angelique dropped her muff and rubbed her hands as she considered the potential fire spells she could use on the nightmare andrider.
I need something strong. A little fireball isn’t going to do it, nor will a wall of flames. It’s raw destructive power I am looking for. But I never worked on a very large scale with fire—Puss was forever harping that I should use my war magic instead of attempting to control a large amount of fire, and Evariste really only taught me how to wipe flames out on a large scale. Perhaps, then, I can scale somethingup?
“You’ll need to hold their attention for a few minutes—butdon’tleave Verglas,” Angeliquewarned.
“I’ll only budge if you’re in danger,” Stilsaid.
“That’s not what Isaid.”
“Maybe, but it’s the only deal I’m going to offeryou.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are aware thatI’mthe one helping you, not the reverse, right? You’re not in the position to makedemands.”
“…Angelique.”
Angelique peeled a branch back so she could meet his gaze in the shadows of the trees. “It will be fine, Stil,” she said with a confidence she didn’tfeel.
Stil nodded, then adjusted his stance so his feet were wider apart and twirled his double tipped spear before resting one end in thesnow.
Angelique released the branch and settled in for what was hopefully going to be a short wait. She started gathering her magic, skimming off her powers that oozed around her in a thickriver.
I could perhaps use the basic fire-starting skill. It’s a beginner spell, but that also means it has solid, safe framework. I’ll just need to dump a lot of power into it—which means it will still take a little longer tocast.
She shifted slightly so a stick didn’t prod herback.
Yes, the fire-starting spell it is. My familiarity with it will hopefully mean it will be easy to control at a largerlevel.
Her decision made, she peered at Stil through thetrees.
The cheeky craftmage poked his arm across the border and waved itabout.
