“Who are you?” Angeliqueasked.
He unfortunately ignored her. “How does someone as weak asyoueven get a constellation to tote them around? It’s unfathomable!” He flicked a finger at Angelique, spinning a black dagger ather.
Angelique threw up a shield just in time, then roughly twisted a fistful of her magic into a fireball that she flung back athim.
It glanced off his magic-forged shield, dissipatinginstantly.
It confirmed both of Angelique’s fears—he didn’t make the shield—it was attached to the gold necklace he wore. Even worse, the shield wasstrong. He had allies—skilledones.
The war mage swung again, his shadow blade slicing straight through the treetrunk.
Angelique gaped at the falling tree.Forget trying to wheedle answers from him. Facing a war mage in Zancarian soil isn’t wise given it’s unlikely I’ll be able to physically overpower him since he’ll have physical training. It’s time to run.She spun around and raced through the forest.If I get close enough to the wall, I think I can risk using my magic to fight him off…but if I use it now, I’ll just bring the escolta down onus.
Pain bloomed on her forearm. She glanced down to see a slash wound just above her wrist. Blood was already welling and coloring her shirt.How did he hit me? If he threw a blade and only grazed me like this, it should havefallen.
Angelique’s thoughts ground to a halt as a black dagger whistled past, missing her only because she had staggered from her arm wound. The dagger abruptly changed coursemidair, and went flying back the direction itcame.
His magic isn’t just making weapons out of shadows; he can also control them to a certain extent.Which means I can’t count on running. He’ll kill me before then, Angelique dimlyrealized.
She increased her speed and started zig-zagging through the trees. It meant she wasn’t putting any distance between her and the black mage, but it made her a much more difficult target.Change in plans,she decided.I need theescolta.
Between weaving serpentines, Angelique altered her path so they ran slightly north. Close to the nearestvillage.
Somewhere behind her, the war mage roared his anger. Hopefully he hadn’t realized what she hadplanned.
No longer trying to hide her presence, she slapped a healing spell on her arm. It was small—she couldn’t manage anything big while running—but at least it would deaden whatever pain her adrenaline didn’toverrun.
Despite the icy temperatures, sweat dripped down Angelique’s back. She clamped down on the terror that threatened to overtake her and focused on surviving. All of Puss’ drilling and Evariste’s teaching fell into place as Angelique planned her next fewmoves.
She twisted some of her magic and shoved it into the ground. A beech tree sprouted from the ground full grown, the wood of its trunkgroaning.
The war mage sliced through it with a roar, and it fell with acrash.
Angelique circled round a bush and used magic to peel up giant flakes of the icyground.
The mage jumped the fallen tree trunk and landed on top of the curled crust of ground, which flaked and disintegrated underneathhim.
He crouched with a chuckle. “It’s almost offensive how long you managed to avoid me, given howineptyou are at this.” He sneered. He threw out his arm, and a black spearformed.
He flung it at Angelique, who threw up a much larger defensive shield than the weaponwarranted.
The shield sparked, then collapsed with a ground-shaking boom that shook thetrees.
The black mage stalked after Angelique with a crooked grin. “It’s unbelievable that you are trulythis badat magic given what a pain you’vebeen.”
Angelique ignored the taunt. She confirmed that the trees were thinning out before she stopped leaking magic like a sieve and focused on running, holding her injured arm tight to herside.
The black mage growled as he barreled after her, chasing her out of the forest and into theopen.
The town Angelique had been trying to avoid was within eyesight. It was surrounded by rolling plains to the north, the infamous wall made of huge boulders to the east…and a line of escolta dressed in gleaming uniforms to thesouth.
She almost whooped in glee at the sight.I hoped they would feel my magic, but this is more than Iexpected!
Behind her, the black mage swore, jarring Angelique from herthoughts.
She poured on the speed, mentally tracing out a path that would skirt the escolta but hopefully take her close enough that they got a chance to either scare off or swat off the warmage.
A growl, and the war mage was almost on her. “You did this onpurpose!”
