Knowing how quick he was with the tissue, I wasn’t about to wait and ask questions. The high mage of fire saidPrepare to be attacked, then I was pretty much counting on an entire wall of fire to hit. With my breath, I called up the wind.
He extended his palms, both lit with an orange glow. I threw the force of a gale at him in a desperate bid to snuff out his flames, but a sphere of his fire sailed through right toward my face and then was dowsed as the blast of my air extinguished it. Like blowing out birthday candles.
Only … the high mage tossed another fireball and then another.
I huffed and puffed, but the balls of flames kept coming. I dodged to the left, to the right—I even did an awkward attempt at an army roll. He was fast, and I couldn’t think straight. Wind wasn’t going to cut it. I needed water.
I sent out my feelers until I felt the cool rush of water—and then without even looking, I drew it to me. There was a cracking noise, but I couldn’t afford to take my attention away from the constant barrage of fire to see where the source of my salvation was coming from.
Stars danced in my peripheral vision as I persisted in blowing out each fireball with my air magic…
And then, he let loose with the grand finale.
It had to be.
A wall of fire six feet high blasted toward me.
The air was sucked from my lungs. I stumbled backward, all the while reaching for the water I sensed. As the trickle of water flowed toward me, it grew to a stream, floating into the air to my aid. I threw my arms out.
Come on! All the water! Come to me!
Oh. My. Mage.
My eyes widened as a freaking river soared through the air. Like watching a dam burst, I stood frozen as the water gushed over the high mage and crashed into the wall of fire with an angry hiss.
As soon as the wall of flame was gone, the remaining water crashed into me. I fell hard, and the water followed, tumbling over me. But the force of the wave waned, and the river became a creek before I could sit up in the hugest mud puddle I’d ever seen.
Giggling, I climbed to my feet, but my laughter dried up as I faced the angry snarl of the high mage.
“You ruined my house!” he yelled while smoke curled up in white and gray tendrils around his head as he pointed to the castle.
I followed his gaze to the nearest wall, the flaming marble stone now cracked, with water gushing from a broken pipe within.
“Uh … sorry?” I shrugged then proceeded to wring out the singed and shredded hem of Rey’s ruined shirt. After running my hands over the rest of my tattered clothes, I finally gave up. Between the dirt, tornado, and fire, they were ruined.
Facing the mage, I asked, “Did I pass?”
He blinked and then shook his head.
“No?” I drew in a sharp breath.
“You passed,” he muttered. “Now … get out of here.”
I shot out of there like an arrow and booked it across the quad. As soon as I spotted Reyna, I raised my hands in victory.
“Four down and one to go! Woohoo,” I told her as she held out a bottle of water. “No thanks,” I added, waving away the drink. “I don’t know if you can tell, but I’ve had plenty of H2O.”
But I swallowed my snickers as I examined my friend. She looked off. Sad or, at least, serious … and her eyes glistened with emotion.
“What’s wrong?” I skidded to a stop as my heart leapt into my throat.
She swallowed hard, and wiping at her eyes, she shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Reyna, don’t do that.” I closed the distance until I stood toe-to-toe with her. “You can tell me. Is it my grandfather?” My elation turned to dread with the thought. “Is he okay?”
Why else would she be upset?
Reyna sighed. “It’s just … I feel all of his pain. As his shield, I take everything.”
