moment she could see that magic had taken hold of the weaker tip, she turned her attention to the army of scorpions crawling up the mountain toward her. They were coming fast, the clicking they made with their legs against the rocks horrid to hear.
She visualized them gone, each one disappearing in a puff of smoke. Lifting her arms quickly, she wove the pattern she needed, air and water, earth and fire, entwined together, a plaited band she flung out toward the scorpions. As the band moved through the air, it lengthened and widened until it was a large canopy covering the fast-moving insects. Then it dropped over them.
As the canopy settled over the insects, orange and red flames burst into the air, tall columns that turned immediately to black smoke, as if water had been poured over the fire. So many. Too many. The forward charge halted, and a few strays tried to escape the fires, but each time they moved, the flames found them.
“Nice, sister. Very nice.”
“I am mage, the same as you,” she pointed out.
“You’re not the same. You are nothing. I can’t believe you’d be so stupid as to defy our father and me. Do you think you will find the book and reign?” As he spoke Vasile gestured toward her with both arms.
Beneath her, the ground shook. Rolled. Cracks appeared along the rock. She countered immediately.
I call to the power of Earth
Hear my call
I stand to fight that which would destroy us
Quiet yourself, Mother, join with me
Let our power be as one
Let us fight together.
Strangely, she felt almost as if she connected with Mother Earth. For just one moment there was a feeling of something old, definitely feminine, rising to meet her as she chanted softly, calling on the elements once more to protect and preserve the beauty of the landscape, but more, to keep it safe for its inhabitants.
She watched her magic eat the black magic, strand by strand, grid by grid. It was slow. She had been careful to keep her true intentions from Vasile for as long as possible. She wanted to open a route for Isai and the cats. Blue had made his way to the other male, staying just out of sight, but where he could dart in and pull the chain loose, so they could both escape. It wouldn’t be easy if Vasile noticed. He would retaliate, and that was when she had to be ready.
Blue? Can you wait just until I have opened a large enough path for both of you to run through when you free Phantom?
I am nearly to the mage. Isai made it a statement. Blue, as soon as the mage turns to attack you, I will strike.
Vasile was becoming agitated. He flung fireballs at her, one after another. The balls spun through the air, gaining speed and fury. Bright, hot spheres of molten rock and fiery flames. Now he wasn’t trying to keep her alive or control her. He’d gone past that to wanting to kill her.
She countered with a simple water spell, turning the fireballs to smoke, dousing them with liquid pouring from the sky. Her magical colors had spread now, going through the layers protecting her brother from any retaliation. He thought himself safe. It wouldn’t occur to him that she would find a way to penetrate his defenses and be brave enough to aid in the escape of the shadow cat as well as a Carpathian’s attack on him.
The moment Vasile saw his fireballs turning to smoke, he slammed lightning down on her. It cut through the star-filled sky, striking the top of the bluff over and over in an effort to kill her. The white-hot whip struck right over her head and hit a barrier, sizzled and burned, lighting up the shield Isai threw over and around her.
Thanks. She wouldn’t have been able to stop that one as quickly as she needed to. Vasile might have succeeded, had her lifemate not been looking out for her.
You can step through it when needed, but keep the cats inside, just to be on the safe side. I can feel his anger growing.
Julija thought that was a mild way to put it, but then Isai was not bothered by the attacks. They were normal to him. The fact that Vasile had turned his wrath toward her might be different, but over the centuries, Isai had seen mage attacks many times.
Belle pushed against her legs uneasily. Phaedra hissed. Comet crowded her until he