sphere to hold it down. He turned to shout, “George, get over—”
Suddenly, the demon-cat roared in pain, unable to finish his plea. He pulled his massive paw clear of the ball’s surface. Blood poured from the end of three silver spikes that had broken free of the sphere and remained embedded in the pads of his paw. Kepler’s roar reverberated throughout the tower with such force that three more tomes fell from various shelves and landed with a thud.
The smack of the books against the floor helped to clear George’s mind. As he regained his composure, the floor turned blue. The mage grabbed the nearest bookshelf and used it as a crutch to maintain his balance. As he did, he saw Athena lying motionless behind his wall of force. The mage’s anger turned to hatred for his enemy.
Finding the ball, he shouted for Kepler to move clear. The giant cat limped away, leaving a trail of black blood across the floor as it completed its cycle, returning to green.
Before George could take the offensive, the sphere moved to hover just outside the invisible wall that protected Athena. Now awake, she screamed as another electrical charge passed through her pocket of protection and hit her belly. Seeing this, George’s emotions took over and fueled his power to a level he had never experienced.
Kepler sensed that George’s use of magic was going to be dangerous. The jaguar leapt skyward and used his massive claws to rip into the spiral staircase where he hung suspended.
Looking back over his shoulder, the demon watched as George lifted his hands to release his wickedness. The hatred the mage felt for his enemy after seeing his wife and unborn baby in danger, added to his magic’s velocity and voracity. A powerful wave of water erupted from George’s fingertips, and the gush consumed the lower level of the tower.
The torrential force pushed the ball backward, smashing it against the bookshelves as George placed yet another wall of protection around himself. The orb sunk to the now yellow floor that cast an eerie glow throughout the water as it sloshed about.
The wave had not only stopped the ball, but it also filled the room, chest deep. Beneath the surface, the sphere exploded, sending a powerful fountain of water and debris skyward. Kepler was the one to suffer. Besides being drenched, the demon was clubbed with many heavy tomes, and as a result, he was knocked clear of the staircase. The cat landed with a walloping splash.
George lowered his pocket of protection and pushed through the refuse to get to Athena. Once submerged, he found his wife sitting unharmed inside her bubble. He gave Athena a wink and then stood to check on Kepler.
The jaguar was miserable, as all wet, oversized pussycats would be.
George lifted his hand, but during this series of moments, it was in the direction of the door. He used his magic to open it. The water siphoned out of the school and gushed down the stairs, away from the tower. Once George was certain there would be no other threats, he released Athena from her barrier.
From high above, a male voice called out, “Well done … ha, ha, ha … well done, George!” A figure in a red robe descended. He did not use the spiral staircase, but rather, he floated toward them.
As the man removed his hood, George could see he had short, brown hair and a goatee. He appeared to be an older man, maybe 55 or 60 seasons, with elven features, something George had become accustomed to seeing since the family’s arrival on Luvelles. He could only imagine how old this guy really was, since other elves—elves who also looked his age—were typically hundreds of seasons old.
“A good first lesson. You handled yourself well. Amar said you would be a worthy Mystic Learner. I’m sure you can understand my desire to see for myself.”
George did not respond. Instead, he trudged through what was left of the watery mess, now only ankle-deep with a blue glow. He assisted Athena to her feet, and then he pushed her hair clear of her face. “Are you okay?”
Athena nodded and reached down to rub her belly. “I think so.”
George whirled around and glared at the man in the red, power robe. “Who the hell are you?”
“I don’t know of this hell you speak of, but you know who I am.”
“My wife is pregnant, you son of a—”
“Now, now, now! Let’s not be hasty, George. You’re assuming I