Page 63 of Outnumbered

He folded his arms across his chest. “So, this is what you two have been up to in secret, huh?”

Jolie and Leona jogged over to us.

“Yes, I’ve been trying to learn a spell that I could use in the worst case scenario,” I answered. “Are you mad?”

He looked at Jolie. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

“Because you would rat us out to Caleb,” Jolie replied. “Or to one of the others who would rat us out.”

“Use one on me,” he ordered me.

I held up a hand. “Let me finish catching my breath.”

“How many have you created today?” he asked.

Jolie frowned. “Like a dozen.”

His eyes widened. “How long have you been practicing behind our backs?”

Magic ready again, I created the portal and used my telekinesis to hold him above it. Then, I did the same to both Leona and Jolie. “Long enough that I can do this.” I dropped all of them through the portals.

Nico looked up at me through the portal and I closed all three.

He teleported back to me and smiled wide. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone who surprises me as often as you do, Ember. That was impressive. Now, I want you to do it while in warrior form.”

“Trying to get her to deplete her magic faster?” Leona asked.

Nico shook his head, his hair, a bit shaggier than usual since he hadn’t gotten it trimmed, flopping from side to side as he did. “No, I’m trying to ensure that she’s able to fight after she uses them, in case others go through the portals with them. And, this time you are going to use it on all of us, including yourself. The only way I won’t rat you out is if you confirm that you’re going to use it for all of you.”

“That’s a lot of magic to use,” I whispered nervously. That meant he wanted me to create five portals while in my warrior form and use telekinesis to keep the enemies from going through.

“You’re already doing great,” he praised. “It will just take practice and expanding your magic stamina.”

“What if I don’t have enough magic?” I asked. There were always limits to people’s magic power.

“Then you’ll know your limit ahead of a battle and won’t be blindsided when the time comes to use this spell, and you’ll have a plan for alternative escape. Now, create four portals, hold us all above them, and drop us after a count of three.”

Hours of practice later, I lay on the grass, gasping for breath and covered in sweat.

“Well done,” Nico praised and sat on the grass beside me. “Is this your plan if they manage to grab Caleb to try to decapitate him like they said they were going to?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Caleb sent me to check on you because he was worried Jolie was teaching you something dangerous and that’s why you keep avoiding answering his questions, by the way. So, you might need to get prepared to answer him truthfully.”

“I was planning to tell him soon,” I admitted. “To show him that I can get us to safety so he won’t try to keep me at home next fight we go to.”

Nico chuckled. “Smart girl.”

“How are my adoptive parents, a couple of humans, able to avoid us so easily?” I asked.

“They have some powerful people on their side,” he said, scowling. “They are keeping them safe and hidden from us.”

“I hate this,” I whispered.

“Learning new powers?” he asked and arched a brow.

“Needing to learn a failsafe because people want to kill us.”

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