Page 64 of Light Magic

My eyes widened and I felt so stupid. Lacey had told me I wouldn’t need to drink the potion to hide my aura while I was in the Grand Eternity Hall. I had gotten used to it, and on my first foray outside, I forgot to take it!

“Lucky you,” was all I said, though I was berating myself on the inside.

“I don’t have time to waste, so I’ll get directly to the point,” she said. “Come with us and we won’t hurt your friends.”

Which meant, if I didn’t, they would kill everyone.

Beside me, the witches conjured bolts of their magic and held them above their hands, and Ash drew his sword.

“I guess you have your answer,” I said, reaching for my magic, but it swirled out of reach. Damn it!

“So be it!” Sariel snarled and lunged at me, light magic shooting out of her hands.

At the same time, the other angels attacked and my friends met them head on.

I jumped back, avoiding a big bolt that would definitely have hurt, and called on my new, beautiful sword. I almost sighed in relief when it appeared in my hand.

Sariel, though, seemed taken back and she slowed down her momentum. “I heard you lost your sword.” She brought hers up and then down on me.

I parried her strike. “You mean, Rhodes told you Molraz destroyed mine?”

“Something like that.” She stretched her arm, her hand glowing, and tried touching me.

I pushed her sword with mine and kicked her hand away. “So, you’re Rhodes’s lackey now?”

That seemed to anger her. She let out a scream and threw her magic at me. I spun to the side and deflected one of the hits with my sword. I braced myself, expecting to be pushed back, but the blade absorbed most of the impact.

I almost laughed. Light, this sword was awesome!

Sariel let out a furious groan and threw several light bolts at me, one after the other. I moved my sword, trying to catch them all, but she was too fast.

I twisted out of the way, but she followed.

I called my magic and created a shield. Or tried to.

The magic sparked at my fingertips and then fizzled out.

What the hell?

Sariel came at me, her sword raised high. She rammed into me, making me lose my balance and fall on the rough ground. I kicked her shin, and she stumbled back.

I looked to the sides—Levi wasn’t back yet, and everyone was engaged in a fight. Two angels were on the ground, immobile, and my heart sank.

No one should die, especially not an angel.

This was so wrong.

Sariel brought her sword up again and let out a scream as she brought it down on me. I moved as fast as I could, came up to my knees, and lifted my sword above my head.

The sword clanked and shook with the impact.

I stood and kicked Sariel in the chest.

She staggered backward, and almost lost the grip on her sword.

“I don’t care if they want you alive,” she said with a cry. “I’m done with you.” She conjured a light bolt and threw it at me.

I lifted my sword.

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