Page 13 of Dueling the Suitors

His composure faltered. “Can we stop the verbal sparring and focus on the original combat we are here for?”

“Was about to, since you lost that one already.”

Wizard Orion let out a cry of rage and sent a flurry of blasts her way, but Astoria blocked them all. She laughed. He reminded her of Silas throwing tantrums when they were younger.

“Keep laughing, Princess, and you will be the laughingstock after this duel.”

“We shall see whose fate that is going to be.”

She sent out colourful flurries and swirls towards him, and they danced around him, blocking his view of her. But it didn’t last long as the wizard’s smoky-grey magic cut through them like a blade. He emerged through them and sent blast after blast at her.

Astoria spun and twirled as she countered them with barriers and sent a gust of wind in return. The wizard stumbled backward but didn’t lose his footing. She pushed her hands harder to strengthen the wind, but something tightened around her wrists and tugged her back.

Her focus faltered as she dropped her gaze to the vines sprouting from the ground and encircling her arms. They began to curl around her ankles as well. She growled and unleashed fire on them, but they remained unburned.

She sensed dark magic. Of course, it had to be. Without it, all he would have was energy projection and telekinesis. Just like every other Mage.

You have to make his focus falter, Princess!Skylar said.

Astoria launched bolts of lightning and struck the ground with them. The ground shook, and the vines fell from her. Before she could clear them out of her path and launch her next attack, a jet of blinding white light came her way. She was too late to dodge or summon a barrier; the light hit her with great force.

Someone yelled her name, and Skylar screamed in her mind.

She was thrown backwards, but with a flick of her wrist, an ice pillar sprouted from the ground and steadied her before she could fall. Determination anew and eyes flaring, she straightened herself and struck the ground with lightning bolts, one after another. But the wizard held his ground, unshaken, a smirk curling at his lips.

You don’t suppose his boots are enchanted, do you, Princess?

Then I just have to aim at them.

Astoria sent another wave of colourful flurries and swirls to dance around him, ten times stronger than the last time. Magic flowed from her fingertips like water and surrounded him.

Wizard Orion began cutting through them, walking forward as he tried to emerge from the waves of magic she kept sending.Each time he cut through them and their eyes met through the clearing, he smirked, like this was a silly game he could play all day and win every time.

She kept her glare in place. The distance between them lessened with each step he took to emerge from her colourful show. And then, with a flick of her wrist, she grew vines between them.

This time, when she saw his smirking face, she smirked back.

“I must say your rainbow show is rather impressive, Princess, but we are here to—” A gasp of surprise cut off Wizard Orion’s words, and the next moment, he was on the ground on all fours. “What the—” he began, but stopped short as he saw the single vine he had tripped over.

“You!” The wizard’s head snapped up to her. “You tripped me!”

“Youfell,” she corrected, a slow smile rising on her lips. “Which means…” Her smile grew as she turned to her grandfather, who stood behind the magical shield, observing.

Grandpa Cassius pulled himself out of his stupor. “Our winner!” he hollered, fisting the air. “Our winner!” he shouted again, as though he couldn’t believe it but it was the most joyous moment of his life.

“She tricked me!” Wizard Orion retorted, trying to stand up. He shook an accusing finger at her. “Shetrippedme!”

“You fell, Wizard.” Astoria rolled her eyes.

“Because youtrippedme, you stupid girl!”

“Yes, and you fell, so I won.”

“I disagree! We need another round!” He turned to Grandpa Cassius, seeing as he was already marching towards Astoria. Astoria cleared the vines from the ground as he approached her in his haste to declare her the winner.

“That wasn’t in the stipulation, Wizard Orion. You fell, you lost. Princess Astoria is the victor,” he said.

“Sir Cassius, I believe another round is in order!”

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