Page 48 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

A spark hit my side, stinging through my shirt. “Ow! Knock it off, man!”

I flicked my wrist, sending a whip of flame to singe his calf. Brontes’s eyes flew open.

“What the hell?!”

“I said stop zapping me!”

“It’s not on purpose!” he argued.

I swept my arm, shooting more flames at his feet. Brontes yelped and leapt away.

“Whoopsie, hand slipped,” I sneered.

Pain sliced up my arm as one of his lightning bolts struck it, muscles seizing.

“Whoops, my bad,” Brontes shot back mockingly.

We both dissolved into laughter, the sound echoing off the gym walls.

“Oh, you wanna go, Storm Boy?” I taunted.

I unleashed a blazing wave of fire across the hardwood floor. But suddenly Brontes was gone, encased in a small swirling tornado as he rose into the air.

“Hey, no fair!” I called up to him. “I thought you had lightning, not wind!”

A dark thundercloud formed over my head. Brontes’s delighted cackle ringed from within the tornado. Jagged lightning bolts crashed down around me, and I danced wildly to avoid the sparks.

Time to take this up a notch.

I aimed a fiery blast beneath my feet, rocketing up through the belly of the cloud until I emerged face-to-face with Brontes. His navy blue eyes widened in surprise before I lobbed a fireball at his head.

He dissolved the tornado, dropping into a graceless sprawl on the gym floor. As Brontes scrambled up, eyes narrowed, I followed him down, pelting him with fireballs that he barely managed to dodge.

Landing in a crouch, I swept my gaze left and right looking for Brontes. A swirling tornado barreling my way was the only warning before it slammed me backward across the hardwood.

“Shit!”I yelped.

Before I could hit the far wall, a pair of cold, strong arms caught me. I looked up into Fannar’s amused icy blue eyes.

“Language,” he gently mocked.

“Thanks, babe!” I smiled at him.

I laughed sheepishly as Brontes approached. The fight had ended, but the fun had just begun.

“Shall we call that a win for me?” Brontes asked, grinning.

I stood, cracking my knuckles. “No way. You only won because you caught me off guard. Round two, let’s go!”

Fannar chuckled. “Weren’t you supposed to be learning how to use ice?”

“We’re just blowing off some steam,” I said with a casual shrug. Though his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“I don’t know how you two can be so relaxed with Obsidia looming over us.”

Brontes trotted over. “Sometimes fun is what unlocks our potential. Right, Gwyneira?”

She nodded, peeking out from behind Fannar.

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